Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1888-03-01


much to reconcile a man to even this desert
solitude. She had bright, intelligent eoun-
tenance, made piqnant rellarks. was quick
at repartee. and was as completely at home
and uneinbarassed in his society q city
belle. In chatting with her be quite forgot
to prepare bis though for the coming ordeal
of the prayer meeting. The people began to
gather. The deacon introduced Brother
Slocumbe-who had exchanged the overalls
for his store clothes, but about whose fresh
tallowed cowhide boots the seen; Of the
stable still fingered The Pearce girls came
attended b. lantern and dog They were
very plata. AMI nos Ut al young Halsey
thought ,i.scoarteoaslr .s.as if the lantern
famed rightly e;.ough to display their faces
the protection OF t.se dog was eatireiy un-
necessary. The deacon's wife brought in
lamps and a few well thumbed HYMN books
The deacon reused Halsey froEi his pleasant
chat with the remark, Il guess all S come
that s coming !" and the Doctor, handing him
Bible insisted that he should take charge
Of the nesting
"Eil some one select hymn he asked in
fear and trembling, and one of the Misses
P-arce started Sweet Hour of Prayer AT
its close lie read chapter from the Gospels
chosen quite at random Having closed the
Bible he called upol the doctor to lead in pray
er, and en,ieavored during its slow progress
to evolve some train of thought suitable to
the occasion. Suddenly the story Of Blind
Bartimaus, which be had just read, suggested
a sermon of Hsary Ward Beecher's- His
short hand report book was in his pocket,
and fortunately, the notes were legible
Before the doctor had reached Amen he
had selected two pages, had read them over
twice, and YVES prepared to repeat them In
an OH hand manner, with quite the air OF
giving utterance to something entirely his
own. AS he began be noticed that the eyes
of the doctors niece We're fixed upon him as
though in anticipation Of keen enjoyment
He is going to get into a muddle,H they
seemed to say; my attention will add to his
embarrassment and l am going to be very
nice and attentive
Halsey spoke fuently and saw her air of
amused superiority fade into one of blank
wonder, which said palmer than any words,
II have made a mistaken estimate Of this
young mans abilities; he is not such ninny
as he looks
After speaking for twenty minutes, Halsey
apolo1iz'sd for occupying so much time, gave
out another hymn and called upon the dea-
con and Brother 5locumbe to fill the remain
ing minutes with prayer and exhortation.
AT the close of the meeting the doctor
shook hands with him. with genuine appro-
baton The Lord has committed a great
talent to yc1r trust, my son. he said to him
In the dusk, Halsey helped him into his
conveyance 60 NOT out TO the battle
your own strength Remember the aduon
ition of the King Of Israel, Let not him that
girdeth on his harness, boast himself lie
that putteth it or" His niece was shyer than
she had been before the meeting. Evidently
she was impressed with Halsey's superior
abilities, and the young mans heart swelled
with elaton As he returned to the house
the Misses Pearce were just leaving with their
smoky lantern and he could do no less than
offer to see them home. The way was long
and it was pitchy dark when he returned,
but the eldest Miss Pearce had insisted on his
availing himself Of her lantern. You can
give it to me at church tomorrow" she
said, "and you will rurey fall into
the brook without it," As there really
seemed some probability of this. Halsey took
the lantern at the same time reproducing
himself for his politcness, The deacon had
told him so much of the plain and simple
minded character of his hearers that he de-
termined to avoid all flights of oratory, and
to give his audience IA sermon as full of COM
mon sense as could be found in his collection
A lecture by the Rev Robert Collyer
struck him as most likely to be popular 1t
abounded in incidents of country boys COM
ing to high positions by unremittin@ toll and
determination. He read the lecture we'll
with much of the hearty manner in which it
was originally delivered. for he was capital
actor in amateur theatricals and was accus-
toned to amuse his friends by giving per
sonations" of the different public men with
whom he was familiar While in the full
| fight Of successful oratory, while he felt that
every eye in the house was fixed upon him.
and that perhaps no one present had ever
heard more effective speaking, his eye
which ran before his tongue, discov-
cred danger in the path Mr.
| Colyer spoke of his own early ex-
| periences of the cottage in Yorkshire with
its floor so white that you might have eat II
| your dinner from il, with no harm to any
| thing but the floor; and Hasey in his
anxiety to escape this trap fell into n worse
one, for skipping the de cription of his Eng
! lish childhood he launched inconsiderate.,
| into particulars Of his thirst for study and
reading a youth, how "The Pilgrims
| Progress" and one or two other books were
the constant companions of the forge Hal
sey's white and SHAPED hands hardly carried
out the assertion that be had been trained 90
blacksmiths trade: but his hearers did not
stop to consider tiis They accepted what
he said true. and Il tcdcd to the brave.
earnest words with kini'ines enthusiasm.
TTo Pc CONr!Nj-zD