New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-01-13
f" SMILING FORD.".

A STORY FOR PSYCHICAL RESEARCHERS.
You want 10 know why became parso,nr
Well, that is not easy question to answer. we
don't make up minds to things like that without
having good many reasons; some OF them we
never rightly understand at all and some we
never even dream OF. | mean that we are drawn
10 the important actions III our l.es Dy very
mysterious means. Some say these influences are
only chance but that is not what cal, 'n r;ghi
when you hear what it was that drove me to
make up my mind at last.
l am going to tell you what that was IL rs
very strange story and am not fond OF relating
H. People often think parsons get odd ideas
into their heads, and when they hear my. tale
see they think l am lying or else half mao, ana
they turn away with contemptuous shrug or a
Look of pity. Sdll no amount OF sneerlng Will
make true story false l know 1t is true, and
to lie lad and you will believe it. too,
You need not be ashamed OF it either. l could
mention some fine fellows who believed ID before,
as fine set of men as ever sat a saddle or
rounaed up herd. Men l could tell you stories
about that would set your blood ungling In every
yt1n and nr,kc you think the finest creature on
earth is plainsman OF dhe Far West, A mans
mind gets changed out there Queer things come
into his head in the night as he rides over the
endless waste alone with the stars. You get
ihnIung-t hinIling-hou after hour, with not a
human soul 10 put thought into you. There is
nothing but stars, and the wind that whispers IN
the parched grass Most men, IL their brains are
not poisoned with whskey, soon find out that
life is not the plain brick and-mo business 1t
appears to be in the towns. We soon come 20
See there how much there IS abouo US tnat
we cannot give name TO, that we cannot totch,
that we cannos get away floin. so say there
were not few who knew all my tale and believed
every word of it strange as 1t was; ay, and l
could name one or two who were changed men, and
saved men, too, lad, when they heard what
going to tell t0u
only lad, barely sixteen years old. 1t was old
Uncle Silas who sent for me to 90 out to him,
when my father died and | was left an orphan.
<l1 fall Il tn
though have a different opinion now. A hard
old plainsman who had done every hing plalnsman
did But he sad mad al sao 5Da BIT up Of wen
one way and another, and now had settled down
to life which made people say he was " Cracked
Yet his madness was at any rate better than
most folks sanity He became a missionary /;
that is all Perhaps it was not very wise to try
and turn Indians into Sunday.sc children, but
he thought he could He believed in the gospels,
and thought he could make every one else believe
them.
East" he used to say. Ask any palnsman, he will
tell you the same. The red man is domestic
animal, that is all He is better than any horse
Or dog thaSever vas Treat him as so Wei as you
love him as you do lhem. Cheat linn, lie to him,
do him wrong, and he becomes wild beast,
and takes his revenge like BEAST
So he had settled down in pleasant shanty close
to the Indian Territory, and from there he began
TO preach the gospel to the REDSKINS. Perhaps ne
chewed tobacco too much. and drank more whlskey
than enough Out hc NdS very edTncSt, anu al TIC
plainsmen came to have great respect for HIM.
Gospel Slas" they used to call him, and l don't
think there was one who thought anything OF
riding twenty miles out of his way to give old
Slas call l am there was not one
who did not go away better man, and keep
SO, till the vile saloon language had driven old
Silas's prayers out of his head.
In fact, Gospel Siias became the priest of 9
very big parish, and during the few months
was with him l saw many strange scenes and
heard not a few deathbed confessions that, were
rda anu ar'c pf "a luttVe
took me with him whenever there was call
several times suggested that ought to be doing
something for myself now that / was past fifteen,
but he always put me oil and kept me with him
Better do something for the Lord, Johnnie "
be used to say. than for yourself; and as nor the
dollars, why have got plenty for both Of p, us"
the Lords vineyard; and though he had
little 10 show among the Indians, his
harvest among the plainsrnen was good reward
It was nv part to read the Bible between his
prayers whenever we were at death-bed. or
could get two or three together. So, came TO
not afraid of the toughest of them. For they
were ALWAYS kind TO me and gave me presents
That is what made my fear seem SO strange when
II was one afternoon at fall. Uncle Silas was
down with ague. He was very bad. worse than
usual. and l was reading in our shanty out OF
Kings to him. He was dropping oil TO sleep
when the sound Of galloping horse disturbed us;
Straight up TO our door the sound came and
there IL stopped mat was natural enough, as
have said. for no one ever passed us without
looking in. / expected 10 bear the door OF the
outer room open. and was closing the book to &c
cut and greet the stranger but before 1T was
shut heard the horse gallopipg away again
faster than ever. Uncle Slas looked up very
anxously thought, and certainly the thing was
strange enough TO alarm sick man,
Go and see what it means. Johnnie said the
sick man: maybe it is call"
With queer feeling OF reluctance l put down
the Bible and opcned the door in the front room
Up and down the trail l looked but not a sign
or living thing could l see The dust was fresh
stirred up and hardly settled again. but the morse
man. whoever he was. had got out OF sight-oi
vanished That was the idea hat came into
into the house Just as l did so saw little
niece OF paper folded like a note. II was lying
Inst beside the threshold. as though the vanished
korsc1nan had pushed II under the door. picked
Il up with beating heart IL was addressed
oddly enough
To the Rev. Mister Silas.
Gospel Shanty
hastily shut and barred the outer door-tc
this day cannot tell why and then ran into the
he unfolded IL could see 1t was written on the
Az leaf Of volume OF Porteus Sermons. and
that the paper had brown stain upon II, that
mioht be blood or tobacco-iuice, only was sure
n was the first / waited In GREATNESS suspense
Ia hear what was written there.
NV eyes are so DIM" said my UNCLE " thai
cannot see. Read il TO me. Johnnie
sn3tchld the note eagerly from MS band oy
sorne strange impulse. and read these words;
This story Is founded on fact-that is 70 say
the main incidents are believed 10 90 true IN me
place where they said TO have occurred. %
ush Ct least eersin The nn nRpnnu 10,