Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1889-12-15

along back; but l was busy, here and
there, and there didn't seem to be a real
chance to get to it. Well, 'twould take
the evenin' to tell it all but / found one
real sick, been abed for three weeks. and
was so glad to see me that l felt fair
ashamed. Seemed as though | Leerd the
Lord for the first time sayin' 'Inasmuch as
ye did it not to one OF the least of these, We
did it not to Me- Then another mans old
mother says to NE before he came in from
the shed, says she, He's been a-say}n' that
if folks practiced what they preached you'd
ha' come round to look him up afore now.
but he Ieckoned you kinder looked down
on mill hands. Pm awful glad you come
Brethring, SO wa; tell you that days
work done me good. | got poor opinion
of Josiah Emmons now / tell ye; but |
learned more about the Lords wisdom
than a month O Sundays ever showed
me-"
A smile he could not repress passed over
Mr.. Parkes' earnest face. The deacon had
forgotten all external issues in coming so
close to the heart of things; but the smile
passed as he said:
Brother Elnmons, do you remember
what the Master said-'If any man will
do His will he shall know of the doctrine,
whether it be Of God, or whether | speak
Of MYSELF"
"Well, it's So" answered the deacon,
OTIS so right along. Why, never thought
SO much Of my Bible class, nor took no
sech int'rest in 'em as | do to-day-not
since begun to teach. | b'lieve they'll
come more lar now, too.
''Now come fellowship day. 1 thought
that would be all plain sailin'; seemed as
though I'd got warmed up till felt pleas
ant towards everybody; then / went
around SEEM folks that was neighbors,
and twas easy, but when Z come home at
noon spell Philury says, says she, Square
fuckers black bull is into the orchard "a
tearin round, and he's knocked two
lengths O fence down fiatp Well, the old
Adam riz up then, you'd better believe
That black bull has been a-breaking into
my lot ever since we got in tn aftermath,
and it's Square fuckers fence, and he
won't make it bull-strong, as he'd oughter,
and that orchard was a young one Jest
coming to bear, and all the new wood
crisp as cracklin's with frost. You'd bet
ter b'lieve didn't have much feller-feelin
with Amos Tucker. | jest put over to his
house and spoke up pretty free to him,
when he looked up and says, says he, Eel
lowship meetin' day, amt il, deacon I'd
ruther he'd ha' slapped my face. | felt as
though | should like to slip behind the
door. | see pretty distinct what sort of
life I'd been Twin all the years I'd been a
professor, when | couldn't hold on to my
tongue and temper one day"
"Breth-e ren," interrupted a slow, harsh
voice, somewhat broken with emotion,
"pll tell the rest ont. Josiah Emmons
come round like a man an Christian
right there He asked me for to forgive
him, and not to think twas the fault of
his religion, because twas hisn and moth
in else | think more of him to-day than
| ever done before | was one that would
not say I'd practis with the rest of We. l
thought twas everlasting nonsense. I'd
ruther go to forty prayer meetin's
than work at bein' good week. | believe
my hope has been of them that perish; it
amt worked, and leave it behind to-day
| mean to begin honest, and it was SEEM
one honest Christian man fetched me
round to t."
Amos Tucker sat down and buried his
grizzled head in his rough hands.
''Bless the Lord ~ said the quavering
tones of still older man from a far corner
of the house, and many glistening eye
gave silent response.
GO on, Brother Emmons," said the
minister.
"Well, when next day come, l got up to
make the fire, and my boy Joe had forgot
tie kindlin's. I'd opened my mouth to
give him Jesse, when it come over me
sudden that this was the day of prayer for
family relations. l thought l wouldn't
say nothin. l Just fetched in the kind
Inns myself, and when the fire burnt up
good | called wife.
Dear me- said she, I've got such a
headache, 'Siah, but FL come in a minnit'
| didn't mind that, for women are always
hayin' aches, and was jest goin' to say
so, when remembered the tex about not
bein bitter against 'em, SO | says, Phil
ury, you lay abed; | expect Emmy and
me can get the vittles to-day | declare,
she turned over and give me sech look
why it struck right in There was my
wife. that had worked for an waited on me
twenty-odd year most scarf because |
spoke kind of feelin' to her. | went out
and fetched in the pail O water she'd al
ways drawed herself, and then | MIXED
the COW. When | come in Philury was up
fryin' the potatoes, and the tears shinin'
on her white face. She didn't say nothin',
she's kinder still; but she hadn't no need
to- felt leettle meaner'n | did the day
before. But 'twau't nothin' to my condi-
ton when was goin', towards night, down
the suller stairs for some apples, SOS the
children could have roast, and heerd
Joe up in the kitchen, say to Emmy L do
b'lieve, En-, pas goin' to ie.-'Why,
Josiah Emmons, how you talk P-Well, |
do; he's so everlastin' pleasant an good
natured | can't but think he's struck with
DEATH | tell We, brethren, | sat right
down on them suller stairs and cried. |
did, RELY. Seemed as though the Lord
had turned and looked at me jest as he did
at Peter. Why, there was my own chill
dren never see me act real fatherly and
pretty in all their lives. I'd growled and
scolded and prayed at 'em, and tried to
fetch 'em up-iest as the twig is bent the
trees inclined We know-but | hadn't
never thought that they'd got right and
reason 10 expect L u w NY paw do wei 10
they theirn. Seemed as though | was
fndin' out more about Josiah Emmon's
Shortcomings than was real agreeable.
"Come around Friday | got back to the
store. I'd kind o left it TO the boys the
early part Of the week, and things was
little cuterin' but did have sense not to
tear round and use sharp words so much
as common. l began to think twas gettin'
easy to practice after five days, when In
come Judge Herrick's wife after some cur
tin calico. l had handsome piece, all
done off with roses, but there was fault
in the weavin'-every now and then thin
streak. She didn't notice 1t, but was
pleased with the figures ont, and said
she'd take the whole piece. Well, just as
L was wrappin' it up, what Mr.. Parkes
here said about tryin' to act just as the
Lord would in our place came acrost me.
Why | turned as red as beet, l know |
did. 1t made me all of tremble. There
was |, a doorkeeper in the tents of my
God, as David says, really cheatin', and
cheatin' a woman. | tell We, brethren, |
was all of sweat. Mis- Herrick,' says l,
4 don't b'lieve you've looked real close at
this goods, faint thorough woye, says /.
She didn't take it; but what fetched me
was to think how many times I'd done
such mean, unreliable little things TO turn