The Bennington banner. [volume] (Bennington, Vt.) 1858-1894, 1889-04-18
THE PREACHERS SWEETHEART.


A light shone from the open door OF
the low log structure that answered the
double purpose of church and school
house. The CLEAN fell upon the yellow.
ish leaves of "A pawpaw tr,e that stood
close to the path that led TO the door
| Beyond the pawpaw was an irregular
mass that moved rest eSsly in the dark,
ness. Observed closely, it woul hive
received !ls,lf INTO number of horses
uei to sapltng', ana stepping about
nOiselessly as they stretched their heads
toward the tempting lenves beyond their
| reach.
Divine service was going on in the log
building, and the tones of tie minister
| flDated out into the darkness IN solemn
cadence. Often they were interrupted
by deep-grunted "A-a amen! :" OF
"U-m-m-ah Vas, Lord p the manner
in which many wurshippers expressed
their appreciation of the preachers ut
terancas. A mount,d figure came close
to the shaft of light and di,mounted
As he did so the stamping of the restless
| horses reached his ears. Noseessly he
made his horse fast TO a redbud stem
and crepl through the bushes to where
the uneasy tquiues were tied.
| He passed from horse to horse, feeling
swiftly over each, as if III the darknes,
his hands were ding duty for eyes in
revealing the merits or demerits of eacl
animal.
The voice Cf the preacher came cleal
and strong to the ears of the man among
the horses He listened moment a.
the voice told him, in simple words, The
sweet truths of the Bible. Somehow the
words of the good book seemed to the
mau il the darkness to be addressed di
lectly 10 himself, and presently, as ht
list ened. he removed his old slouchec
hat as reverenrly as il he had been with
in the sanctuary.
Then, as the words of invitation rar
ont clear and sweet, the man by thu
horses removed his hand from the necl
of LIT le mare and muttered: Preach
er is a sumner, shore. Reckon I'll leav,
the FLY. Might belong to the preacher
an beng a preacher, . course it's tn,
only h SIS he's got"
As be returned TO his own animal. II
paused ugain to listen. Presently h'
dropped the hand that was uniying thu
hri lie and strOde into the bar IF ligh
that shone from the open door.
"I'll try ~ he muttertd BIN :
long time sence I've set in church"
His slouching en- rance was hardly
noticed by the congregation of shock
headed men and sailow-faced women ,st
at 'entive were they to the preachers ut
terauces.
The preacher was small, pale faceC
man, plainly almost shabb ly) dressed
aud as he stepped awkardly back anC
foItn behind the rude pulpit, the las
conner saw that ne was lame.
Presently he rose and slouched out
and mounting his horse, dashed away
down bride path, where, he neithe
knew nor cared, Presently some small
animal sprang from the path, and tn,
horse swerved to one side, and the mex
moment there came blow on the rider
lead as if the great blackberry tree tina
stretched above hsd fallen upon him
Then, as he fell silently from the horse
the animal kicked the unconscious mar
before he had hardly touched the earth
An hour after the pale-faced preacher
limping along the path, almost stumbled
over the PROSTATE figure beneath thu
great hack berry. The old slouch ha
had fallen from his head, and the blooC
from long wound across his forehead
had soaked his matted hair.
The preachers slight form staggered
under The t.sk but by series OF heroic
Efforts he managed to convey the uncOn
sciuus man to the little log hut where h,
Ivei alone. Il was many days befor,
the sufferer could do more than sit lIk,
a helpless child in the old splint bot
toned rocker and watch the preacher a
he lmped back and forth attending t.
the wants of his unexpected guest Tn,
stranger had been badly hurt. The blow
on his head, as he came in contact will
the low hanging limb, had very nearly
fractured his skull, and the kick of thu
horse had broken several ri5s.
Oae day there came letter addressed
in dainty feminine hand, end tn,
preacher had almost completed his an
swer hen the hour arrived for him Il
start for the little log church. After h'
had gone, the invalid saw that the lettel
md its unfinished answer lay on tn,
homemade table, and without any scru
pies he prOce, ded 10 read both.
"Frum his sweetheart" the invaliC
said aloud, as he finished reading tn,
letter. "Pore leetle gal; l kin almos
seem to see her as / read them lines
Thar she is, way back East, waitin' FOL
the day when her lover kin send thu
money to bring her out yere to him
The time has ben mighty long one al
ready, she says, but she'll wait for hin
if it takes half her life. Brave leetl,
girl Bids him keep up his courage, fol
she IL shore he will soon git the money
for everybody's 80 generous in the West
and will pay him well for his work, sh,
is ceItaiU."
The invalid paused and shcok one hare
fist at an imaginary auditor.
"Yas, hang ye Pay him well wei
yer souls get bigger. II you was whit
YOU'D pay more money an do less grunt
ing in church. Look at it % be wen
on, with ringing wrath. "Neres a mai
an in return ye give him jest enough u
keep him from plum starvin', All tn
whole kit of ye air good for Is TO rails
horses for me to run of with"
Again he shook his fist fiercely at tn
imaginary auditor.
That's for ye Look at it Yere
fer workin' himself to death fer ye
souls, ye pay him so leetle that the tim
when he can bring his leetle waitiI
sweetheart West seems years off Yes
an yere ! am, a-doin' ye no good, az
stealin' every one o. yer horses kin q
my hands on. In my case, ye club to
gether an offer reward NV two hug
= dred dollars just TO have the few hour
That's reason, amt 1t 2
Then he turned to the unfinished al