Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1889-05-03
THE PREA CHER'S SWEET
HEART.

purpose Of church and schoUlhouse The
gleam fell upon the yellowish leaves of a
papaw tree that stood close to the path that
led to the door. Beyond the papaw was an
irregular mass that moved restlessly in the
darkness. Observed closely, it would have
resolved itself into number Of horses tied
TO saplings, and stepping about noiselessly
as they stretched their heads toward the
tempting leaves beyond their reach.
Divine service was going on in the log
building, and the tones Of the minister
iloated out into the darkness in solemn ca
dence. Often they were interrupted by
deep grunted "A-aa.men ' or " "U-m III ah ,
Vas, Lord - the manner in which many
worshippers expressed their appreciation Of
the preachers utterances. A mounted fig
ure came close to the shaft of light and
dismounted As he did so the stamping of
the restless horses reached his ears. Noise
lessly he made his horse fast to Il redbud
stem and crept through the bushes 10 where
the uneasy equines were tied.
He passed from horse TO horse feeling
swiftly over each, as if in the darkness his
hands were doing duty for eyes in reveal
ing the merits or demerits of each animal.
The voice of the preacher came clear and
strong " the ears of the man among the
horses He listened moment as the voice
told him, in simple words, the sweet truths
Of the Bible Somehow the words of the
good book seemed to the man in the
darkness to be addressed directly to him
self, and presently as he listened he re-
moved his old slouched hat as reverently as
if he had been within the sanctuary.
Then, as the words of invitation and con
ISOLATION rang out clear and sweet, the man
by the horses removed his hand from the
neck of a little mare and muttered
Preacher is a sumner, shore. Reckon I'll
leave the filly. Might belong to the preach
er, an bein' a preacher, o course it's the
only boss he's got
As he returned to his own animal he
paused again to listen. Presently he drop
ped the hand that was untying the bride
and strobe into the bar of light that shone
from the open door
I'm try it,, he muttered. BEN a long
time sence I've set in a church
His slouchng entrance was hardly no
ticed by the congregation of shock headed
men and sallow faced women, so attentive
were they TO the preachers utterances.
The preacher was small, pale-faced
man, plainly almost stability dressed, and
as he stepped awkwardly back and forth
behind the rude pulp pit, the last conner saw
that he was lame.
Presently he rose and slouched out and,
mounting his horse, dashed away down a
bride path, where he neither knew nor
cared. Presently some small animal sprang
from the path. and the horse swerved to
one side, and the next moment there came
a blow on the riders head as if the great
blackberry tree that stretched far above
had fallen upon him. Then, as he fell 81
lently from the horse, the animal kicked
Al. L. r
touched the earth.
An hour after the pale faced preacher
limping along the path. almost stumbled
over the PROSTATE figure beneath the great
blackberry The old slouch hat had fallen
from his head, and the blood from long
wound across his forehead had soaked his
matted hair
The preachers slight form staggered un-
der the task, but by series of heroic eff
| forts he managed to convey the unconscious
man to the little log hut where he lived
alone. 1t was many days before the suf
| ferer could do more than sit like a helpless
child in the old splint- bottOmed rocker and
watch the preacher as he limped back and
forth attending to the wants of his uneX-
pected guest. The stranger had been bad
" hurt The blow on his head as he came
in contact with the low hanging limb, had
very nearly fractured his skull, and the
kick of the horse had broken several ribs.
One day there came letter addressed in
a dainty feminine hand, and the preacher
had almost completed his answer when the
hour arrived for him TO start for the little
log church. After he had gone the invalid
saw that the letter and its unfinished an
swer lay on the home made table, and with
out any scruples he proceeded to read both.
81 81 IL. -.
aloud, as he finished reading the letter.
"Pore leetle gal kin almost seem TO see
her as | read them lines Thar she is, way
back East, waitin' for the day when her
lover kin send the money to bring her out
yere to him. The time has ben a mighty
long one already, she says, but she'll wait
for him if it takes half her life. Brave
leetle girl Bids him keep up his courage
for she is shore he will soon git the money
for everybody's so generous in the West
and will pay him well for his work, she i:
certain"
The invalid paused and shook one hard
fist at an imaginary auditor
"Yas, hang ye Pay him well we'en vel
souls get bigger. If you was white you'd
pay more money an do less gruntin' il
church Look at it ~ he went on, witt
ringing wrath. "Yere's man an Chris
tian a-workin' the life outen his crippled
body to save yer souls, an in return we Civ,
him Jest enough to keep him from plum
starvin' All the whole kit of ye air goo,
for is to raise horses for me to run of
with"
Again he shook his fist fiercely at the i'm
aginary auditor.
That's for We Look at it Yere, fel
workin' himself to death fer yer souls, v
| hat tl,a rbaY, ha
bring his leetle waitin' sweetheart Yves
seems years off Yes, an yere am ado
in We no good, an stealin every one o ye
horses | kin git my hands on. In my case
We club together an offer reward NV tw
hundred dollars just TO git me. Give hin
starvation wages an have him all the time
an offer two hundred dollars just to hav
/ me few hours That's reason, aint it !
Then he turned to the unfinished answe
to the letter Though simply told, it was
story with a world of pathos in it, and tn
reader snuffled suspciously once or twice
and rubbed a rusty, sunburned hand acros
his eyes. 1t dwelt but lightly upon his tr
I, ais, and spoke most hopefully of the happ
future when they should meet again. Their
was pathos in his very hope-hOping, as
was, against absolute certainty,
When he reached the abrupt ending {
the letter, the reader again shook his fist q
the imaginary listener. 1.-TWO hundre
dollars fer me, an nothin fer this man
this hero ~ he half shouted.
, Suddenly thought seemed to strike hin
Il and he brought one hard fist down ON til
table with a sound thump
4 I'm do it, | will He shall have hi
sweetheart, an that, too, mighty quick
a 1t was after midnight when the preach,
o returned, and it seemed TO the other thu
he looked paler and limped more painful
n than usual
!. my friend the preacher said, presen
n ly 81 am glad TO have you so nearly reco
Is cred, for this house can shelter you but
e few days longer"
d "W'yl" asked the invalid "air ye ge
c tin tired o. me 2"
h Certainly not, but the owner of III
n house has warned me 10 leave because a
unable to pay the rent, and"
z "Whatn ye do now y
h ''I do not know. Doubtless I'll see II
way out of it all, but | do not now. /
"Parson, will yer do me a favor-ol
rs more ON top o all you've done for me p
d "Gladly, if | can" the young preach
replied.
Of tective association
he "Amos Hidden !"
That's him He's partic'lar friend
mine an II be mighty glad 10 see me.
}, this right now, an it'll he the last thing
ne ne ask NV ye."
rk When the young preacher had limp
Mt wearily away in the darkness, the 9th
d thumped the table with one hard fist, al
ne chuckled audibly "Oh, you bet yer j
ur Amos Hidden n be glad to see me Sc
IN all the balance of the vigilantes II
nj hundred dollars reward for me, an nuth
bs fer the preacher Wal, he'll have the t.
ID, hundred fer givin' me up, an the Wig
%" antes II have me" Then he sat silent
,e ! thinking. 81 could skin out yit, an 81