The Newtown bee., 1890-07-25

and then, laughing loudly, called out. '.Aha! a preacher, a preacher. Give us a sermon.,'
 The rest took up the cry, and Jamie was hoisted on the bench, amid jeers and shouts, dreadfully frightened, and uncer- tain what to do.
 'sSing!'
 Did he imagine it, or did the whispered advice come from the man who had been sleeping? He acted on the inspiration, and his voice rose high and clear and shrill:
 "There were ninety and nine
 Who safely lay"
 He sang the first verse without inter ruption and, when would-be wit ven- tured a s'b-a-a" at the end of it, he was hustled into silence. The men were so quiet that Jamie hoped his difficulties were over, but all too soon the song came to an end.
 ssA sermon! sermon! Give us ser mon! reg'lar text now"
 Jamie's opportunity for preaching had come at last, but, alas it found him un- prepared. The big door was locked, and he was surrounded by yelling men. Something must be done at once. Through the disorder of his thoughts there came the remembrance of the last sermon he and his mother had heard to- gether, and the many talks they had had about it afterwards. He could repeat the substance in his own simple words. Sc he straightened himself up and looked out under his eyebrows, as the minister used to look out at the people over his spectacles. Then he wilted again. The | text, he could never remember that long text, and meanwhile he was being twitch ed and pulled on every side. Oh, dear what should he do? Suddenly he raised his hand and bowed his head: "Lead u; not into temptation, but deliver us iron evils
 The words fell upon perfect silence and Jamie seized his opportunity. Curi osity kept the men quiet at first, and in terest afterward: "The most of the evi in this world comes from bad habits They're something we get from the out side, and they stick like burrs. It's yer! easy to get bad from the outside; evil as sociations, and copying sometimes iron some fellow that's bad. But you can begin from the outside to get good. NJ sir! That isn't the way God made things When you begin to grow good, you'v, got to begin in your heart; that's tn, way everything grows. The thing thai sprouts is way on the inside of the seed not on the outside
 Jamie warmed up with his subject, ant the words came so fast that sometime. they nearly tumbled over each other. A times his hearers applauded; at timel they laughed, and once in a while the, hung their heads, as the youthful orato touched some tender spot in their harden ed hearts.
 Jamie was enjoying himself intensely
 "It's character we've got to have,'' Il said to those scamps who hadn't shre, of character. "We can't build up char acter like mason does a brick block piling up temperance to-day, and honest tomorrow, and industry next week, lik bricks, and then drinking and stealth; and telling lies between times. You'y got to begin at the heart again and grov in character just like plant does, leave and sprouts and buds all at once. S you've got to be temperate, and homes and industrious all at the same time You'd pull up plant that put out a lea to-day and didn't put out another for month or year. What ought to be don 1 to man, then, who knows better, if h is good to his wife and children one da, and beats and starves them for thre days? Or man who is a good neighbo to-day and steals your horse tomorrow :?
 The men indicted for these offence looked belligerent,so Jamie gave no nor i personal examples, but hurried on.
 "What shall be done2 Shall we pull u these improbable plants of men an throw them on the brush pile? Oh, no no! my dear brethren-''
 The small boy looked so comically sol emn as he said these words that the les affected part of his queer congregation interrupted him with loud laugh. Tn jailer opened the door at this opportun, moment, and Jamie jumped off the bencl and fled.
 The next day the physicians pronounc f od ha -,,I,a bol danger. The two men settled their diff | ferences out of court, and Jamie was free He did not know where to go. He wan dered into the court room, where the mal who had slept on his knee paid a fine ano | received reprimand from the judge. H, was going out again, he knew not where when constable beckoned to him anC put note and a small package in hi hand. Wonderingly he opened the papel and read:
 'sThis mummy is fur the kid who wasn' afeared to tell us what was good fur us to by himself sum close and sum of us il goin' to try and gro a caracter and qui being wanderin' sheep.-[Sum of the fel lers you sung to-"
 A mist of tears blinded Jamie's eyes A hand was laid on his shoulder and tho sleepy prisoner stood beside him.
 five got something to say to you young fellow," he said. ssI'ma stranger here. l never was in jail before, and probably wouldn't have been yesterday if it hadn't been for Sunday, so I could not get a trial; don't regret it, though, for made solemn pledge to myself yesterday that I'll die before I'll break. I've drank more than enough plenty o1