News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1892-09-22
A RELIGIOUS THEE sILENcED.
He shouted in Meeting and Stole Hay
from His Neighbors.

He shouted in Meeting and Stole Hay
from His Neighbors.
In the early days of Sunday River
valley Ithiel Smith lived there. He had
plenty of hay in the barn. 1t was Gus
tomary to go to the barn about 8 o'clock
in the evening and fodder the cattle and
see that they are all right for the night
also to have enough hay on the la.n
floor to feed in the morning about a. M
On several mornings this hay that he left
on the floor for morning use was gone.
He did not know what had become of
it. At first he thought he had forgotten
to pitch the hay from the NOW, but
when every few mornings his hay was
gone he began to think about the cause
of the loss of the hay, but could not
discover it.
Toward spring he noticed that neigh
Dor used to often come in and spend an
evening with him, staying late. Smith
noticed that he generally came snowy
nights, and staid till after the cattle
were foddered for the night One night
after this neighbor had been gone for
some time Smith went to the barn. His
hay was gone. 1t was showing hard.
Then he went back to the house and
said not a word about the hay.
He made it in his way to go TO this
neighbours about chore time and see how
much hay he had in his barn. He saw
about half ton on the scaffold over the
cows.
The next time that this man came in
| to visit him he did his chores and left
! 4. 4 n 81 no
| man left Smiths house to go home,
Smith went out carefully to the other
| side of the barn where he could look
around the corners and see the small
! door on that side. Just as he looked
around the corner he saw a bundle of
| hav come out of the door; then the
neighbor came out after it, shutting the
door, and shouldering the hay went
! across lots in the snow to his barn.
Smith let him go and did not say one
word. but he put on locks to his barn
doors the next day.
In the spring when the snow thawed
there was a road across the field covered
with scattered hay to this mans barn.
One Sunday as they came from meeting
this man was along and several other of
the neighbors. Smith invited them to
come to his barn; he wanted to show
them a curiosity. They all went. He
took them into the barn and opened the
small door that the hay went out of,
and showed them the streak of scattered
hay, saying, 1.-THE curiosity was that II
led from his barn to neighbor So-and
Sos barn, and all the tracks went the
60 las
mans barn" Smith said, "Now, good
neighbors, can you solve this great
mystery? l leave you to find the cause.
They gave their verdict then and there
saving, THAT explained how this mar
had kept his two cows ON one ton of hay
and had part of it left at this time"
This man did not call on Smith AM
more, neither was Smiths hay missing
after that. But Smith could not forge
the loss of his hay, especially by MAJ
that claimed to enjoy religion and would
get shouting happy every time that h
went to meeting. 1t puzzled Smith nov
this man could be so happy and no
make restitution to him for the hay h
had stolen from him in the past.
Smith made up his mind that the mex
time this man shouted he would shou
too. After while there was a meeting
at the school house. This hay man wa
there. As soon as the preacher gave tn
liberty to speak, up got this man tina
took Smiths hay and shouted, "Bles
God, glory, halleluiah, glory to God.
am so happy that know that all m,
sins are forgiven and l am free iron
SIM"
At this Smith shouted, my hay vii
be safe now" This caused a laugh
, This man tried to shout again, bu
failed Smith shouted, $50 on, brother
my hay will be safe if you do not back
slide."-Lewiston Journal.