The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1892-04-28
"THANKFUL ELLIS"

before the winds swift passage. and
rising again as the sun sent long.
quivering CLEANS through the bright.
restless blades. ..-..t
Beyond the wheatfeld. just across
the creek. Deacon Ellis was plough
ing his corn. His hearty 'chirrup.
whenever old Moll turned into a new
furrow. could be heard away down to
the big road. And between burrows
the good deacon whiled away the time
by singing the old familiar meeting
house hymn:
Come, thou fount of every blessing"
1t happened that while the deacon
was singing in the cornfield, Farmer
Foster and his wife were driving tc
town in their new Jersey. They were
crossing the creek at the turn of the
big road. and stopped moment to
give the mare a drink just as the deal
cons song rose to its highest pitch:
Here III raise mine Ebenezer,
Hither by Thy help I'm come.
And l hope by Thy good pleasure,
Safely to arrive at home.'
The farmers wife laughed as she
pushed back her sunbonnet to listen
The deacon's singin Ezekiel. -
she said. 'same's if his only COW
didn't fall in the ditch yistiddy an
break her leg. an have to be knocked
in the head
The farmer tapped his whip at fly
on the back of his mare.
An the same" he said. .as if his
biggest heller wasn't down with the
pink-eye. Nothin' can't stop him
a-thankin' Of the Lord, Nancy. Rain
or shine, summer'n winter hits all
the same to Deacon Ellis. There's
allus somethin' not quite as bad as it
might a been. I've a good min to
drive by and AK after the heifer.
Nancy"
DO, Ezekiel. Hill look kinder
neighborly. said the farmers wife,
and the Jersey wagon turned out of
the big road into the red lane running
past the deacons cornfeld. The dea-
con saw them coming and called old
Moll to halt while he went over to
the worm fence and exchanged how
dye dos with his neighbors Greet
ings being over. Farmer Foster in
CURED after the deacon's wife.
well. she's ailin' some. to be sure, !"
was the answer. shes ailin' some
but the Lord be praised for it. she's
up an about again'
An how's the heifer. deaconp'
POO y. mighty poo'ly; but faint
the only one we've got an I m a. thank
in of the Lord for that.
Earnap EOctor for,I1 ~, L; e.
was no easy matter to condole with
his neighbor Ellis.
We'll, Deacon" he said. 1--WE druy
by to tell you as we felt pow'ful cut
up bout that fine COW O. yours as
broke her leg yistiddy, but seems you
don't need no help to bear your bad
luck"
Deacon Ellis pulled cedar splinter
from the fence rail before he an
swered.
Well" he said slowly, my ole
oman set sight O. store by that COW
an my little gal cried for milk last
night to be sure. Well miss old
Spot, thar amt no denyin' O. that.
But we've got sight o. nice beef off'n
her, an that's somethin' to be thank
full for"
See here deacon;'' Mrs. Foster
would hear of no further thanksgiving
IN the midst of such dire misfortune.
She understood exactly what the loss
OF the COW meant to the invalid wife
and slckly daughter Of the man who
was straining every point IN order to
pay on the mortgage upon the few
acres he called his farm. See here
deacon. she said. you send David
over to my house every evenin' an
get quart o milk for that little gal
yours. faint no manner o''count
to US, an David can cut across lots
an come for it in no time"
The deacon thanked her and said he
would. and in his heart he thanked
the Lord for the unexpected good,
and that night he thanked Him aloud
upon his knees. for the gift of neigh
bors and friends. And the next
morning at breakfast. when a BLESSING
had been asked upon the humble
meal and Mrs. Ellis set mug of
Farmer Fosters nice, new milk be-
fore the sick child, who clapped her
little hands Joyfully at sight of it. the
deacon bowed his gray head again,
and thanked the Master of mercies p
second time For all His manv bless.
ings." s -
The next Sunday he was in his ac-
customed place at the village church
and when he knelt to pray. few would
have suspected as he poured forth his
prayer OF praise and Thanksgiving
that his only COW had broken her legs
in the ditch and his best heifer had
dice with the pink-eye only the week
before, and that his last and only hone
OF COW had been stricken down with
the same disease.
STREAMS Of mercy never ceasing
Call for songs of loudest praise"
Higher and fuller the sweet song
rose. as if the singers life had been
one continual round of peace, and his
pathway one Of roses and perpetual
summer: The good man shut his
eyes to visible things. and closed his
heart to worldly cares; and neither
the dead heifer nor the unfortunate
COW could shake the foundation OF
thankfulness in his heart.
SnrinC rinanod ;r4o ~, J