Idaho County free press. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho Territory) 1886-current, 1892-05-13
" THANKFUL ELLIS"


Slowly the sun crept over the wheat.
field, tracking broad. black shadow.
veil across tho pillows OF green falling
before tho winds swift passage. ant
rising again as the sun sent long.
quivering CLEANS through the bright
restless blades.
Beyond the wheatfield. Just acros.
the creek. Deacon Ellis was plough.
Ing his corn His hearty chirrup. "
whenever old Mol turned into a new
furrow. could be heard away down tt
the big road. And between furrow:
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. Farme.
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 drink just as the dea,
cons song rose to its highest pitch:
Here l ii raise mine Ebenezer
Hither by Thy help I'm come.
And hope by Thy good pleasure,
Safely TO arrive at home"
The farmers wife laughed as she
p1shed 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 a 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 good min TO
drive by and AK after the hoifer.
Nancy"
DO, IekleL Hill look kinder
peighborly, said the farmers wife,
and the Jersey wagon turned out oil
the big road into the red lane running
past the deacon's cornficd. The dea-
con saw them coming, and called old
Mol 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.
We'll she's ailin' some, to be sure "
was the answer. She's alin' some,
but the Lord be pra. sed for ii, she $
up an about again!"
AN hows the heifer, dcacon?"
POO ly, mighty pooly; but faint
the only one we've got an L IN a-thank-
in OF the Lord for that"
Farmer Foster took up his lines; il
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 oiT'n
her. an that's somethin' to be thank
full for"
See here, deacon" Mrs. Fo ter
would hear OF no further Thanksgiving
in the midst of such dire misfortune.
She understood exactly what the loss
OF the COW meant 10 the invalid wife
and sickly daughter OF the man who
was straining every point IN order to
pay of 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
o yours. 'Tain't 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
hal been asked upon the humble
meal and Mrs. Ellis set mug o.
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 a
second time For all His many bless
ings."
The next Sunday he was in his ac-
cus,omed 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 leg:
in the ditch and his best heifer haC
dice with the pink-eye only the week
before. and that his last and only hope
of u 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 il the singers life had beer
one continual round of peace. and hi:
pathway one OF roses and perpetual
summer. The good man shut his
eye; to visible things and closed h is
heart to worldly cares; and neithes
the dead heifer nor the unfortunate
cow could shake the foundation oil
thankfulness in his heart
Spring ripened into summer. the
corn in the deacon's field looked
healthy. But the wheat alas! the
sun creeping across the waving bill