Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1892-08-17
THANKFUL ELLIS"

THANKFUL ELLIS"
Slowly tne sun crept over the wheat
deld, tracking abroad, black shadow
veil across the billows of green falling
before the winds swift passage, and
rising again as the sun sent long,
quiyering CLEANS through the bright
restless blades.
Beyond the wheatfeld, Just across
the creek, Deacon Ellis was ploughing
his corn. His hearty "chirrup, " when
ever old MOll turned into a new furrow
could be heard away down to The big
road. And between furrows the good
deacon wliled away the time by sinrih
the old familiar meeting house hymL:
Come thou fount OF every blessing"
Ii hsppene that while the deacon
was singing in the cornteld, Farmer
Foster and his wife were driving to
town in their new Jersey. They were
eros sing tue creek at the turn of the
Dig road, and stopped moment to
give the mare dUink just as the dea-
cons song rose TO its highest pitch:
Here I'll raise mine Ebenezer
Huh by Thy Felp I'm come,
Aud hops 10y ny good pleasure,
safely to arrive AT hOme.n
The farmers wife laughed as she
pushed back her sunbonnet to listen.
The deacou'S singin' 'Zekiel," she
said, 'same'S If his only COW didn't fall
in the ditch yistIGdy, an break her leg,
an have TO be knocked in the heal"
The farmer tapped his whip at fly
on the back of his mare.
AM the same" he said, Gas if his
biggest heller wasn't d wn with the
piuk-eye. NOthIn' can't stop him "a
thInkin' of the Lord, Nancy, Rain or
shine, summer n winter, hits all the
same to Deacon Ellis. There's allus
"a been. I've lod min TO drive bv
and ak after the heIfer, Nancy"
do, Ezekiel. Hit1l look kinder
neighborly," said the farmers wife, and
the Jersey wagon turned out of the
big road into the red lane running past
the deacon's corn field. The deacon
saw them coming, and called old Mol
to a halt. While b e went over to the
worm fence and exchanged show dye
dos" with his neghbors. Greetings
being over, Farmer Foster inquired
after the deacon's wife.
well, she's ailin' some to be sure, ]"
was the answer. "She's ailin' some,
but, the Lord Re praised for 1t, she's
Up an about againl"
AN how's the heifer. deaconP
"POo'iy, mi ,hty pooiy; but 'talnt
the only one we've got, an I'm a-thank-
in Of the Lord for that"
Farmer Foster took up his lines; 1t
was no easy matter to condole with his
neighbor Ellis.
'Well, Deacon" he said, 1--WE druv
by to tel you as We felt pow'ful cut
up bout that fine cow o. yours as
broke her leg yistlddy, but seems you
don't need no help to bear Your bad
luck"
Deacon Ellis pulled a cedar splinter
from the fence rail before he answer
ed.
"WelI," " 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. Wen miss old
Spot, thar amt no denyin' o. that.
But we've got sight o. nice beef of n
her, an that's somethIn' to be thank
tul for"
'See here, Deacon" Mrs. Foster
would hear of no further thanksgiving
in the midst of such dire misfortune
She un !erstood exactly what the loss
Of the cow meant to the invalid wife
and sickly 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 b ere
Deacon" she said, you send David
over to my house every evenin' an get
quart o milk for that little gal o.
yours. 'TaInt 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 neighbors and
friends. And the next morning at
breakfast when a blessing had been
ked upon the humble meal and Mrs
Ellis set mug of Farmer Fosters nice
new milk before the sick child, who
clapped her little hands joyfully at
sight of it, the deacon bowed his gray
head again, and thanked the Master oi
mercies second time For all Hi:
many blessings"
The next Sunday he was in bis ac-
customed place at the village church
auu when he knelt to pray few would
nave suspected as he poured forth hi:
prayer OF praise and thanksgiving,
thal MS only cow had broken her leg:
IN the ditch and his best heifer had
uied with the pink eye only The week
oeloTe and that bis last and only hope
Ct COW had been stricken down will
The same disease.
streams OF mercy never celsng
CaIl tor songs Of lOudest praise"
Higher and fuller the sweet song
ore, as If the singers life had been ont
continual round of peace, aud his path
way one OF roses and perpetual summer
Ine good man shut his eyes to visible
thlngS, and closed his heart to worldl,
cafesi and neither the dead heifer mol
ihe unfortunate COW could shake th'
heart.
spring ripened into summer, the
Torn IN the deacon's field looked healthy
nut the wheat-alasl the sun creeping
across the waving pillows found rus1
sSnong the ripening heads. And wheI
"sa cut and waiting the deacon