Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1892-05-19
And il VIZ him.


some said, He's talkin' 10 himself, >
another said, Hes n Ia'kin' 10 God
Almighty, and another said, IN be
burned if he amt q prayibg" bat very
soon it was decided that be- was ''siDgin'
of h'me."
Bul Jones was soon advised of all
thu, and coming no to the front said:
"DarDed if be ain't singing before |
axed him. but I'll make him sing aDoth-
err tune till he's ttrtd IN pay him for
his onsulting message. I'm not gwine
to kill him. BOYS, I'll leave life n bis
rotten old carcass. but that's all. If
any OF loun rs want to hear Old Sledge
preach you'll have 20 60 ten miles from
the roads TO do il.
Slowly ard solemnly the preacher
came. As he drew near be mellowed
down his tune. and looked kindly upon
the crowd lie was a massive man in
frame, aud bad heavy suit of dark
brown hair, but bis face was clean
shaved and showed nose and lips and
chin of frmness and great determine
ton.
Look at him boys. and mind your
eve" said the horse thief.
where will find my friend. Bill
Jones?" inquired Old Sledge
All around him they einted to the
man
Riding up close be said: "My friend
and brother. the good Lord has sent me
to YOU, and l ask your hospitality for
myself and beast" and he slowly dis
mounted and faced his foe as though
expecting y kind reply.
/ The crisis had come and Bill Jones
met it.
You Internal old hypocrite; YOU
cussed old shaved face scoundrel, didn't
You know thai had swore an oath that
| would make YOU sing and dance and
whip you. besides, if ever dared pizen
these crossroads with your shoe tracks?
Now sing.d-n you. sing, and dance
as YOU sing and he emphasized his
command with ringing slap with his
open hand upon the parson' face.
Old Sledge recoied with pain and
surprise.
Recovt ring for moment he said:
Well Brother Jones, did not ex-
peet 50 warm . welcome, but if this be
Your crossroads manners. suppose |
must sing" and as Devil Bill gave him
another slap on his jaw, tie began
with:
Ny soul be on by guard
And with his long arm suddenly ard
swiftly gave Devil Bill an open handler
that neary knocked him off his feet,
while the parson continued to sing in
splendid tenor voice:
Ten thousand foes arise
Never was a lion more aroused to
/ frenzy than was Bill Jones. With his
pows rfUl arm he made at Old Sledge as
! il to annihilate him with one blow, and
/ many horrible oaths, but the parsOn
fenced off the stroke as easily as a prac.
c, d boxer. and with his left hand dealt
Bill another settler on his peppers as he
continued 10 sing:
Oh watch and fight ind pray,
The battle ne er give owe.
But Jones was pluckY to desperation,
and the settlers were watching with
bated breath. The crisis was at hand,
and he squared himself, and his clench-
ed fists flew thick and fast upon the
parson' frame. and for a time disturbed
his equilibrium and his song. But he
rallied quickly and began the offensive
as he sang:
Meier think the victory won,
Nor Law thy armor down
He backed his adversary squarely to
the wall Of his shop. apd seized him By
the throat and mauled him AS he
sang:
Fight on, my soul, till death
Well. the long and short of it was
that Old Sledge whipped him and hun
bled him 10 the ground, ana then lifted
him up and helped TO restore MIN, and
begged a thousand pardons
When Devil Bill had retired to his
house and was being cared for by his
wife. Old Sledge mounted a box in
front of the grocery, and preached
righteousness and temperance and
Judgment to come to that people.
he closed his solemn discourse with
brief history of his own sinful life
before his conversion and his humble
work for the Lord ever since, and
he besought his hearers to stop and
think.
stop, poor sinner. stop and think,
/ he cried in an alarming tone.
/ There were many men and many
women in that crowd whose eyes, long
unused to the melting mood, dropped
tears Of repentance at the. preachers
kind and tender exbortaton Bill
Jones wife, poor woman, crept hum
blv into the outskirts of the crowd, for
she had long treasured the memories
Of her childhood, when she too had
gone with her good mother TO hear
preaching In secret She had pined
ana lamented hei husbands hatred for
religion and Tor breaches After she
had washed the blood from his swollen
face and dressed bis wounds she asked
him if she might go down and hear the
preacher For a mipute he was silent
and seemed to be dumb with amaze
ment He had never been whipped
before, and suddenly lost confidence in
himself and his intidelty.
Go long Sally he answered, "if
he can talk like he can fight and sing
maybe the Lord did send him. It's all
mighty strange TO me, and he groaned
in anguish His animcsity seemed to
have changed into anxious wondering