Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1892-09-05
A RELIGIOUS THIEF sILENcED.
sc Shouted in VI, citing and Stole Hay
from Hi Neighbors.

BE Shouted in NJ citing and Stole Hay
from His NeiGhbors.
In the early DIS of Sunday River
~allev Ithiel Smith lived there. He had
nlentv Of hay in tie barn. 1t was Gus
NDmarv to 60 to the blrn about o'clock
in the evening and fodder the cattle and
Ne that they are all right for the night;
also to have enough hay on the barn
Eoor to feed in the morning about IL. III.
On several mornings this hay that he left
en the floor for morning use was gone.
lie did not know what had become of
II. At first he thought he had forgotten
fo pitch the hay from the NOW, but
when every few mornings his hay was
gone he began to think about the cause
bf 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, aging late. Smith
noticed that he generally came snowy
Rights, and staid till after the cattle
we're foddered for the night. One night
bitter 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 word about the hay.
He made it in his way to go to this
|neighbor's 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
the hay on the floor as usual. When the
C,,,5rhtS bo,1ca RI crn homo
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 bundle of
hay 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 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 it
led from his barn to neighbor So-and
Sos barn, and all the tracks went the
same way from Smiths barn to this
mans barn" Smith said, ''Now, good
neighbors, can you solve this great
mystery? leave you to find the cause
They gave their verdict then and there
saying, THAT explained how this man
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 any
more, neither was Smiths hay missing
after that. But Smith could not forget
the loss of his hay, especially by man
that claimed to enjoy religion and would
get shouting happy every time that he
went to meeting. 1t puzzled Smith how
this man could be SO happy and not
make restitution to him for the hay he
had stolen from him in the past.
Smith made up his mind that the next
time this man shouted he would shout
|too. After a while there was meeting
at the school house. This hay man was
there As soon as the preacher gave the
liberty to Speak, up got this man that
took Smiths hay and shouted, BLESS
God, glory, halleluiah, glory to God. l
am so happy that know that all my
sins are forgiven and / am free from
sin"
At this Smith shouted, My hay will
be safe now" This caused a laugh.
This man tried TO shout again, but
failed Smith shouted, $50 on, brother;
my hay will be safe if you do not back
slide. "-Lewiston Journal.