Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1892-09-08
A RELIGIOUS THIEF s!LENcED.
He shouted in Meeting and Stole hay
from His Neighbors.

He shouted in Meeting and Stole bay
from His Neighbors.
In the early days of Sunday River
valley Ithiel Smith lived there. He had
plenty of hay in the barn. 1t was Gus
tomary to go to the barn about 9 O'Clock
in the evening and fodder the cattle and
see that they are all right for the night;
also to have enough hay on the barn
floor to feed in the morning about 4 a. m.
On several mornings this hay that he left
on the floor for morning use was gone.
He did not know what had become OF
it. At first he thought be had forgotten
to pitch the hay from the NOW, but
when every few mornings his hay was
gone he began to think about the cause
of 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, staying late. Smith
noticed that he generally came snowy
nights, and .staid till after the cattle
were foddered for the night. One night
after 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 1T in his way to go to this
neichbor'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
Ian left Smiths house to go home,
Smith went out. carefully to the other
side of the barn where he could look
around the corners and see the small
door on tha&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; ne 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, saving, The curiosity was THAT it
led from. his barn to nolghbor 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, s.That explained how this man
had kept l S two cows on one ton of hay
and had part of it lefs 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 ::.e
went to meeting. It 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
s.t. the school house. This hay man was
there. AS soon as the preacher gaze she
liberty to speak, up got this MAJ .ea1
took Smiths hay and shouted,< :
God, glory, halleluiah, glory to G =
am so happy that know that =
sins are forgiven and | am free lro'