Connecticut western news., 1893-08-03
A RELIGIOUS THIEF SllENCED.
He Shouted in Meeting and Stole H a
 from Ills Nei3hbors,

He Shouted in Meeting and Stole Hay
 from Ills Neighbors.
 Ip the early days of Sunday River valley Ithiel Smith lived there. He had plenty of hay in the barn. It was ous- tomary to go to the barn about g 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 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 1t. At first he thought he had forgotten to pitch the hay from the mow, 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 bor 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. It 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 man 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 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 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 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, "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
 
 neighbors, can you solve this great mysteryr I 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. 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 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 I am free from sin."
 At this Smith shouted, My hay will be safe now" This caused laugh. This man tried to shout again, but failed Smith shouted, "Go on, brother; my hay will be safe if you do not back slide. ."-Lewiston Journal.