The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1893-08-18
SMALL ENOUGH TO GO THROUGH.
The Parson Tells a Story About Man
With q Conscience.

The Parson Tells Story About q Man
with q Conscience.
'sThat reminds me,' said the parson as
he took another handful of crackers from
the barrel and cut slice from the cheese
on the counter, while the proprietor OF the
store moved uneasily in his seat, that re-
minds me of the experience of member of
the church of which was the pastor up in
Oregon one spring. The story was told to
me by Brother Jones himself while in fit
of remorse.
"'Parson.' he said to me, 'parson, do you
remember the time that you asked every
member of the church to contribute quar-
ter for the purpose of paying for the hymn
books which had just been bought for the
Sunday schoolp
eyes said, Brother Jones, 1 remem-
Der the time very we'll
"'Well, parson,' he continued, I sat
there in my seat watching that contribu-
ton box go around and seeing nearly every
body drop in quarter When it came to
Brother Smith, he put in half dollar, and
/ don't know why it was unless satan had
me in his clutches, but l said to myself,
''There, now, he has put in enough to make
up for mine." and l felt of the quarter in
my pocket. Just then the box came to
Widow Franklin, and she did not put in
anything. There said I, now I'I have
to put in my quarter, If times are hard, and
the children do need shoes, and the pros
pect for crops are not good this year"
"'While 1 was thinking this way, Elder
Bennett passed the box to Brother Brown,
and he put in another half. Satan got me
again and seemed to whisper in my ear,
"Tkere, that's for you," and so when the
Iox obal T CT 1oalyaI ha otb
er way, and Elder Bennett passed along to
the next pew, after giving the box shake
to attract my attention, but l pretended
not to notice it.
"'Well, you know I bad nearly seven
miles to walk home. When got half way
and was going through the woods, it began
to rain hard, and it grew dark much sooner
than had counted on. l remembered
hollow tree just big enough for me to
squeeze into which stood little farther
on, so I hurried and reached it before got
very wet. The rain began to pour down
now, so l decided to remain in the tree I'M
til it stopped, knowing that the folks
would not worry, because I often remained
in town over night when went to church
on Sundays.
"Imade myself as comfortable as possible
in that tree, and somehow or other fell
asleep and never woke up until daylight
the next morning. When l did open my
eyes, found that the water had soaked
that tree and swelled it up so that the
crack through which had crawled myself
was not more than an inch wide. l was a
prisoner sure enough, and I might as we'll
have tried to make Flint, my landlord,
knock off some of the rent of my farm in a
bad year as to try and open that crack any,
had on my best clothes, and 1 had left
even my jackknife at home.
We'll, you know, parson, that it rains
sometimes three days, sometimes week
and often month up in this country when
it gets good start. I looked out of the
crack, and there did not seem to be any
chance Of its stopping. Then / began to
think, Suppose l should be confined here
until starve to death?" With this thought
came recollections ofmy past life thought
of everything which had done which was
not according to the Ten Commandments
of the unkind words had spoken to my
wife and children, and then felt in my
pocket, and my hand touched the quarter
which had kept the day before instead of
putting it on the plate.
"'Would you believe It, parson. when I
thought Of that felt so small that passed
out through that crack without the slight
est difficultyp"
Then the store door opened and closed
softly. while the loungers caught their
breath. There was a momentary cold
blast from without. and the parson was
gone.-New York Tribune.