Evening journal., 1893-08-22
SMALL ENOUGH TO GO THROUGH.
The Parson Tells story About Man
with n Conscience.

With n Conscience.
"That reminds me-" said the parson as
be took another handful Of crackers from
the barrel and cut a 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 hy Brother Jones himself while in a 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 schoolY
"'Yes,' 1 said Brother Jones, remem-
Der the time very we'll
"'Well. parson' he continued i sat
there in my seat watching that contribu-
tion box 20 around and seeing nearly every
body drop in quarter. When it came TO
Brother Smith, he put in half dollar, and
1 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 /, NOW I'll have
10 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."
awhile i was thinking this way, Elder
Bennett passed the box to Brother Brown,
and heput in another half Satan got me
again and seemed to whisper in my ear,
"There, that's for you," and so when the
box reached me next just looked the 9TH
er way, and Elder Bennett passed along to
the next pew, after giving the box shake
TO attract my attention, but / pretended
not to notice it.
"'Well, you know I had nearly seven
miles to walk home. When got half way
and was going through the woods, it began
60 rain hard, and it grew dark much sooner
than / had counted on. / remembered a
hollow tree just big enough for me to
squeeze into which stood little farther
on, so / hurried and reached it before got
very wet. The rain began to pour down
now, 80 / decided to remain In the tree un-
til it stopped, knowing that the folks
would not worry, because 1 often remained
in town over night when went 10 church
on Sundays.
"Tmade myselfas comfortable as possible
In that tree and somehow or other / fell
asleep and never woke up until daylight
the next morning When / did open my
| tlCos Aoulu ihdu NlG MttNNA naA ophhNA
that tree and swelled it up so that the
crack through which had crawled myself
was not more than an inch wide. / was q
prisoner sure enough, and l might as wei
have tried TO make Flint, my landlord
knock Off some Of the rent of my farm in
bad year as to try and open that crack any
had on my best clothes, and l had lef
even my jackknife at home.
We'll, you know, parson, that it rain
sometimes three days, sometimes a weel
and often a month up in this country wheI
it gets a good start. 1 looked out Of tn
} crack, and there did not seem to be an!
chance of its stopping. Then l began q
think, Suppose 1 should be confined her
!, until starve TO death?" With this though
came recollections of my past life though
Of everything which 1 had done which wa
not according to the Ten Commandments
Of the unkind words / had spoken TO m
wife and children, and then l felt in m
pocket, and my hand touched the quartz
p which had kept the day before instecl @
E putting il on the plate.
a "'Would you believe it, parson, when
4 thought of that felt so small that passe
i out through that crack without the slight
4 est dillicultyr"
g Then the store door opened and close
e softly, while the loungers. caught thei
n breath. There was momentary col
y blast from without. and the parson wa
a gone.--New York Tribune.