Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1894-10-18
BROTHER RoLLY's DRAWBACK.


1t was Saturday afternoon at the
Station. A number of men sat out in
the front porch Of Bundy's store,
which was also the postofice. The
two benches on each side Of the door
were filled with men, and several were
balanced on theporch railing. Broth
er Rolly McKittrick occupied a good
" portion of one of the benches, his
long legs, incased in brown jean trou-
sers and calfskin boots, comfortably
crossed. He presented pleasing as
pect, with his white hair and beard,
ruddy skin, benevolent and inquiring
eyes, and sturdy figure, somewhat bent
at the shoulders.
"Well, gentlemen" he was saying
in mellow voice, "my experience in
religion has certainly been funny.
Mighty strange, I should call it. l
know I'm saved, and that my sins is
forgive,-I got the assurance of justlf-
cation,-but l don't seem to git no
further. I've got the peace Of religion,
but not the joy, so to speak-saved,
but not santifed. Here | been seekin
santifcation for two year, and amt
got any more'n l had at first wy,
pretty nearly everybody in the Sta
tons been santifed in that time but
me. I've KEEP up sight of prayin',
and walkin' in the narrow path, and
got all the preachers and saved pray
in for me, but look like it amt no
use. There's bound to be a drawback
somewheres, | say. asst Brother
Cheatham about it last quarterly meet
in, and he says: It's faith you re
lackin, Brother Rolly. Keep a-pray-
in for more faith. But seem like |
got the faith a plenty. Now l amt
got no doubt that the Lord could SAN
tifv me if he was mind to. I'm al
WAYS lookin' for the blessin always
gettin', but never got. So | think
there must be somethin else III the
way. l wish somebody'd tell me
what it isl Now, l amt drlnkin'
man, and goodness knows | never
played no cards, and never swore but
once, and that when l was little
fellow six years old ridin a stick horse,
and he SHE'D at a stump, and l cussed
him. That sounded so bad | never
swore no more. | was brought up IN
the way I ought to go, and although
I've been a tol' able sinner, ain t never
been to say ornery, Now, | say the
Lords dealin's with me is strange, for
here I've been seekin the blessin for
two years, and seen worse sinners sane
tilted in two days. It's funny thing.
There a drawback somewheres, Broth
er Jones. "
During this time Brother Rolly had
been turning over tenderly in his fin
gersa new plug of Kentucky Orphan,
with shining silver band around 1t,
and he now proceeded, with keen rel
ish and much delicacy Of touch, to
slice off an end of it with his barlow
knife. The slice, being satisfactorily
square and straight-cut, was conveyed
on the point of his knife to his mouth
81 should say with Brother Chea-
than that it was faith you was lackln
Brother Rolly," replied Brother Gllly
Jones. "The grace is free to them
that's got the faith to lay hold of 1t.
Brother Jones was perched on the
porch railing, and spat vigorously over
to the other side of the porch to EN-
phasize his remark. He was thin
wiry little man, with pale red hair anc
chin-whiskers, much-wrinkled skin
and watery blue eyes.
a young boy, who, standing outside
of the charmed circle, leaned Inward
over the railing, here ventured to say
with some hesitation Il heard Preach
er Hockersmith say down to Lebanon
at camp-meetin' last week that no MAJ
that chawed tobacco could hope to q
the blessin'. He said it was 'tilthines
of the flesh. He gasped rather thai
spoke the last words, for all eyes wer
turned upon him in stern surprise an'
disapproval, and all the moving lowe
jaws suddenly dropped rigid. Their
was silence for the space of a minute
Then Brother Jones recovered himself
"Well, 1 know 1 got the evidence c
the Spirit in me, and I've chawed sine
I was FIVE year old. You must hav
heard wrong, Charlie. Sholy Brothe
Hockersmith never said that r