The morning news., 1894-11-11

] AtdAihJ man. dH ne was Edlltu IN Tne
/ village, The Dentville constable, Reuben
! Screws
/ The latter had just entered the room
| and Aunt Martha had raised the corner
of her apron to her eyes as If from long
/ habit TO check the gathering tears.
! '"Tachment served. Rube?' demanded
/ the old squire roughly from his man.
'All sarved, slick and span" was the
mufied answer.
HAS Tavern-keeper Gibbs got every
thing locked up tight from that pack O.
tramps? 2"
"Everything's cleaned out often EN-:
thought didn't pear t. me as how Gibbs
tarnal rough on EN-"
Did, did hep
That's about it, squire"
when did he shut off their supplies,
Rube?"
Last night, when they got back t. tn
tavern, after the show.
Not given 'em a mouthful since,
Rube?"
Mary bite, save tn head un. who's
down with sunth'n. Gin him some chick
en- broth t'day noon. Wouldn't a done
that Gibbs wouldn't, arter tn word you
sent him. 'ceptin he's afraid the head
un's a gOner"
"Oh, father" exclaimed Aunt Martha
in tears behind her fiuttering apron, ere
member the words we've been a Iistenin
20, all along through these revival meet
ms, tn last four weeks. Don't be too
hard on the poor creatures. Oh, Ga
briel. DON'T Mebby. somewhere in the
wide. wide world our Lettys in sorrow
an tribulation this very minute, borne
down to the earth with. need an wan,
an grief. Remember"
Remember! Amt I remembering Eye
for eye; tooth for tooth! That's Scrip
tur an mighty good scriptur', too!
Didn't I swear the girl never should
come back, and I'd red Dentville OF Tho
vermin forever? Martha, you best re-
member this town has had a great awal,-
eningr'
"A great awakenin'," wheezed Rueben
Screws.
The sword and the spirit have de-
scended."
HAS descended echoed the blinking
constable.
Root and branch. the devil must be
driven from amongst us!''
Root and branch" snufIied Reuben
Screws.
"And as long as I run this town. it's
got to be religious town. thundered
the excited squire.
Religious town" came the voice from
the wooden comforter.
"Oh. husband" sobbed Aunt Martha,
I'D rather have the touch Of poor Lettys
hard, dead or alive, than all the hard, cold
things that can be twisted ana turned ia
religions holy name What If that very
woman you re-helpin' starve at the tavern,
was our own Lefty? It's her name. Oh,
it's our own Letty's nancy
Then Ia drive her into the storm for
an unrepentant child Of Satan I'd
But his wife, with sobs and stided
screams had fed from the room aghast at
the dire threats she knew We're welling
from his implaeable and angry heart
"Rube. what's $. that9'
The constable wriggled quickly to the old
Squire's side. and the two gazed with
something akin TO fascinated astonish-
ment at tall, commanding figure, wel
clad against the furious storm, that had
moved slowly down the village street en-
tered the postOftice, attached beneath the
Grand Star Combination's postor a gen
erous placrad, and returning from his er-
ranu, had given a hasty glance at the tav-
ern window from which the white and
hopeless face had instantly disappeared.
Three eNclamtions followed this appar-
emily trihing incident
THAT woman hearted parsons med
ding Bube"' was the impatient outburst
in the window Of the mansion
"Oh. how like him Is that noble fear
lessness in dutyi But it is too late!-too
late" came from the lips of the white
face in the tavern window.
1T is right" said the man in the street:
'and whoever questions or cavils over it,
has not the love of the merciful Christ in
his heartv
The littee incident had its origin in the
village parsonage, in it's cosy sitting room,
dinging-room, parlor and pastors study
combined.
Here. before a CHEEKY blaze of maple
knots, had sat all the stormy afternoon
Mother Marden."
"A Martha with a Mary's sanity eyes"
md mother n a Ia ~
| Dentville village, with Ruth Marden,
| sweet and loving daughter. now a woman
| grown, busted at their needlework; while
! Philip Marden, son, brother and village
! pastor. had sat dejectedly before his desk
/ pacing the glowing room uneasily as
/ mother and Ruth now and then looked uI
/ with kindly and loving smiles, or stood al
! the latticed window. gazing with sad and
! thoughtful face at the windows of the Rec
| Lion in the street below
What is worrying you, Philip?" at last
| affectonately inquired Mother Marden.
Two things" he answered without
turning from the window. "One is the al
most hopeIessness Of reaching and melting
! few stony hearts here in Dentville"
But the revival meetings have won over
n great many to the church" broke in
Ruth encouragingly.
''Yes. many. But that has been the easi
est task. The obdurate, puritanic, stony
self-1usufed souls within the church art
those most needing saving grace"
My, What do you mean, Philip?" be2,
ged Ruth with genuine concern.
Il mean that ] have been preachina
here for nearly twenty years straight a,
! the hearts Of OLD Gabe Dent and few
| Others like him; preaching the Gospel OF
1 charity, mercy, tenderness, forgiveness
| peace. They sit with closed eyes and sane
timoniously squared jaws and roal
! Amen" and are harder and crueler thar
ever. Why. do you know" he continues
with aburst of almost pitful discuorase
ment, every clergyman in every civilize,
community on earth could gather tho suf
ferng and all but lost close within In,
folds of infinite love and peace. were ii no
for these very impossible barriers Of Oh
durate disqualification, disgusting cant
deadly unchartabeness and merciIess
cruelty, set like flint. within the churcl
itself, toward every unfortunate. suffcrin,
heat to which the direst Passion was alon
/ dirCctedr
The needles OF Mother Marden and RUN
flew little faster; but beyond sympathet
| ic glgnces toward the man at the lattice
there was no response
| Think OF the treatment those poor
| miserable transformers down a. the tav
| eru are receiving in Doutyl1fa t1,f, 49,,