The Canton times. (Canton, Miss.) 1893-1906, 1895-01-18
KEPT TIE COLLECTION.

KEPT TIE COLLECTION.
Steward Snspes Didn't Want to = Spite " tks
Preacher.
Elder Gotrein Farnsey was a Circuit,
rider in Hartford county, N. C., in the
days that followed the civil war. His
brethren, having but recently emerged
from slavery and having had no train
were as so many children in monetary
affairs.
Having nothing to give their preach.
er the latter found his salary to he
chiefly matter of promises His hat
would be passed around in the various
aog meeting over which he Of
dciated, to be returned as empty as
when it went out among his hearers.
Still the good pastor labored faith
fully among the sheep of his fold, be-
ing careful that none strayed away,
and mindful that they kept in the
green pastures of saving grace. How
his wife and nine little children lived
he himself was at loss to explain, al
though he declared, probably with
much truth, that it was ''mos'ly by
faif m hoecake."
The brethren were fertile in prom
Uses. They would vote and subscribe
his salary at the first meeting after
each annual conference. and this they
would have done had the amount been
ten times as great Had pledges been
support Elder Farnsey might have
been the best sustained preacher in
America. Doubtless they would have
redeemed these pledges had it been in
their power most of them would GER
tainly; but their wages came due but
once a year and long before its expira-
ton they had received credit at the |
neighboring stores on the Endorsement |
of their employers in amount exceed
ing the total due them.
The elder was cheerful, happy-go-
lucky fellow, who accepted the situa-
ton without repining. Indeed, some
of his brethren declared he could
preach better ''hongry" than most
folks on a full stomach.
On Sunday afternoon while holding
services at Tadmore church, few miles
out from Mnrfreesboro, he as well as
his members was much surprised to see
two white men enter and take seats
among the sable worshipers. The
newly -arrived were Yankees, who were
down that way prospecting, whom Gu
riosity had led to the service
After the sermon was over the hat
was passed around as usual by Steward
Elcorn Snipes, a eourtly old darby, who
had for half a century been body
servant to his former master, Gen. ;
Isaiah Snipes, from whom he had bor- !
rowed the grace and dignity that SO {
well became his great stature. As ,
matter of form he offered the hat with E
a gracious bow to the strangers, who. {
to his utter amazement, each dropped a | q
bill into it.u '
Then he turned about and began to G
retrace his steps slowly towards the e
pulpit. His head was bent downward a
until the chin rested upon his breast, t
while he scratched his jaw with his dis S
engaged hand. Those who knew Broth t
er Elcoran best understood that he was il
profoundly. e
Reaching the altar he deliberately s
.aced about and addressed the con- t,
yregation as follows: s.
''Disser hat goes de rouns for SIGH d
money as mought be drapped in it fer
3ruh Fahnsey. Bekaisin he dom deb O
'er git none dar's no hahn ter nobody. h
Iissr HEIR sees dollay n a two-dol- Ii
ah bill dat dem two white gemmen h
lar 'scribed. Seen dat Bruh Fahnsev n
sser der bestist preacher in OF Hert- r
ord, hits 'scusin' shame ter Spite him. lc
'eein's he aim been useter hanlin' II
money, disser mought ruint him, brud- cl
ern n sisters. So, a-t'inkin' all de n,
ac's ober, / reckon is keep it ter N.Y. n,
ell" Then he slowly folded the two b,
ills and laid them away in his pocket. m
'Bruh' Farnsey heaved deep sigh, be-
Or Brother Elcoran was a very deter til
lined man, who always did as he said m
e would, and the Farnsey household M
ontinued to live on "faif N hoecake." he
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A Benefactor.