The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1895-02-22

'a S~< -
Tncy ,orestled POWERFULLY In prayer.
black abolitionist. and as this, to their
brutal and ignorant minds, was the
greatest crime of which any man could
be guilty they could not receive with
respect the religious teachings of the
old man. It was known that Het Ma
goone's hatred was due to tho fact that
Ella Peters had rejected his advances
and that her father insisted that the
ruffian should cease his visits. Despite
the .iscouragement of these rebuffs the
fellow would have kept on had not
Strong Dick Bradley led him to one
one day and told him, with much
o is old time vigor Of speech, that il
b not keep away from Father Pc
ters' house he, Dick Bradley, would
consider it his duty to ''lay him out"
preliminary TO which he would "break
his neck like pipe stem. T"
This particsaar Sunday morning Het
Magoone staggered about like man
who felt himself to bo master of the sit
uation and wanted others TO aclxnowl.
edge the fact. He stood in the meeting
house door, and with much profanity
shouted his salutations to the newcom-
ers. When the clergyman and his wife
approached, it was thought that Het
Magoone would bar their entrance. This
certainly was his purpose, as he after
ward confessed, but the appearance Of
the blacksmith on the scene induced
him TO postpone action.
Father Peters walked back TO the lit
tie platform at the farther end of the
meeting house, and here, as was his
custom, he knelt down for silent pray
er, and few Of the congregation went
through the form of, following his ex-
ample
AS but very few Of the congregation
could read, hymnbooks were not used.
The clergyman read out hymn two
lines at time, and the singing that
followed, which Ella Peters and her
mother tried TO lead, was not a very
high order Of sacred music. Father Pc
ters adjusted his glasses, cleared his
throat and was about TO announce the
hymn when Het Magoone stood up near
the door and called ont:
Hold on thar, Father Peters,"
"What is it?' asked the astonished
pastor.
"Afoah yo' uns ken do any noah
preaohin in these var hills we uns'd
like fo' to know jist how yo' stand"
and Het Magoone fondled his rife as
mother fondles her child.
'"This is certainly an extraordinary
proceeding in the house Of God" said
the old man tremulously, but with dig
nifty.
$50 hit is" continued Het Magoone,
"but these har is mos stormy times, ez
every cne'll allow. Now, Father Peters,
] want you to answer me some ques-
tions. Will yo' do hit?"
''Let me hear them
"Hain't yo' Yankee?" this with
wink to his friends.
II was born north Of the Ohio If
that makes mo Yankee, said the old
man with spirit, 81 suppose am one. +"
WAL, yo' couldn't "a denied hit
without lyin. Now, some of we uns hez
been talkin this ovah, and we allows
that yo' KEN Gown here ten year or so
ago to play the spy"
That is false, said tho old man, his
eyes aglow and his form trembling with
excitement "As God is my Judge,
came here with my wife and little one
that might be the humble instrument
Of saving the people. What, ask you,
could I SPY out that is not Known
"We uns know that yer a black Re-
publicanw shouted Het Magoone, and
he added all oath that shocked even his
associates.
II am not black Republican. 1t is
perhaps unnecessary for mo 60 say that
neither in the last election nor indeed
in any election within my memory has
a Republican vote been cast in Laurel
Ky"
IL was tho case of tho wolf and the
lamb over again. Het Magoone had
come prepared to worry and humiliate
Father Peters, and the fact that he had
hot the slightest ground for his attack
did not change him from his purpose.
"Yo'd "a voted the Republican ticket
ef yo'd had q chance" shouted Ma.
goone. Then. with the manner of man
about TO 2lay card that could not be
beaten. be asked, "Hain't yo' 70 the
Unioni'
Without a moments hesitation Fa-
ther Peters responded:
II am citizen Of Kentucky, and rs
Kentucky is still in the Union / must
he Union man."