The Mt. Sterling advocate. (Mt. Sterling, Ky.) 1890-current, 1895-09-10
THE MORAL OF 1T.

It was after sunset before Calkins
succeeded in recapturing the two ex-
perienced burros, who, desiring a
break in their journey toward the
desert, had withdrawn during the
night and found restful seclusion in
the dense pine oak brush on the
neighboring hillside.
Thus it came about that the ruddy
light of Calkins' campfire again at
trscted us. The conversation took a
wide range at first but approached
focus when one of the party, the
old lady with the black mits, refer
red to the generally prevailing
drought. She mentioned in this con-
nection a recent newspaper report of
a church meeting in some arid sec
ton of the northwest, where general
prayers for rain were offered with
such immediate effect that the con-
gregation, who were unprovided with
umbrellas, were drenched on their
way home.
Purely coincidence, fippantly
suggested Manton, a recent importa-
ton from the effete east.
1 regard it as a most striking IL
lustration of the efficacy of all sin
cere and earnest prayer, reproving-
ly remarked the old lady with the
mits.
What do you say, Mr.. Calkinsp"
inquired Manton unabashed. "I'm
sure you II agree with me-"
Our host stirred up the fire before
expressing himself. You're dead
right, ma'am!" he at length replied,
ignoring Manton. There's nothin
prayer won't do if you re in earnest
and pray hard enough, and don't
pray for too much nor too little, and
stop right there But you can handi-
cap good, strong, willin prayer,
sameas you can anything else, and its
bound to balk and make trouble"
/ fear l do not grasp your mean
ing, Mr.. Calkins," said the old lady
with the mits, laying down her knit
ting and regarding Calkins with
look Of puzzled inquiry.
"P'r'aps / wasn't very clear,
ma'am, but / had in mind a queer
experience of my own in the arrest
prayer line some years ago, way up
north in Trinity, which'll illustrate
my meanin better'n any explanation
] can give" Calkins settled himself
again out of the line of the sparks
and smoke, which his late attention
to the fire had provoked, and began:
ut was in the'winter of 1875, and
Twas carryin mail from German s.
over to the Brown Bear and Round
out camps-and made the round trip
once q week on snowshoes. When l
was at Germans, which was four
days in the week, I stopped with
Frenchman named Prot, who work
ed drift claim on the river. We
bunked in shake cabin, back of the
hotel corral, and got along middlin
well for the first month we was to-
gether. Evenin' S we'd generally turn
up at the hotel, and after sittin by
the fire with the rest in the saloon
for awhile we'd finally drop into old
man Germans private parlor and
listen to Kittie German playip on the
parlor organ. Always liked music
but l hadn t no faculty at producin
it, SO I'd just sit and listen while
Kittie'd play, and Prot, who had a
big, throaty voice, would now and
then sing to Kittie's accompaniment
This was all we'll enough at first,
but after two or three weeks ! found
it dull and uninterestin, Just sittin
there on the cold, slippery, black
haircloth sofa, with never a word
nor chance for one with Kittie, who
seemed all took up with Prot and
the music, and only'd speak to me
when she wanted another stick on
the fire. Then, after awhile, I stop
ped goin into the parlor and would
sit in the saloon until bedtime, feel
in mad all through to hear Prot
Singh and Kittie playin away for
dear life to keep up with him on the
gaspin old organ in the next room
Then l grew bitter, because l knew
that while naturally Kittie liked me
best of the two at the same time
she was worldly minded like her ia
ther, the old man German, and felt
Prot was a better match on account
of his river claim, while l wasn't
much account from ready money
point of view. Then of course | had
O fallin out with Prot about nothin
in particular on the surface, as l can
recollect of. / did pretty much all
the quarrelin, I'm free to allow, for
Prot said nothin, but just laughed
in a way that made me madden, and
moved out of the shake cabin to an
old adobe higher up the hill,
Next day started off before sun
nv, m, NV TaO111a,. trit, with the mail