The herald., 1895-04-29
WHAT THE
SEXTON FOUND in THE
Church

to give me more work a-dustin of it. The
carvedest, scrolledest thing ever 1 see, and
Just where the sun shined slantly on 1t
and showed every mite. Him being Mrs.
DIR. Pray's pa didn't make 1t necessary nor
suitable, for he was nefarious old gent
as ever I see. Drank enough to float a
boat in his life don't doubt, and hadn I
what I call right views. nor no respect for
public characters. What did hear him
say once" Tell old Hodge to open the
windy" Now, I'm used to being called
Mr.. Hodge, and didn't like it.
But he went and died, and he put DR..
Pray in his will, and the doctor he stuck
up a stun inside the church as il outside
wasn't good enough. And it was always,
"Mr. Hodge, should like to see the tablet
busted better" or, "Couldn you wipe off
the tablet before next service Mr.. Hodge,"
until 1 wished that tablet further, I can
tell you. They'd spent deal on 1t and
was proud of it, you know. That tablet
made me see what saw and hear what I
heard, to which I'll take my oath IL neces-
sary.
1t was Christmas week and I'd
cleaned up as careful as always make it
pint to do, but there was to be we'd
ding and the day before Mrs. Pray she
calls my old woman, a-passing the parson-
age window and says she:
Mrs. Hodge, won't Mr.. H. be particu-
lar about that tablet for tomorrow"
Wife came home and told me.
"I'm pertickler enough" says I.
Says she: "You know Mrs. Pray always
sends us something good at New Year.
Why not be little accommodating? She 5
very pleasant spoken, and it's pretty of
her to care for her pas tablet as she does. :"
WELL says 1, 'to oblige lady,
don't mind. I'll go over this evening, and
I'll soap and water him until he shines.
If I do 1t tomorrow, he'd be damp, so I'll
start as soon as tea is done.
So, arter tea I took pail of suds and n
brush, and away I started across fields. 1t
gets dark early Christmas times, you know,
but there was moon, big round yaller
moon, that seemed to stare down at me
as went on. I'd took glass of brandy
and water before 1 started-maybe two,
can't say, but I felt kind of sinking,
NEVERTHELESS feeling as if something was
after me as 1 shouldn't like to see, you
know. Churches are solemn places, too,
and ours lays in kinder boiler, shaddcred
in by trees. Nobody could hear you if you
yelled ever so loud. Nobody could see
you, unless they came a-purpose. And
when remembered what I'd heard about
Christmas times. I felt kind o. skittish.
But to 90 back wouldn { do and it couldn't
take long tn soap and water Mr.. Pod
DIV. And I nut the kew in the door and
went TO unlock if. Twas unlocked
Already. sWhat q fool I am. to be surer'
I said to myself. The first time ever for
get to lock the door MS long as I've been
sexton.
InIwent mad at myself. I can tell Won.
And then I saw an6ther sight-one of the
lamps lighted in the pulpit. When I saw
that, I sat down. and saws /:
Hodge NV man Won must be go;ng
crazy. You didn't nut out the lamps last
evening
II SO come over me that T didn't
know myself. But took heart at last.
and walked ND to the tablet. 'Twasn't a
fat one. Won know It stood out like. and
there was bio niche under g. and n big
boiler over e. And dipped the winder
brush in the suds and soused the tablet
we'll. The water splashed and trickled
all overland I heard something kinder
squeak. I'd rot desperate by this time.
aIf ,tan't the rats. it's Mr.. Poddy.''
saws T "No matter vou'ye got to be
washed for once. sir ),
And hen tbomebt sbou,d sink down
in nv boots. for voice answered:
GLOW If haunt vous,,
There ant M words tn describe NV feel.
inos stoogered hack and as did 60
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mont n f,ouro ali in bIocl- With no face
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