The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1895-02-09
PRAYING FOR WEALTH.
By EDMUND STUART ROCHE.


1t was after sunset before Calkins
succeeded in recapturing the two expe-
rienced old burros. who, desiring a
break in their laborious journey
toward the desert, had withdrawn
during the night, and found restful Sc
clusion in the dense pine oak brush ON
q neighboring hillside.
Thus it came about that the ruddy
light of Calkin's campfire again at
tracted us The conversation took q
wide range at first. but approached a
focus when one of our party, the old
lady with the black mits, referred to
the generally prevailing drought. She
mentioned. In this connection. recent
newspaper report of q church meeting
in some arid section of the northwest
where general prayers for rain were
offered with such immediate effect that
the congregation, who were unpro-
on their way home.
Purely a coincidence" flippantly
suggested Manton, a recent importa-
tion from the effete east.
II regard 1t as the most striking IL
lustration of the efficacy of all sincere
and earnest prayer" reprovingly re-
marked the old lady with the mits.
what do you say, Mr.. Calkins?" in
quired Manton, unabashed. "Im sure
you'll agree with me!'
Our host stirred up the fire before
expressing himself. You're dead
right, ma'amT' he at length replied.
ignoring Manton. There's nothing
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 handicap a
good, strong. willin' prayer. same as
you can anything else, and then it's
bound to balk and make trouble"
II fear do not quite grasp your
meaning, Mr.. Calkins," said the old
lady with the mits, laying down her
knitting and regarding Calkins with q
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 earnest-prayer line,
some years ago. way up north in Trim
ity. which'll illustrate my meanin'
better'n any explanation can give"
Callxins 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 rs and was
carryin' mail from Gorman's--over to
the Brown Bear and Roundout camps,
and made the round trip once q week
ON snowshoes. When l was at Cor
mans, which was four days in the week,
stopped with Frenchman named
Prot, who worked drift claim on the
river. We bnnked in shake cabin,
back of the hotel corral and got along
middlin' well for the first month we
was together. 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 Kitty German playin' on
the parlor-organ. always liked
music, but l hadn't no faculty at pro-
ducin' it, sold just sit and listen while
Kitty'd play and Prot, who had big
throaty voice. would now and then
sing 10 klttys accompaniment.
This was all well enough at first,
but after two or three weeks, / found
it dull and uninterestin', Just sittin' |
there by myself on the cold. slippery,
black hair-cloth sofa, with never a
word nor chance for one with Kitty,
who seemed all took up with Prot
and the music, and only'd speak to me
when she wanted another stick on the
Gre. Thsr. after awhile, stopped
goin' into the parlor. and would sit in
the saloon till bedtime, feelin' mad all
to hear Prot singin' and
Kitty playin' away for dear life to
keep up with him on the Raspin' old
organ in the next room. Then / grew
bitter. because knew that while.
pstusSlly, Kitty liked me best ot TIE