Greenbrier independent. [volume] (Lewisburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1980, 1896-12-03
Written expressly for the Greenbricr Indc-
pendent
Sy KIOne's First Experience mt Bap-
tizing Young Texans, and
What Became of IL.
BY SY KLONE, HIMsFLF.

BY sY KLoNE, HIMsFLF.
The whole State was one vast
f1ower-garden of beauty and fra
GRANGE, when youthful descendant
Of the F. f. V.'s landed in Texas
some dozens Of years ago. May was
rather bad month for beginning
life in that latitude, and the long
summer was not passed without pay
ing tribute to Typhus to the extent
of several weeks in bed, and fewer
locks in the cooler autumn. But the
fall came on and the Virginian found
himself quartered in a boarding.
house in Houston, Texas, while the
cares of Methodist Church lent
dignity to his appearance.
Mine hostess, "Aunt Jane," was
devout member of the Baptist
pursuasion." Her husband had
been, with his lady, both a Metho-
dist and Baptist; but at this par
ticular time he was enjoying large
liberty-on the outside. A big
hearted Englishman, he. Mine host
ess' daughter, being married, rather
inclined toward the M Q h O d s t
church. So she engaged the services
of the young Virginian to admins
ter infant baptism to her three chill
dren, ranging from one year up to
five. "Aunt Jane" was doctrinally
opposed to the whole proceeding,
but the mother of the children car
ried her point, and the day was set
for the ceremony. Wednesday
evening, at 7.3O was the hour, at
the church.
In the meanwhile the accustomed
paraphanalia of the little fellows
was religiously prepared, and the
hour arrived for the long-talked- of
event. Bnt rain was falling, and it
was dark.
The church stood just back of the
boarding house, on the other side of
tho block. A gate led into the church
yard from the back yard Of the
dwelling. The time for the prayer
meeting came, but the rain was still
falling, and no one came. The young
preacher sat down at the organ and
began to play some familiar air.
The children were ready for church
but their mother and "mine host
ess" (the grandmother,) were not.
So grand-pa--Sammie, by name
picked up the baby and started for
the church, through the back way.
Grandma protested, but Sammie had
it in mind to see the performance,
so out he went. AS soon as he
reached the church, the preacher
suggested that, as it was raining,
and no one had come to the prayer
meeting the baby be taken back
home and baptized there, and thus
save the women from coming out
in the rain. So off they started for
the house.
Now, Sammie was a machinist,
and a great many old irons had ac-
cumulated about the place. Christ
mas was near, and Sammie had
cleaned up the premises for the oc-
casion, and stacked the rubbish up
in the back yard, waist-high.
AS he came from the church in
the darkness, he remembered the
stack Of old irons, and, fearing he
would stumble over them and hurt
the baby, he aimed to step back and
60 around. But he had already
gone beyond the rubbish, and ir
stepping back stumbled into the
trap he was aiming to avoid. He
lost his his balance and over hi
went right backwards, baby and all
upon the old tin pans and the like
making an awful din. Just at thi!
moment the mother and "Aun
Jane" came out of the back door
, lamp in hand, on their way to th'
church. The mother heard the dir
of the irons, the one little "yeip'
of her baby, and the deep grunt O
her falling father. She was franti
) in an instant. She. saw nothing, bu
kne,o her baby had been fallen upo
and killed 40 she screamed pite
; ously. OF course, In the excitemen
"Aunt James" lamp went out, an,
|, SO did her imprecatlons, thick an'
!. fast upon poor Sammie for takini
that boy outin the darkness" An,
you a-drinking at that, you,'-bu
her words came too fast and hot 70
cold type. hear them still.