The Houma courier. (Houma, La.) 1878-1939, 1896-11-07
vas HIs Name Mritten Thore7

/
Was HIS Name Written There9
"Well, / could see at onest from the
lay of the land that Andy Lucas had
enlisted for the meetin. You willrecoI-
leet. Rufus, that 1 have knowed the Luz
cas- stock of people from old Hiram
down to Andy. 1 know the pastors
which they grazed on, the sort of mate
rails they was made out of, and it stood
to reason with me that Andy was in that
game to stay. Jest so long as they had
three sermonts a day and dinner on the
grounds, and plenty of swaPpin stock
hitched around the horse rack, jest so
long a man by the name of Lucas was
right there.
''That was on Sunday evenin you un-
derstand, and it was after supper time
Raynor rid by to tell me the news con-
cernin the meetin. That good old man
was so happy, Rufus, till for a little
more and he would of shouted right
there in the big road, They didn't
have any new members as yet, he went
on to tell me, but from general APP
pearmeuts they had high hopes of u
mighty outpouring before long. Andy
Lucas-a full-blood grandson of old Hi
ram Lucas-had went up to the
ers' bench three times that day and
was now bowed down under his great
load of guilt and fears and sorrow. And
with that the old parson rid on towards
home singin and ~rejoicin.
NATURALLY, of course, it was none OF
my business, Rufus, as my name is
writ on the books of another church,
and I didn't want to let my mouth go
off too quick and hurt that good
old mans feelins. But I could see the
rale facts in the case as plain as a plank
fence and hit painted, and it was all 1
could do to keep from teliin the parson
that if Andy Lucas was the only hope
for new recruits they mought as well
to take out and quit. But [ helt back
and Andy he helt on. The meetTn
didn't wind up till the next Thursday,
and when it broke and they closed the
church books onct more the name Of
Andy Lucas was not written there.
candy then rid by and spent one
night at our house. After that he lii
out for old Macedonia church over there
in the hill country, where the Free VIII
Baptist had a big meetin goin on nj
that time. I went over there myself on
Sunday, and, Jest as I lowed, Andy he
was there with every foot up and coal
tails Il hyin, and next to the preacher:
he was the mainest man in the meetin
The next followin Tuesday evenin oil
Sister Hasseltine-which you under
stand she is the onlyst member oftha
church from our side of the creek-sh'
rid by to tell me what a ~felonious gooC
time they were havin with their meetil
over at Macedonia.
"'And who would of thought it, Be-
Chris ?-says the old lady as sh
clapped her hands and brung a Ions
breath-sAndy Lucas, a full blood grand
son of old Hiram Lucas-which the.
tell me he died drunk and a cussin-
has mellowed down powerful in duril
of our meetin. The young man, from
all L can hear, is a chip often the oil
block, but nobody would think it t.
see him so meek and so humble-bowei
down so low in spirits-and kneelil
around the mourners bench so regla
r and SO constant. No cross, no crown
! Ben Chris, and bless the Lord hat will
and hayward young man will DOR b
] bearing the cross in hopes of wearin tn
! crown
"And by this time that good old sol
Q warmed up and waxed so happy ii
blamed if she didn't break out with tn
| holy laugh right then and there. A
the same time 1 was achin and itchin a
n over to tell her that so long as the
@ had three sermonts a day and Dime
I on the grounds that Maynard an
q wicked grandson of old Hiram Luca
g would lead the procession 10 the mourn
d ers' bench, and if they didn't watch hil
d when the meetin closed he would hol
-four aces or a straight flush, whilst I'll
:, good people of Macedonia wouldn
h have nothin better than two pair,
Ie that. But she was so joyful like an
It happy till 1 didn't have the heart
throw cold water on her hopes.
d $50 things rocked on two or thr
ID days longer, and when we got the neV
Id that the big meetin over at Macedon
le was closed we likewise also learnt TIL
d. the hayward feet of Andy Lucas st
n wandered down the broad and ca!
IS road which leads to death and ruinatio
about supper time that night .Ant
Ie he rid up in a swingin fox trot az
turned his horse in the lot. After su
e, per he went on to tell me what a tr
lie mendius big time he had been hav
over at Macedonia. But from the ge
is eral run of his conversation I 500
n found out what was the mainest thin
,u with Andy. He had snapped hors
~ with the brethren foul times, got ba'
70 the same horse started with, and hi
e. SIS hid away in his tanks, not to spe;
nv of the three sermonts a day and dim
w on the grounds"
RUFUS SANDERS
be Connecticut's Criminal Law.