Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1896-05-13

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soon drove around with the big sled
which he used for hauling heavy loads
s-For the lands sake, father" criet
Mrs. Whitaker, you hain't never goin
10 quarterly meetin' In that sled, ar,
you?"
81 hadn't intended to do nothing o
the kind" replied the deacon. but i've
got some work to do afore can 60 "a
meetin'."
Are you crazy? Don't you know this
is the Sabbath? What 10 the matter OF
your asked the good woman, with
agitation, and then she began to cry
Its the Lords work, Manda," said
the deacon, IAN 1t must be done nOw.'
and he proceeded to load potatoes.
Hour and meat into the sled and drive
pn.
Mrs. Whitaker and Tillic, left alone.
were two miserable women Tor the
next two hours, but when the husband
and father came back with his face aa
tmpenetrable as mask Of iron, and ip
every other way his usual self and pre-,
pared for church without any signs Of
further mental alteration, they were
somewhat consoled.
: At the meeting that day. the deacon
Joined in the responses with unusual
JUNCTION, and when the time for giving
Testimony" came, he was the first b
rise to his feet.
Brethren" he said. with suspicicu1
quiver In his voice. N feel to-day as
am an unworthy servant an q SIM
ner beyond degree. 1t is only through
the gracious mercy Of an overrulin
Providence that have been spared 81
long to cumber the earth"
This was an old story to most Of the
congregation, and one that they had
heard with slight variations In tn,
phraseology for many years. In fact
this self abasement was the rule, and
no one was particularly interested IL
the deacon's vilification Of himself, un
til he continued:
For a good many years I have llveo
among you an pretended to be a true
follower Of the meek and lOwly One,
plucked as q brand from the burnin',
but have been nothin', nothin' but a
whited sepulchre an a hypocrit. have
wore the thin garb of false holiness,
while in my soul I have been goin'
down the broad road"
Every one in the house was awake by
this time, and II the deacon had pro-
claimed himself a murderer no one
would have been surprised after this.
'-This mornin'," continued the dea-
that have turned back toward Mount
Zion, the city Of the living God.
want to tell you all about It."
Down at the Corners, where live,
is n widder poor an lonely; she has lit.
tie children, such as Christ said, of
such is the kingdom OF heaven This
woman an her children were hungry
of goin' at once to relieve their necessi-
ties out Of the Righteousness Of my
store, waited an let one who looked
upon as a child of Satan, a son of
Belial, a sinner an an Outcast, 60 an
do the Masters work.
81 went last night, two whole days
after knew Of her extremity, to see IL
/ could do anything for her, thinking
how little I could do an feel that I
had done my duty. / found her COM
with a fire on her hearth. an
bread an meat in the pantry.
<a1I ho v,tD 60 AaF
when she hadn't a crumb to eat in the |
house, nor a stick of wood to burn, an |
had given up her faith in Providence |
almost, an was ready to lay down an |
die in despair, she heerd some one |
a -thrOwin' wood into her wood house, |
but in the darkness she couldn't tell l
who it was, as 1t was way past mid |
night. Then came a knockin' Mt the !
door, an when she asked who was
there, a voice said a FRIEND and she |
opened the door little way, an some |
one with his collar turned up an his |
hat pulled down, pushed a bag o flour |
an other things to eat through the door, |
an then vanished into outer darkness |
to be seen no more.
'She knew who 1t was, though, for
she knew his clothes from the glimpse |
she got Of 'em, an he was one who has |
stood aloof from the church an who |
we have counted as agin' us. l hope
he was, for we have been a generation |
Of vipers, an there has been no good in |
US. He must a-seen through us, an
think he had good reason for stand |
Off In tvpl
our pretensions to scorn. But he didn't |
forget the words Of the scriptures
which says, Inasmuch as We have done
1t to one Of the least Of these. ye have
done 1t also. to me- When he knew the |
Lords children were hungry an cold. |
he supplied their wants. He thinks /
no one knows who he is, but l sec him |
now in this congregation. sittin' Gway |
back, an I don't blame him. I have
said hard things Of him, and a1ik his |
forgiveness. won't name him, but he |
knows am talkin' to him, an want
to tell him that under Providsnce, he |
has been the means Of bringing about
my conversion from the error of my
way an a-settin' my face Zi0nward. |
This mornin', though 1t was the
Lords day, made beginnin', an my |
wife an daughter thought was crazy, |
but had Jest come into my riSht mind |
for the first time in many years. May
the Lord have mercy on US an" and thu |
deacon sat down.
His testimony had reduced the con. !
gregation to such q state Of mind that
no one had a very good idea Of what
happened afterward. Such Q testimony
had never been before offered in that
church nor has a similar one since thai
time.
After the meeting was ended, and
Mrs. Whitaker and Hillie were wait |
ing at the door for the deacon to drive
around. several Of the neighbors CANT