The Charlotte Democrat., 1896-03-06
Highest Of all in Leavenng Pow-Lates US Govt Report
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ABSOLUTELY PURE
Truth Eunnisr Than Fiction.
ABSOLUTELY PURE

Amos was not the pastors name but
will serve for it in this story have been
wanting to tell long time. In the An.
nual Conference CT which be was q mem
Der he was advertised especially for the
sweetness of his spirit, the capacity of his
heart, his fixed resolve to live q pure and
beautiful life. His wife's health was very
bad when he was preacher in charge Of
Jimstown, and 80 the pastoral acres were
few and the grass on them pretty short,
Brother Amos had to be housekeeper,
and cook. But grace abounded, and for
burnt fingers and broken plates he waB
alike thankful. When Sundays cam
dinDer WAS brought him from the little
village restaurant, on orders that he would
leave there Saturdays.
One Sunday he had not been home long
from church when knock brought him
to the door, where Q negro man stood
with q waiter. Brother Amos received
it and carried it into the dining room.
lin parenthesis will tell the reader ,
what Brother Amos did not know. IL was
sent him by Mrs. Thomas, one of the
elect women of his church. She had
cotton some blackberries, the very first
of the season, and sent the preacher and
his wife enough for desert. On the
waiter she also laid few slices Of cake
and q small dish of pickles. A half loaf
of bread completed the donation.) When
Brother Amos set the waiter on the
table and removed the cloth from what
he thought was his dinner from the res.
taurant, amazement and disappointment
too much for even his gentle eoul. The
senses of hunger and of wrong done him,
overthrow the harmlessness for which he
was kowp and read of all men, and getting
the door fast az he could he demanded
of the waiting negro: "Is that all you
are going to bring me?"
The astonished man said: IL don't know
but expect So"
why" the preacher said, ~ don't un.
derstand why they sent me 80 little.
There are just three or four pieces Of
cake and some blackberries and pickles.
If that's all you have why didn't you
bring more of themP Didn't you have any
chickea2"
The even more astonished man could
only answer: eyes, sir: they have fried
chicken"
.'Well, want some fried chicken, and
| they know it," Brother Amos said with
| orthodox emphasis, II was there yester-
day, aud said Chicken to them. have
a great mind to send them that waiter
back"
The negro said: "That's all they
give me to bring; but l saw the
chicken"
Brother Amos returned to the dining
room. He was getting over his disap p>
pointmcnt. He changed his dishes, and
carried them back to the negro and de-
livering them, said: "It don't make
much difference after all. Tell them it's
all right, and that will keep it in mind
and pay them up soon." The man was
hurrying away as from an explosion,
when the preacher called out: "1'li see
you again, and have something for you.
The preachers tone wasn't exactly as
comforting as the negro wished, and he
hurried on without doing more than to
gruat three or four times.
Brother Amos was in the safe, gather.
ing up the fragments left from breakfast,
| when another knock brought him to the
door. And there stood another negro
man, bearing another waiter, who said !:
Your dinner from the restaurant" I" Then
came q series of expressions Of surprise
and Of questions such as were mystifying
to both parties, until the negro said "I
met that fellow up the street just now.
He works for Mrs. Thomas. He told me
to be mighty particular about what I
said to you, for you was awful easy to
get mad-mostwise for preacher"
And then Brother Amos understood it
all. His distress and agony were unut-
terable. He fell, rather than set, down
in chair, and cried: "Oh what have I
done? what shall / do? what will they
think of me? what will that negro man
think?" He rung his hands, pulled his
hair, rubbed his forehead, stroked his
chin, and used all the inteuections Of
grief and dispair. Then he sprang
from his chair, and, bsreheaded ran up
to Sister Thomas. She was in O good
deal of trouble, too, thinking from the
regro's story that she had offended her
pastor. The explanation relieved her;
but Brother Amos, when he returned 70
the parsonage, and found in the meal
from the restaurant the orthodox chicken
and other things, was in too hetsrodox
state of emotion to enjoy them.
This comedy of errors illustrates that
truth is funnier than fction.-Rev. r
8. Hurbert