The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1897-06-13
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eyes wide, and putting his lace close
down to that of little Tim sitting beside
him. hlurted out in his bluff blg-hearted
wav: "Come. Tim, do you see anything
white in my eyes or green either!''
Tim looked somewhat in confusion at his
father sitting on the rear seat as if he
wanted to be helped out of a position
that embarrassed all the more because of
the uerfect seriousness of Wards face.
you see, Dan, said parson Taliaferro
that boy was with me one day in the
hospital where the wounded We're, and
while You were in delirium on your cot,
your eyes were strangely thrown baGS
exposing the whites in a way that he
couldn't quite understand. If he hears
me talking to Johnny Reb, he inyaria-
bly, asks me if he's the white-eyed man.
Yes, Tim, you've found your man at
last But" interrupted Dan, SAY,
Tim, alters b'lieved twas your daddy s
prayers at fetched me thoo, fer Their was
too many legs and arms to cut off for
man to hope fer much with the doctors.
Yet amt got no greet war wi the doctors
either, fer they left me as good stump
as Their is in this err any other county
you see it don't We Tim," he added throw
ing the wooden leg upon the foot-board.
Then Dams manner changed somewhat
suddenly change of which the boys
eyes took note, for Tim was not yet GER
tain of Dan and any change in his face for
the better was welcome. "las. lin, my
boy. We dad was thar every day 'mongst
we felers on the cots after Spottsylyanla,
and when my head commence to clar up,I
use to laugh at We holdIn' of We daddy S
coat-tail while he was a kneelin' thar
by me and a prayin' fit to make Ole
Marster listen, and ye'd laugh back, and
We daddy ID git up and make a prayer at
the next cot with you still a holdin' of
his coat-tail skeered-like; he must a-leetle
more'n worn hole in his britches at the
knee, fer he alters prayed ON one knee,
but We can't remember that, kin We Timg'
Il can remember the white eyes and so
many white COTS" answered Tim simply.
Hit almost makes this ole leg hurt to
talk about it." exclaimed Dan abruptly
as he swung himself in his seat and
whirled his whip over the horses with a
Iong-lashed smart crack that made them
spring into a new gait.
There had been another silent listener
to this conversation: he was delicate
framed dried-up little man, a dancing
master. taking this stage for the home of
farmer of means who had a lot of
daughters He was as little rs possible
like the big-framed man who sat beside
him. For parson Taliaferro didn't seem
10 have small bone. He was built for a
pioneer. and such use had been made of
him for forty years by the Methodist con-
ference of which he was a shining and
muscular member The parson was
plainly dressed with the thick boots on
which he stuck to summer and winter.
His hair was coarse red and went up
straight and short-cropped from a square,
not too high brow. His face was clean
and weather brown and powerfully lined
with high cheek bones. His eyes We're
small blue under shaggy red eyebrows
that grew so overhangingly as partly to
obscure them. There were in his eyes
four characteristics distinctly discernible,
namely kindness, humor, common-sense
and sternness. These qualities We're
strangely mingled in some of his glances,
and in some others, one of these qualities
would come out singly and distinct and
clear. He did not trouble himself about
cuffs, but his wristbands We're buttoned
white and tight with china buttons about
a wrist reddish and hairy and large
and mostly bone. He was over six feet
and two hundred and his frame could
comfortably have stood more flesh. He
had never had college-training; one can
not tell how he ever got any knowledge
of books, If indeed he had much. He had
one might say grown up in the woods
going TO conference once year in his
rough wear and having little or nothing
to say-just going back again to some
outskirts of the work of his church. II
he knew the meaning of ecclesiasticism
he probably did not know that he knew
it. He had three sets of phrases by
which he summed UP hegospel to sinners
they were, BE born again." Christ and
Him Crucifed;'' Thy viii Be done.' He
used to say that as long rs the gospel
revolyed around this axis, it could not
grow old, any more than the earth grows
old when every day it meets a new morn
ing He did not loiter in yistas to listen
TO tinkling brooks or to tinker with sift
ed sunshine-these things he would have
called moonshine. lie had way of lift
ing up his eyes and looking straight al
God, and he said when a man did that, il
he saw God sure enough, descriptive an6
and rhetorical tricks seemed trifling as
gnats to man travelling down a coun
try road towards home. Yet if he made
straight shots, he was anything but mar
row as far as the gospel was concerned
he might have been called narrow in those
things he thought forbidden of the law
of God. Even this so-called narrowness
however, was softened bya sympathy tina
had been broadened by constant contac
with people in sickness in sorrow, will
hungry people and Tim a'tagging on be
hind him. The Sick ward took up thu
: biggest part of his heart, which was
kind of a hospital in a sense. As to the
gospel he had Il few great wide-reachlns
lines that took p all in; he had the dia
gram; the fine things inside the lines
like the colors on map, he didn't bother
much about, the college brethren who go
the city appointments Me said could I'll
these in, and if they Mdn't, he didn'
think it made much difference. In thu
district he rode, he was they only public
school of the people, as he waA their balm