Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1897-06-10
PREACHERS SWEETHEART.

A light shone from the open door OF
the low log structure that answered the
double purpose of church and school.
house. The CLEAN fell upon the yellow
ish leaves of a pawpaw tree that stood
close to the path that led to the door,
Beyond the pawpaw was an irregular
mass that moved restlessly in the dark
ness. Observed closely it would have
resolved itself into a number of
horses tied to saplings, and stepping
about noiselessly as they stretched
their heads toward the tempting leaves
beyond their reach.
Divine service was going on in the
log building, and the tones of the min
lister foated out into the darkness in
solemn cadence. Often they were in
terrupted by deep-grunted "A-a-a-
men!" or ''U-m-m-ah? Vas, Lord!" the
manner in which many worshipers ex-
pressed their appreciation of the
preachers utterances. A mounted fig
ure came close to the shaft of light and
dismounted. AS he did so the stamping
of the restless horses reached his ears.
Noiselessly he made his horse fast to q
redbud stem, and erept through the
bushes to where the uneasy equines
were tied.
He passed from horse to horse, feel
ing swiftly over each, as If in the dark
ness his hands were doing duty for
eyes in revealing the merits or demerits
of each animal.
The voice Of the preacher came clear
and strong to the ears of the man
among the horses. He listened a
moment as the voice told him. in sim
pie words, the sweet truths of the Bible.
Somehow the words Of the good Book
seemed to the man in the darkness to be
addressed directly to himself, and pres
emily, as he listened, he removed his
old slouch hat as reverently as If he had
been within the sanctuary.
Then, as the words of invitation and
consolation rang out clear and sweet,
the man by the horses removed his
hand from the neck of little mare
and muttered: preacher is sumner,
shore. Reckon Til leave the fllly.
Might belong to the preacher, an bein'
preacher, O. course it's the only hoss
he's got"
AS he returned to his own animal, he
paused again to listen. Presently he
dropped the hand that was untying the
bride and strode into the bar of light
that shone from the open door.
'I'll try it." he muttered. Ben a
long time sence I've set in church"
His slouching entrance was hardly
noticed by the congregation of shock
headed men and sallow-faced women, SO
attentive were they to the preachers
utterances.
The preacher was a small, pale-faced
man, plainly, almost shabbily dressed,
and as he stepped awkwardly back and
forth behind the rude pulpit, the last
conner saw that he was lame
Presently he rose and slouched out,
and, mounting his horse, dashed away
down a bride path, whittier he knew
nor cared. Presently some small ani-
NAL sprang from the path, and the horse
swerved to one side. and the next mo-
ment there came blow on the riders
head as If the great blackberry tree
stretched far above had fallen upon
him. Then, as he fell from the horse, the
animal Kicked the unconscious man be-
fore he had touched the earth.
An hour after, the pale-faced preach
er, limping along the path, almost
stumbled over the PROSTATE figure be-
meath the greet blackberry. The old
slouoh hat had fallen from his head,
and the blood from long wound across
his forehead had soaked his matted hair.
The preachers slight form staggered
under the task, but by series Of heroic
efforts he managed TO convey the uncon-
scious man to the little log hut where
he lived alone. It was many days be-
fore the sufferer could do more than sit
like helpless child in the old splint-
bottomed rocker and watch the preach
er as he limped back and forth attend
ing to the wants of his unexpected
guest. The stranger had been badly
hurt. The blow on his head, as he came
in contact with the low-hanging limb,
had very nearly fractured his skull, and
the kick OF the horse had broken sew
eral ribs.
One day there came letter addressed
In dainty feminine hand, and the
preacher had almost completed his an
swer when the hour arrived for him to
start for the little log church. After
he had gone, the invalid saw that the
letter and it's unfinished answer lay on
the homemade table, and without any
scruples he proceeded to read both
"Frum his sweetheart" the invalid
said aloud, as he finished. pore leetle
gall kin almost seem to see her as
read them lines. Thar she is, way back
east, waitin' for the day when her
lover kin send the money to bring her
out yere to him. The time has ben
mighty long already, she says, but
she'll wait for him if it takes half her
life. Brave leetle grill Bids him keep
up his courage, for she is shore he'll
soon git the money, for everybody'f
SO generous In the west, and will pay
him well for his work. she is certain
The invalid paused. and shook one
hard fist at an imaginary auditor.
.'Yas, hang vel Pay him well wen
yer souls git bigger. II you was white
you'd pay more money an do less
gruntin' in church. Look at It'll" he
went on, with rising wrath. "Yere'a
a man an Christian a-workin' the lif.
outen his crippled body to save yel
souls, an In return ye give him jes'
enough TO keep him from plum stasyin'
All the whole kit Of ye air good for II
to raise horses for me to run OF with.
Again he shook his fist at the imag
mary auditor.
"That's for vel Look at It'll Yere
fer worlin' himself to death for yel
souls, ye pay him so leetle that the time
when he can bring his leetle waitin
sweetheart west seems years OIL Yes
an yere am a-doin' ye no good, an
stealth every one O. yer horses kir
/ GIT my hands on. In my case. u
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