The Goodland republic. [volume] (Goodland, Kan.) 1891-1907, 1898-12-02

settled as 1t is now. TIL Greens wa y Z
here an your grandfather owned near
y all tn land on both sides if tn road
from tn river { tn plank mile down
Peckham's Corners was tn nearest vii
lage, three miles down tn plank road
named after Ephriam Peckham that
kept tn general store there-an' Of
course if there was any christenin' Z
be done 'twOuld have L be done down
there where tn church was Seth
wanted il mOre'n Sary did for she never
went much on churches. She ulster say
she didn't take much stock in any in
stitutiOn that paraded as a shinin
light any such a skalawag as Paul wuz.
1t kind O. set hard with Seth, for he had
been brought up a God fearin', Scrip
ture abidin' man an it want much Z
his Hkin' that Sary should oppose his
idee O havin' tn little one christened
regular. They argued bout IT for two
or three weeks an finally Sary gave in
les as we all knew she would. Her
whole life was all one long givin' in t
Seth, anyway. She said 1T tn las that
likely as not il wouldn't make any diff
ference t tn child's future nor be any
injury to its health. so Seth could have
his way, and tn child could be chris
tened if he wanted it should, without
any opposition by her"
Aunt Jane smiled as she had before,
and then, wiping again her glasses on
her checked Bingham apron. went on
81 remember that Sunday mOInin'
Jest as tho it was yesterday 1t was
about this time o tn year and Silas and
the child all rode down L tn corners in
Silas' democrat wagOn-thOugh l. want
called a democrat wagon in thos'
DAYS. Sary and Seth sat on tn bacl
seat, she holdin' tn baby. TIL menput
I'D tn team in tn shed at tn side o. tn
church an we all went in t'gether.
Seth's pew was well down toward tn
front an we sat there. ParsOn Davis
was tn minister, 4 young feller, too,
with sandy hair an q full blue eye that
seemed L have tn truth shinin' right
cut Of 1t. Sary always said he looked
Ike a bowl o. skinned milk L her. but
he didn't, jes' tn same. He was a able
leader an his sermons was always with
thinkin' over. Well, tn service pro-
ceeded. TIL church was filed with tn
folks from everywhere within five
miles O. tn corners, for 1t was nice
morning and I've generally noticed
folks are more religious when tn
weatner's good. At tn conclusion of
meetin' tn pastor stepped down from
tn pulpit and asked If there was any
one in tn congregation thai felt
moved { Join in and accept tn true
salvation that tn church offered. Two
Joined in that mornin' an when tn
carson had shook hands with them he
asked IL there was any little ones that
the parents wished to he baptized in
tn light Seth nudged Sary an she riz
right up in tn pew. That was tn first
Information that tn ParsOn had Of a
baby in Seth Heminway's family. He
looked kinder surprised, but he was
equal to tn occasion. He beckOned [
Sary an she passed by Seth an went
down tn aisle L tn front. steady like
an firm. holdiu' tn baby close to her
aYhen she reached tn pulpit tn par
son took tn little one out Of her arms
an held it in his own. TIL baptismal
fOunt was on his left han within reach.
He seemed imbued with tn idee that
he oughter do a good job O. tn chris
TENN, for he knew tn standin' in tn
community O. the Heminway family.
He swelled out his chest an said can
hear him now: Dear brothers and sis
tiers, I am called upon to mOisten IN
tn holy baptism of our Lord this child,
this child that I hold in my arms. But
before let us try to draw aside tn cur
tain Of tn future and peer beyond, to
see. If possible, what may be tn mate
rial destiny of this, I might almost say,
human being, that 1 hold
here before you. 1t may be that after
the years have been waited away this
little one, in the vigOr Of a stanch ma
turity, may feel IT his fate to buckle
on tn sword and tn armOr and 60 forth
20 battle for light and right, and we
may have another St George. Or. again.
he may take up tn pen, and who knows
but that I may hold in my arms, who
knows, I say, but that this almost unOr-
Canized human being may develop into
another Sir Walter. Or, again. say
II is possible-the affairs of state may
engross his mind, and the world may
have a second Jefferson
AT the first prophetic possibility Par
son Davis made. Seth, who had been
listenin' with his eyes fixed on the
floor, started. Silas nudged me, an
smiled. I didn't dare to laugh, for Jest
then I cast my eyes in the direction of
Sary. She was shakin' like a leaf. an
her face was as white as your collar.
Seth wiggled in his seat, but ParsOn
Davis didn't notice anything He was
too busy prOphesying. Finally cane
tn last. Or siXthly,' he said, and his
voice seemed { rise, and let us hope
1t may be true-he may work in this
world for the Lord. may take up tn
torch of truth and follow in tn foot
steps OF the Shepherd. and we may have
another Paul
Il looked at Sary. She wasn't pale
She was rcd. 1 knew what she was
achin' for. 1 saw II IN her eyes. She
was dyin' for tn last chance at the
minister that would have tn mean
ness to say a child Of hern might some
day become another Paul. When he
had finished about tn 'postle ParsOn
Davis looked down TO Sary-th' little
frail body at his side-and asked in
his amazin' deep voice: What is tn
little ones name, please2
And at that Sary seemed L grow a
least three inches She looked tn par
son rfo1r e0rrara IN, tho 90 --1 -