The Forrest City times., 1898-11-25

away by her to another day, another | world-to me.
 'Seth's wife's name was an Empson fore she married Seth. Tn Heminway | an tn Empson farms joined down be- low that stone wall by tn creek. Tn | Heminways was always on good terms | with tn Empsons an tn Empsons was always tn same with tn Heminways. | so. with tn two farms joinin'. 'twant no more'n nacheral thet in course a l time Seth an Sary should get married, | t sorter join tn property mite closer. as old Hiram Heminway used t say. | An 'twant. Tn weddin' O tn two was jest tn ordinary conclusion O two children bein' raised within stones throw O each other an no blood rela- ton between 'em. It was tn nacheral result of protracted period O singin' l school an huskin' bees. Anyway they was married. Their eldest was born bout tn end of tn second year us I recollect now. I remember that child almost as well as remember Ezra. my first. It was as pretty a baby as you ever set your eyes on, and as bright and as smart, from tn beginnin', as a crick- ct. It was about two months old before they named it. And then O course came t Seth an Sary tn thought of ohristenin' it accordin' t tn orthodox doctrine. Tn country want so thick settled as it is now. Tn Greens want here an your grandfather owned near
 ly all tn land on both sides if tn road
 from tn river t tn plank mile down.
 Peckhams Corners was tn nearest vil-
 lage, three miles down tn plank road
 named after Ephriam Peckham that
 kept tn general store there--an' of course if there was any christcnin' t
 be done 'twould have [ be done down
 there where tn church was. Seth
 wanted it more'n Sary did for she never
 went much on churches. She uster say
 she didn't take much stock in any in-
 stitution that paraded as a shinin
 light any such a skalawag as Paul wuz
 It kind O set hard with Seth. for he had
 been brought up God fearin', Scrip
 ture abdin' man an it want much t.
 his likin' 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
 jes' as we all knew she would. Her
 whole life was all one long givin' in t
 Seth. anyway. She said at tn las that likely SIS not it wouldn't make any diff ference t th' child's future nor be any injury to it's 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 gingham apron, went on. 'I remember that Sunday mornin' jest as tho it was yesterday. It was
 about this time O tn year and Silas and the child all rode down t tn corners in Silas' democrat wagon-though i want called a democrat wagon in those
 days. Sary and Seth sat on tn back
 seat, she holdin' tn baby. Tn men put up tn team in tn shed at tn side O tn church an we all went in t'gether. Seth's pew was we'll down toward tn front an we sat there. Parson Davis was tn minister, young feller, too, with sandy hair an full blue eye that seemed t have tn truth shinin' right cut of it. Sary always said he looked like bowl O skinned milk t her. but
 he didn't, jes' tn same. He was able leader an his sermons was always wuth thinkin' over. We'll, tn service pro- ceeded. Tn church was filled with tn folks from everywhere within five
 miles O tn corners, for it was a 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 tha. felt
 moved t join in,' and accept tn true
 salvation that tn church offered. Two joined in that mornin an when tn parson had shook hands with them he
 asked if there was any little ones that
 the parents wished to be baptizel in tn light Seth nudged Sary an she rig right up in tn pew. That was tn first information that tn parson had of q baby in Seth Heminway's family. He looked kinder surprised, but he was equal to tn occasion. He beckoned t Sary an she passed by Seth an went tOWu LII dislc LII 1TOut, Sttduy l1he
 an firm, holdin' tn baby close to her. "When she reached tn pulpit tn par
 son took tn little one out of her arms an held it in his own. Tn baptismaI fount was on his left han within reach.
 He seemed imbued with tn idee that
 he oughter do good job O tn chris
 tenin', for he knew tn standin' in tn
 community O the Heminway family.
 He swelled out his chest an said-I can
 hear him now: Dear brothers and sis
 ters, I am called upon to moisten Tn
 tn holy baptism of our Lord this child,
 this child that 1 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, might almost say,
 unorganized human being, that hold here before you. It may be that after
 the years have been waited away this little one, in the vigor of a stanch ma