Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1898-10-27
PRINCE OF cHARlTA8LENEss.
Rev. Jason PSnroyal Found Something
Good tn Say of Old Bat FIurney.
ITHE ENDl


Rev. Jason PSnroyal Found Something
Good tn Say of Old Bat FIurney.
When it comes to downright charity,
the sort that thinks no evil and says no
evil, Rev. Jason Penroyal had few
equals and no superiors throughout the
entire Virginia belt where his ministra-
tions extended. Because of this most
amiable quality and not for any special
excellence in preaching he was con-
stantly in demand upon funeral occa-
sions. He always contrived to discover
some good qualities in the dead which
the neighbors had failed to find, and if
the departed was not too bad he made
it duty to land him in Heaven. He
| was sent for here, there, and every
where, oftentimes having to make dis
tances across the country as great as
fifty miles or more. Mr.. Penroyal
never complained; indeed, he seemed
to find mournful pleasure in this kind
of work, although he never received
any compensation for his services,
which could not but seriously interfere
with his regular duties as a circuit
rider. Nothing was permitted to in
terfere with the discharge of what he
appeared to think paramount duty,
and bereaved ones seemed to find solid
comfort in what he said upon these sad
occasions.
| A time came, however, when his
friends thought he had been given
task beyond his capabilities. Indeed,
several of the irreligious of the com
munity actually made bets that he
would never be able to- say a single
word in eulogy of old Bat F1urney,
who had been shot and killed by Andy
Hollowell while trying to escape one
night from the latter's smol1e-house.
The spoils of the raid were In his arms,
the evidence of his guilt positive. This,
however, was but one Of ten Thousand
transgressions of Bat, who had stolen
from his boyhood up. Hewas drunk
ard, gambler, horse racer and a pro-
fame swearer. His brutality had driven
his wife to suicide and his three chill
dren to the devil. His name was a SYM
Onym for all wickedness,. and the entire
community breathed free for the first
time in twenty years when it learned
that Bat was no more. So well satisfied
were the neighbors that they desired to
give Andy public testimonial In the
shape of a big dinner at the Wayville
tavern, but he modestly declined it on
the ground that the pleasure he found
in the act of Kidding the people of such
pest was ample compensation and he
could not think of accepting any fur
Their reward.
Bat had numerous. relatives, who,
whatever qualification they may have
felt in his death, knew it would be q
reproach to them if they did not give
him respectable funeral So all the
necessary preparations were made and
the services of Mr.. Penroyal were Sc
cured, for the simple reason that every
other preacher refused point-blank to
bear any part in the moclkery of giving
Christian burial to. such an unmiti-
gated wretch.
Because of the difficulties that beset
Mr.. Penroyal and to, satisfy the bets.
that had been made there was a rous-
ing turnout at the funeral Expecta-
ton was at the highest pitch and the
preachers, admirers were nervously
anxious on his account.
When he arose and fixed his ewes
upon the coffin he did NOT appear to. be
in the slightest degree overcome of his
task; on the contrary his homely yet
kindly face wore the same symr athletic
look it had when he 0fficiated at the
funerals of saints. He started off brisk
ly enough, telling of the suddenness,
awfulness and certainty of death, FOR
which it was proper that all persons
should hold themselves in readiness.
Then he directed his gaze upon the
relatives, who were grouped together
near the coffin, and began slowly:
1--WE are told to forget the failings of
the dead and look for their virtues.
| All of us, have faults. and the dead
man before US was no exception, 1 sup
pose. But is there one among us who
would wish when he was dead that the
preacher should single out his weak
nesses and follies to hold up to reproba-
ton? Let us be equally charitable with
our deceased neighbor and remember
only the good that was in him. l have
this to say, and / am borne out by the
testimony of at least two credible wit
nesses of whom l have inquired, that
| Bartholomew F1urney could patch a
shoe better than any other man in
Lunenberg. Economy is virtue that
! all of us will do well to practice. A
| patched shoe is not as good as a new
| one put II Is ldF DeItef imam ragged
one, and our deceased friend had his
place in our social system when he pro-
tracted the utility of footgear 1t is
very gratifying to be able to bear this
testimony to the merit of Mr.. Flurnev.
and trust that you will all remember
it 70 his credit when you think of the
departed.
The bets were unanimously decided
in favor of those who staked on Mr..
Penroyals ability to acquit himself
ereditably, W his fame spread
farther and wider than ever.-Chicago
| Tribune.
Nothing But Dagos.
young woman connected with one
OF the city missions, while visiting a
| crowded downtown tenement, came
| a0~ocS a x-a,.x- r1g1 seI, x,-c-..-.-