The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1898-12-01


be done 'twould have t. be done down
there where tn church was. Seth
wanted it 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 afidin' man an it want much t
his lihin' 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
| ies' 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 as rot it wouldn't make any diff
ference { tn 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, wipiag again her glasses on
her checked gingham apron, went on.
! 81 remember that Sunday mornin'
| jest as tho it was yesterday. 1t was
about this time o tn year and Silas and
the child all rode down t tn corners in
Silas' democrat agon-though il want
called a democrat wagon in those
days. Sary and Seth sat on tn back
seat, she holdin' tn baby. TIL 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 well down toward TIL
front an we sat there. Parson Davis
was tn minister, a young Teller, too,
with sandy hair an full blue eye that
seemed t. have tn truth shinin' right
out of it. Sary always said he looked
like a bowl O. SKINNED milk t. her. but
he didn't, jes' til same. He was a able
| leader an his sermons was always with
thinkin' over. Well, tn service pro-
ceeded. TIL 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
weather'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
! moTed 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 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 TIL occasion. He beckoned t
Sary an she passed by Seth an went
| down tn aisle t. tn front, steady like
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. 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 TIL standin' in tn
community O. the Heminway family.
| He swelled out his chest an said-1 can
| hear him now: Dear brothers and SiS-
tiers. l am called upon to mosten in
tn holy baptism of our Lord this child,
! this child that 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 l hold
here before you. 1t may be that after
| the years have been waited away this
| little one, in the vigor of stanch ma
| turity, may feel it his fate to buckle
on tn sword and tn armor and go forth
to 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 | may hold in my arms, who
knows, I say, but that this almost unor-
gained human being may develop into
another Sir Walter. Or again. say
| it 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
listcnin' with his eyes fixed on the
floor, started. Silas nudged me, an i
smiled l didn't dare to laugh, for jest
| then | cast my eyes in the direction of
Sary. She was shallin' like 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 came
tn last. Or sixthly,' he said, and his
voice seemed t. rise, and let us hope
it 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
81 looked at Sary. She wasn't pale.
She was red. l knew what she was
achin' for. l saw it in her eyes. She
was dyin' for tn last chance at the
minister that would have tn mean
ness to say 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, please?
"And at that Sary seemed t grow at
least three inches. She looked tn par