The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1898-11-24

OoO|AoAO III oiilo loUOI VI lOFc, CuC 1IOll
a cigar-box, rude cross which he GOV
cred with the tinfOil taken from a cou
pie of packages of tobacco.
1t was indeed strange band of
mourners which in the grey dawn of
Thanksgiving morning wound its
way down the Midas Gulch to the out
casts cabin. Yet, could every kindly
thought and generous impulse in the
hearts of these rough men become
plant to blossom upon Mag's grave she
would have been laid to rest beneath
wilderness of rare and beautiful flow
ers.
Filing into the cabin, they silently
took such places as they could find. Up
on the bed-about the only piece of
furniture the room contained-lay all
that was mortal of the poor human
waif known as Mag. Two of her sis
ters in misfortune, having done the lit
tie there was to do, sat dry eyed and
mute beside the bed.
"The Dude" placed his floral offering
upon the pillow, while Nugget Joe"
laid his tinfoil cross over her folded
hands.
1t was said afterward, that for the
first time in his life, "Parson Bill"
knew fear and could not "speak his
mind" He succeeded, however, after
several desperate efforts, in clearing
his throat, and after laying aside his
gun and cramming his hat into his hip
pocket, he delivered the following dis
course:
81 hever reckoned, pards, that when
got the name of 'Parson Bill' because
l could ontswar' any man in these
here diggins, that I'd ever be called to
take real parsons job, but as there
haint nobody else to do this here thing
l reckon I'll have to tackle it. So here
goes: Now Jesus, / axes you in the
first place, that if so be don't pray
just proper like, that you wont hold it
agin Mag, cause that haint no fair play
and they's always lowed as how you
deals squar' When was little kid
back in the states, use to hear my
old granny read in the Good Book, as
how when you was down here, they
use to bring the blind and the lame and
the sick for you to cure 'em. Now
Jesus that's the way brings Mag to
you now; just kind O. layin' her down
at your feet, and AKIN you to give her
what she haint never had-a squar'
deal.
"Now Jesus, there's sight O. people
that's had far show, and goes round
calling you their pard, who does heap
worse than Mag's done, and they does
it just from damn cussedness. Now
Jesus, yon knows there warn't no cuss-
edness in Mag, for she didn't know no
better. You see, nobody never told
Mag nothing bout right and wrong
things. Her mother was old Calamity
Jane-a mighty ornery old cuss-and
she never had no father; leastwise no
reg'lar father like other folks got. So
now Jesus, recon you'd better call it
all squar' with Mag, men,"
There were many prayers assembled
to the Throne Of Grace on that Thanks
giving morn, from cushioned pew and
velvet altar cloth, from costly cathe-
dral, with white-robed priests and
swinging censers; but none of them, l
believe, came more sincerely from the
heart of sinful man, than that of "Par-
son Bill" Was it answered? Yes; for
over the mountains snow-clad peak,
burst the glorious morning sun, to-
ken of the universal God who is God
alike to the saint and the sinner, the
pagan and the Christian. Its beams
lighted up mountainside and canyon;
and reaching the ,out-cast's cabin, it
gilded table, chairs, and rotten floor;
and then kissing the rude cross lying
upon the folded hands, it turned the
tinfoil into gold.
Which one of yon dare say that hers
was not a glorious "Harvest Home"
and that she did not hear: "More sinned
against than SHINING enter in"
HOP SING.