Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1898-02-03
call it Christian appellation-is Sir.
But of this / need not tell you. have

Soh ~ ShAASesah aPPNAAaoOh 40 oiAs
But of this / need not tell you. l have
come to speak the word. / have come
cut into the highway of iniquity and
among the hedges of hell to compel you
to come into the feast, and you've got to
come or outshoot me, and l don't be-
lieve you can. Religion has fooled with
you long enough. You laugh at gentle
ness and sneer at love. / am with you
to stay. ! am going to settle down
among you; believe that the Lord has
appointed me to set your souls right
and l am going to do it or let my own
go to its reward. Yes, I am going to
stay with you, and pursuant upon that
determination. / believe it good plan
to take wife from among YOU" He
looked searchingly over the congrega-
ton. us there any young woman here
who would like to marry me? Speak
| out"
81 would" spoke up comely crea-
ture. but I'm afraid Abe won't let me"
"Who is Abe?"
"Why, my brother, Abe Lighthorn."
"Ah, and he is the devils special rep
resentative in this place, hear"
| Abe arose. snow, Mr.. Preacher,
want my say. I like your shootin'' and
all that, but I've got my rights and
I'm goin' to stand up for 'em. You
set bait to get me here, and now
that you've got me you want to poke
your words down my throat. ] don't
believe in yo' book. It's in 'cordance
with that book that our fellers air tuck
up by the militia and put in Jail. There
fore hate it and won't have nothih' to
do with it. A passul of us come here to
ride you on rail, but you sorter tuck
the wind outen us with your shootin'.
1 never thought the Gospel would inn
prove that much; didn't believe thar
ever would be SIGH able preacher. But
enough is enough. 1 will agree not to
poster you-you may preach all you
want to and my fellers shan't bother
you, but if you cut scollops round my
sister I'll fill you so full of lead that
two bosses couldn't pull you on slide"
"But," said the preacher, "she has
announced her willingness to marry
me-"
"Yes, and am mighty surprised at
| it, for all the fellers in the county fust
and last have been after her and she
won't have 'em. But that's neither
here nor thar, she amt goin' to marry
you"
"Well," replied Sir Tony, "just wait
| till the sermon is over and we will dis
cuss the matter"
"You may preach all you want to. but
I won't stay to hear you"
"You have come forth from the
hedges of torment" said the preacher,
"and you must stay. 1 don't want to
kill my prospective brother-in-law, but
if you attempt to leave this house I'll
shoot you"
81 reckon the rest of us can do lit
| tie shootin'"
eyes, in a slow sort of way, but
can have hole through all your heads
before you could get me-"
"Well, I amt no blame fool, and
reckon that's so. Go on with your
preachin', but won't stand no abuse
"My friend, did not come to abuse,
but to talk of love. Listen to me-"
Then in the simplest way he told the
story of the Saviour of man. His words
were warm and poetic. The Saviour
had not come to enforce law-He had
violated law made by the hard-heart.
ed. He was the gentlest and bravest
of all the universe. He had blessed a
thief. "And if He were to come upon
earth now, the rich man, the man of the
law, the banker, the railroad king,
would be as hard toward Him as the law
that crucified Him."
"Wait mint" cried Abe. "Was il
the law that killed Him?"
eyes, the law; and the rich and the
powerful gloried in it."
"Why, 1 always lowed that He was
the law"
'He was the law of gentleness and
love, but not of legislatures"
$50 ahead You are gettin' next to
me-"
When the sermon was done Abe came
forward and said: 81 reckon | must
be the ignuntest man in the world
Why, the Christ you tell about loves a
poor brute like me-
'Yes, He died for YOU"
"And for Sam and Dave and the rest
of us?"
Yes. for you ALL"
"Weil, now, they didn't tell me that
before. That always told me that He
hated sin and would send me to hell,
and 1 couldn't love no man like that
l can't help bein' ignunt-I never was
in school,"
"Will you come to church tonight?
We are going to hold revival"
81 don't know what that is, but I'll
come and help you hold it, don't care
how hard it tries to git loose. Now
let me git yo' boss for you and fetch him
| up to the DOOR"
At night the Lighthorns were there.
They asked many questions during the
services; and at last, when called upon
to pray, Abe said: "Fellers, it amt no
part of coward to pray to man that
give His life for you. He could have
been rich and powerful if He had want
ed to go with the high-headers, but He
stayed down with the poor and needy,
/ \ 90 40