Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1898-12-02

he would have covered up the silver
cross which was conspicuously dis
played on his black watch ribbon.
Motherly women, with a sound ira
ditional faith in the virtues of flannel.
were much exercised in their minds on
the conjectural subject of his under
clothing, and said he did not look
strong. But the little curate lmped
upon his heroic way ignorant of these
criticisms; no one but himself knew
that, according to the best medical
opinion, his lungs were not good for
more than two years. work at most.
One day he met the schoolmaster and
asked him If he knew Craddock, "a
shoemaker, you know; bony, angular
man, with long throat and q lot of
gray hair-lives in Tibbit's row."
AS everyone in Barford knew every-
body else, this question was quite un-
necessary, which fact, however, did not
prevent the schoolmaster rubbing his
chin meditatively as If that operation
helped him to recall the very we'll
known physiognomy of Craddock.
When the aforesaid operation had been
satisfactorily completed, ne admitted
cautiously that he might have seen
him, pronouncing his words in such a
way as to clearly intimate to the
curate that 1T was by no means his
habit to notice such persons as Grad
dock.
81 find he doesn't go to church on
any OCCASION" said Reckitt, regret
fully.
There's good many in Barford
that don't" said the schoolmaster.
"But he doesn't go to chapel, either.
It's bad enough to be dissenter, but
he isn't even that"
The schoolmaster thought this very
likely, and being emboldened by an op-
portunity of explaining Craddock's
character, volunteered some coniec-
tural informa ton about the atheistic
nature Of the book which Craddock
carried with him on his Sunday walks,
The curate was much shocked. He
would at once have gone to Craddock
and demanded an explanat ton, had not
the schoolmaster promptly repudiated
| all authority for his own statement,
and further suggested that a lost
| sheep like Craddock should be treated
with tenderness, not to say with diplo-
| macy.
"Well, Geake," said the curate at
last, perhaps you're right. I'll tell
you what We'll do. I'm going to hold
q public discussion on the necessity
Of state church in the schoolroom
next Tuesday. Get Craddock to come.
It's not like going to church. you see
1 think the man likes me-in way,
and If he comes, perhaps something
I may say may bring him to the right
way of thinking"
When the discussion was held on the
following Tuesday, Craddock was
there, to the great surprise Of every
body and the exceeding Joy of the
curate. 1t was on this memorable oc-
casion that Craddock's reputation as
controversialist was finally estab-
lished.
1t was generally admitted that the
curate spoke with great ability, and
the deacons of the old meeting house
were very much surprised There had
never been rector of Barford with the
slightest capacity for public speech,
and Reckitt shone all the more bright
ly by comparison with generations of
| fumble-mouthed apostolic successors.
The curate's peroration was exceed
other sects and churchesto ships more
or less adrift, whose lights were of an
illusory and vanishing character,
whereas "the church"-he did not con-
descend to any more exact designation
was like q lighthouse, standing
grandly amid the storms, founded on
the immutable rock, and shedding a
serene, perpetual radiance on the
troubled waters of Time. He sat down
amid loud and continued applause.
1t was then that Craddock rose from
form at the extreme end of the room,
and asked permission to say a few
words. There was general feeling of
dismay, which was not lessened when
he ignored the chair, and most point
edly addressed the eloquent curate
simply rs Muster Reckitt, sir"
"Chair, cheir!" cried the audience.
"Oh, forgot the cheer, did II" the
old man went on serenely. "Well,
then, I'll say Muster Cheer, sir, if SO
be that'll suit you better I amt a
man as is give to public speech, an !
wouldn't hev got up, only thought
maybe as Muster Reckitt would like
to hear the views of "a sorter out
slider"
Here the curate nodded assent,
which, as several Of the mo therly wom-
en- remarked, showed, "a angelic tenn
per" on his part.
"Now what was it as Muster Reckitt
did say? If heerd Alright, he did say
as church were a lighthouse, which by
all accounts is very respectable sort
of place, but not one as folks is par
ticular anxious to live in-eh? There's
lighthouse down to st. Colam, as you
may know, an I know all about IT.
cause my brother was keeper there
Well, twas uncommon resky work a,
gettin' to it, to begin with. Twas only
hne days you could go anigh 1t, an
when you got there you didn't see
nothin' to make you wish to stay; an
Muster Reckitt, e says as church is 6
lighthouse-eh?
"But that isn't all. A lighthouse is 9
cold, draughty sorter place anyway
Them as lives in 1t sees the ships a
goin' past, an oftentimes wishes they
was on 'em, an is sorry enough they
ever give up the sea to start livin' on