Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1899-11-28
NEW SERIES, VOL. xxxIv. NO. IS

me and let me SO clsewhelc.''
''Ye see, Paster,n said one of the lea-
cons, I'VE thought ye'd ha' gathered
in some O. the worldly minded people
around, but ye don't seem to take. L
see the young men come along and lis
ten for minute at the church door
and then ga Now If ye'd had rous-
in way with We and made things hot
they'd ha' come right in and might ha'
bin converted.
81 am quite aware of my imperfec-
tions,2 AIR. Sopor said. and am ready
to remove them and myself out of your
sight and hearing. but want it under
stood that you have covenanted with
me to pay me so much a month and
you Invent done it. and must either
live on credit or starve.'''
I've lived ON credit and traded ON
credit" said Deacon Sitter, 'and no.
body thinks the worse of me. but then
i never was confessed pauper."
You are at liberty to live on credit
again" Mr.. Sopor said, but as-r Chris
tian you are not at liberty to f0.ce your
pastor to do so. 1t would be disgrace
to the Christian name."
The meeting grew stormy and adj
journcd without any attempt to pay
the pastors salary. The very next day,
however, something happened to rem
der the pastor less anxious about his
salary. He received letter, informing
him that an uncle had died, leaving
him an estate of over 5000, 700. Just as
1t was growing dark he started for
the deacon's store, intending to smooth
things over about the salary. The dea-
con, however, had gone home to sup
per and Mr.. Sopor directed his steps
toward his dwelling. He found the
door ajar and was about to knock with
his knuckles on the panel when the
door opened and n small parcel was
thrust into his hand, and he heard the
stern voice of the deacon's wife;
'"Therel Take that and be of with
you. And don't you come loating
around here agafn.''
| The door was banged in his face.
He stood drmfounded. Then he turn
ed away with sigh and went toward
his boarding house, still holding the
parcel. When lie reached his apart
ments, lie struck match and lighted
his lamp. Then he looked down at
the parcel which he had laid on the
table. 1t was covered with piece of
brown paper. He took 1t UP, felt the
weight of it and wondered what it
could be- He had once lent lamp 10
Rachel for Ler bicycle. but it didn't
feel like that. So he slowly removed
the wrapper ana found within-two
slices of stale bread with slice of
cold meat between them!
His heart sank This was indeed a
wicked act, most unprovoked insult.
1t was throwing the dog a bone and
then kicking him out
Next Sunday afterthe preaching Mr..
Sopor told the congregation that he
was going to leave.
You owe me four or five months
salary, but I'll make a present of it to
the church," he said. 81 am sorry I've
had to complain of poverty because
of your failure to pay me what you
covenanted. Still 1 am grateful that
at least one among you showed n dis
position to help me. went to the
door of one of the members the other
night, and the lady of the house kindly
thrust this parcel into my hand"
He held up the parcel, opened it and
| exhibited the two slices of bread and
the slice of meat. There was consterna-
tion all around, but most of all in
Deacon sifter's pew, as the pastor held
up the sandwich and turned it in diff
ferent directions so that all might see
it. Then he pronounced the benedic-
tion.
am not Informed what the congre-
cation said or thought. 1 only know
that while the people in the village
We're at dinner Deacon Sitter went
round to the pastor and carried him
away to the Sitter dwelling Mrs.
Sitter had recovered sufficiently from
Mysteries to talk between sobs and
spasms. This was the explanation she
gave:
Just at dusk tramp came to the
house and asked for something to eat.
Mrs. Sitter put up a big, substantial
sandwich and handed it out at the door
to the tramp, as she supposed, for 1t
was pretty dark, and she saw only the
outline of man. She accompanied
the gift with the admonitions already
recorded. Afterward she was sorry
she had given the rogue anything, for
she found that her husbands overcoht
was gone and was sure that while she
was getting the sandwich the tramp
had entered through the unclosed door
and stolen the garment