The Florence daily tribune., 1899-01-13

kept IN general store fhcrc-nn OF
course il there VAS any christenin' 4
be done 'twould have L be done down
there where tn church was. Seth
wanted IL more'n Sary did for she never
went much on churches. She uster say
she didn't take much stock in any in
stitution that paraded as a shinin'
light any such a skalawse as Paul wuz.
1t kind o. set hard with Seth. for he had
been brought up God fcarin', Scrip
ture abidin' man an IL want much L
his lilIin' that Sary should oppose his
idee o. havin' tn little one christened
regular. They argued bout il for two
or three weeks an finally Sary gave in
jes' rs we all knew she would. Her
whole life was all on. long givin' in {
Seth. anyway. She said nt tn las that
likely as not IL wouldn't make any diff
ference { III child's future nor be any
injury to its health. so Seth could have
his way. and III child could be chris
tened IL he wanted IL should. without
any opposition by her"
Aunt Jane smiled as she had before,
and then. wiping again her glasses on
her checked :,ingham apron. went on.
81 remember that Sunday mornin'
Jest as tho il was yesterday. II was
about this time % tn year and Silas and
the child all rode down I TIL corners in
Silas' democrat wagon--though |. want
called democrat wagon in those
days. Sary nnd Seth sat on tn back
seat. she holdin' til baby. Til men put
up tn team in III shed AT tn side o. tn
church an we all went in t'gether
Seth's pew was well down toward tn
front an we sat there. parson Davis
was tn minister. n young teller. too.
with sandy hair nm a full blue eye that
seemed L have tn truth Shinin' right
out of it, Sary always said he lookr'
like bowl o. skinned milk Z her but
he didn't, jes' til same. lie was able
leader an his sermons was always wuth
thinkin' over. Well. th' service pro
ceeded TIL church was filed with til
folks from everywhere within five.
miles o. TIL corners. for il was nice
morning and Nv. generally noticed
folks are more religious when TIL
weather's good. At tn conclusion oil
meetin' tn pastor stepped down from
tn pulpit and asked IL there was any
one in tn congregation tina. felt
moved { Join in aud accept tn true
salvation that tn church offered Two
Joined in that mornin an when th'
parson had shook hands with them he
asked IL there was any little ones that
the parents wished to he baptize in
tn light Seth nudged Sary an she riz
right up in tn pew. That was tn first
information that tn parsou had OF
!. a.. f,, Snth 10, ua
looked kinder surprised. hut he WIS
equal TO tn occasion. Iin heckoned {
Sary an she passed by Seth an went
down tn aisle { tn front. steady like
an firm. holdin' til baby close to her.
"When she reached TIL pulpit tn par
son took tn little one out OF her arms
an held it in his own. Th' baptismal
fount was on his left han within reach.
He seemed imbued with TIL idee that
he oughter do u good job o TIL chris
TENN, for he knew tn standin' in tn
community o the iIeminway family.
He swelled out his chest an said-I can
hear him now: Dear brothers and f's-
ters. ] nm called upon to moisten 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. il possible, what may be tn mate
rial destiny OF this, might almost say,
unorganized human being. that | hold
here before you. II may be that after
the years have been waited away this
little one. in the vigor of a stanch ma
turity, may feel il his fate TO buckle
on tn sword and tn urmor and go forth
to battle for light and right. and we
may have another 81. George. Or. again.
he may take up til pen. and who knows
but that | may hold in my arms, who
knows. | say, but that this almost unor-
ganized human being may develop into
another, Sir Walter. Or, again--I say
it is possible-the affairs of state may
engross his mind. and the world may
have second Jefferson
AT the first prophetic possibility Par
son Davis made Seth, whs had been
hstcnin' with his eyes fixed on the
floor, started. Silas nudeed me, an l
smiled. | didn't dare TO laugh. for jest
then ! cast my eyes in the direction of
Sary. She was shakin' like n leaf. an
her face was as white as yonr collar.
Setn WlPPieu IN ms seal. nut farsOn
Davis didn't notice anything He was
too busy prophesying. Finally cane
tn last. Or siNthiy.' he said. and his
voice seemed Z rise. and let us hope
it may be true--he may work in this
world for the Lord. may take up TIL
torch of truth and follow in III foot
steps OF the Shepherd. and we may have
another Paul
81 looked at Sary. She wasn't pale.
She was red. | knew what she was
achin for. | saw il in her eyes. She
was dyin' for TIL last chance at the
minister that would have tn mean
ness to say child of hern might some
LAY become another Paul. When he
had finished about ih' 'posile Pnrson
Davis looked down Sary til little
frail body AT his side-and asked in