Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1900-06-20
OBEDIAH POORDEva'S PRAYER.
GNorgan's Buzz-Saw.1

The other day Obediah was out in
the cornfield plowiDg little old yellow
mule.
The corn was small, the ground dry
and weedy, the mule lazy, the weather
hot, and altogether set Obediah to
thinking as he never thought before.
He got to the end of the row and as
his mule grazed in the fence corner he
fell into deep, brown study. An
hour passed and still the mule grazcd
and Obediah thought. Then of sud-
den he got on his knees and with clasp
ed hands and earnest voice prayed as
follows:
20, Lord, have mercy on a lot of
fools who haven't sense enough to have
mercy on themselves. Oh, Blessed
Father, I'm prayln' for nearly every
body, now.
Oh, Lord, we are nearly all prodigals.
Thou gavest us plenty. the earth and
the fulness thereof and we have ap-
pointed taskmasters and given il to
them. Lord, there was a time when
thy people gave Thee one-tenth of all
the increase of the flock, grain of the
field, and fruit of the vine. Now. oh
Lord, we give half we make to the dew
il. and then howl at him while he de-
YOURS it. Father in Heaven, was there
ever bigger set of fools? We read in
thy holy writ where once thy people
erected a golden calf and set 1t in the
valley.
We have established one in every
town and on every hill top. We read,
oh Lord, that David did eat the shew
bread, because he was hungry; but we
take the bread of the church, and out
of the mouths of babes and feed it to
the devil.
Thy servants did cast out devils; we
shovel them in with scoop shovel.
Thy Son, our Blessed Savior. and his
disciples. healed the sick, visited and
helped the poor and cured the blind;
we poison humanity, rob the poor, and
throw sand in the eyes of those that
would see.
Oh, Lord, Pm afraid if things don't
change you'll abandon us to the devil;
even as we have abandoned ourselves
to him. The earth was yours: you
gave it to US in trust: we have turned it
over to the landlord and sit down and
howl about it 364 days in year and
vote to sustain it the 365th day. We
rob our children to feed the trusts, and
then curse the other fellows who do
just as we do. We rise up early In the
morning and say great swear words
against the trusts, and then vote for
the men who made them and own
them. Almighty God, Christ prayed
for the men who crucified Him, for he
said they know not what they do.'
Now, oh Lord, what 1 want to know is
there any hope. any chance, for several
million fools who know what they do.
Is there any chance for man who robs
humanity and enrlches the devil? Oh,
Lord God of Israel, let thy spirit stir
among the hearts of thy creatures SO
that the man with the hoe may belt the
devil over the head, and be persuaded
to husband and care for thy sacred
gifts, and vote for Mollie and the ba-
bies. Oh Lord look at me, one of thy
miserable creatures; Pm paying inter-
est on the note for this yellow mule;
I'm paying rent on the land 1 cultivate;
I'm paying profits on all l buy, and
when L get through thus year there will
be nothing left for us but husks and
bowls. Oh Lord, I've prayed for every
thing but sense, and now L pray and
will pray continually for that, for it is
what we need most, ard l want enough
for myself and twelve million more
fools in this country. Don't be afraid
of Sendin' too much. Amen!''