Hopkinsville Kentuckian., 1900-08-07

n REEN ISLAND is away ont west.
III few miles beyond anywhere;
and It is OF was tired Of itself
Everyone in IL wondered why anyone
else had moved there, and rather sus-
pected that it was for reasons which
were best kept quiet. If anyone at.
Green island showed any talent. ev-
eryone else was Quick to proclaim that
Il was quite inferior-else why should
the person be at Green Island? The
sown was without soci,fl pleasures No
one thought to ask anyone else to
dine In the strict sense OF the word,
indeed, no one at Green Island dined
The folks ate when the table was set
that was the fact of the case.
School-teachcrs who went there had
melancholy time, and usually broke
down and bad to go home Their
complaints bore various names. but.
as a matter of fact, they were perish
ing of homesickness. IL would not
have done for Green Island girl to
have taught. No one would have con-
Adence in her. Even the town physi-
clan was regarded with constant dis
trust, and his successful cases were
accounted accidents, or the work of
nature, while his unsuccessful ones
we're remembered with unrelenting te-
nacity. The attorneys alone enjoyed
something like reputation, and they
had great deal TO do. In fact, liti-
ration was one of the few diversions
Of the folk at Green Island.
The town had it's religion, of course
It had three different brands all
blown in on the bottle. And the one
display Of courtesy in the place was
the obligation, generally recognized
Of everybody to attend an ice cream
social or an oyster supper, regardless
Of views about foreordination or i'm
mersion. BY such contrivances were
the clergymen paid their salaries
those microscopical salaries so grudg-
ingly bestowed, SO complaisantly rec
objected by the congregation as it sat
estimating whether or not it was get
ting it's moneys worth. None of the
three churches had been able to Sc
cure resident clergyman, but each
divided its preacher with certain 9TH
er congregations on an itinerary, and
enjoyed a sermon once in three Sun
days. But that Sunday might not be
passed without worship, it was the
custom of the Green Island folk to at
tend en- masse whatever meeting
house was open. This, it win be per-
ceived, caused systematic rotation.
Now it happened that the clergy
man at one of these churches, having
gathered six olive branches about him,
found it inconvenient to live on $3.50
year-he was said by all to be an
extravagant man-and ne gave up his
position: aye, turned his back on his
calling and taught Latin in a certain
high school. That was how it came
about that the, Beth Eden congrega-
ton and the two other churches Of
| that itinerary stood in need of a new
preacher. One offered himself. He
came from the middle)west And he
gave it out that he was going to live
at Green Island This was really a
feather in the cap of Green Island
but the people did not take it so
They wondered what was the matter
with him. Was thcre any reason why
he preferred an "inland" to a railway
town? It was curious.
When he appeared. it seemed stin
more curious. He was different. No
matter what anyone else was like, he
was different. He walked along with
big swing and stride and seemed to
think all the people liked him. What
| impertinence! He was dressed in an
elegant suit of shot gray-was it not
| known that the uniform of a Green
Island preacher. no matter what his
denomination. was shiny black? His
hat was an inch and a half too far
on the back of his head for clerical
dignity, and from the edge protruded
a fringe of handsome red curls. His
eyes were red-brown large and laugh
ing his heavy auburn eyebrows met
above his nose, he was smooth-shaven
and had a dimple in his chin. He was
just the right height for his shoul'
ders, which were two inches broader
than the average He had dark tar
shoes, no cane, no umbrella, no smirk
no rubbing of the hands, no whine, nc
attitude of humility. And, powers
above! When he got to a fence h'
vaulted overl
He had evidently made up his minC
to stay for he began his activities
not by calling on his parishioners, bu
by purchasing a barn at the end of
peculiarly shady and beautiful old lot
and he proceeded to fit it up into
most picturesque abiding place Pee
] pie came around to see what he wa
D doing, and he put up seats under tn
q trees, and talked and told stories ii
e they forgot to go home But this wa
5 in the evening. If they called durin
u the day he went right on with h
carpentering or painting or gardel
II ing, and invited them to take han'
u When he came to preach his fir'
u sermon everybody was agog