The Middleburgh post. [volume] (Middleburgh, Snyder Co., Pa.) 1883-1916, 1902-08-14

struck terror to the cnemy's heart and
who was Graemes slave. Such was
the party.
AS the supper went on my fears be-
gan to vanish, for if Graeme did not
roar he did the next best thng-ate and
talked quite up to his old form. Now
we played our matches over again, bit
terly lamenting the Ifs" that had lost
us the championships and wildly ap-
proving the tackles that had saved and
the runs that had made the varsity
crowd go mad with delight and had
won for us. and as their names came
up in talk we learned how life had
gone with those who had been our
colIra des OF ten. years ago. Some sue
cess had lifted to high places. some
failure had left upon the rocks. and a
few lay in their graves.
But as the evening Wore on | began
to wish that | had left out the wines,
for the men began to drop an occasion
al oath, though | had let them know
during the summer that Gracme was
not the man he had been. But Graeme
smoked and talked and needed not till
Rattray swore by that name most sa-
cred of all ever borne by man. Then
Graeme opened upon him in cool.
slow way:
"What an awful fool man is to
damn things as you do, Rat! Things
are not damned. 1t is men who are
and that is too bad to be talked much
about. But when man filings out of
his foul mouth the name of Jesus
Christ"-hcre lie lowered his voice
''its shame; it's mofe-it's a crime"
There was dead silence. Then Rat
tray replied:
Il suppose you're right enough It is
bad form. But crime is rather strong.
think"
"Not if You consider who it is." said
Graemc, with emphasis.
"Oh, come now" broke in Beetles.
Religion is all right. 1t is good
thing and, I believe, a necessary thing
for the race. But no one takes serious
ly any longer the Christ myth"
What about your mother, Beetles?"
put in Wig Martin.
Beetles consigned him to the pit and
was silent, for his father was an Epis-
copal clergyman and his mother n
sanity woman.
81 fooled with that for some time,
Beetles, but il t.'u'' It do You can't
Lnild'a refigio.ntn,st VIII take the dew
III out of a man on a myth. That won't
do the trick. | don't want to argue
about it, but / am quite convinced the
myth theory is not reasonable, and, be-
sides, it won't work.
"NNill the other work." asked Rat
tray, with n sneer.
Sure" said Gracmc. "l've seen it."
"WheCe:' challenged Ra,tray. II
haven't seen much of it."
"Ies, you have, Rattray; you know
you have" said Wig again.
But Rattray ignored him.
'I'll tell you, boys" said Gracme.
Il want you to know anyway why /
believe what | do"
Then he told them the story OF old
man Nelson, from the old coast days,
before | knew him, to the end. He
told the story well. The stern fight
and the victory of the life and the self
sacrifice and the pathos of the death
appealed to these men, who owed fight
and could understand sacrifice.
"That's why believe in Jesus Christ,
and that's why | think it crime to
fling his name about"
! Il wish to heaven I could say that"
said Beetles.
Keep wishing hard enough, and it
will come to you" said Gracme.
/ Look here, old chap" said Rattray.
you're quite right about this. I'm
willing to own up. Wig is correct 1
know few at least of that stamp, but
most Of those who go in for that sort
OF thing are not much account"
| "For ten years, Rattray," said Graeme
in a downright matter of fact way,
''you and / have tried this sort Of
thing" tapping bottle, "and we got
out of it all there is to be got, paid
well for it, too, and, faugh, you know
it's not good enough, and the more you
go In for it the more you curse your
self. SO have quit this, and l am
going In for the other"
"What? Going in for preaching"
Not much-rallroading, money in 1t
and lending hand to fellows on the
rocks"
81 say, don't you want a center for
ward:" said biz Barney in his Geep
voice.
Every man must play his game in
his place, old chap. I'd like to see you
tackle it, though, right WELL" said
Graeme earnestly.
And so lie did in the after years, and
good tackling 1t was. But that is an
other story.
But, | say, Gracmc," persisted Bee.
ties, ''abOut this buslncss--do you mean
to say you 20 the whole tling-Jonah,
you know. nd the rest of ity'
Gracinr ncsitntcd. then said:
A