The Butler weekly times. (Butler, Mo.) 1881-1918, 1902-04-03

in arriving, and his congregation
we're singing hymn after hymn as he
came up in order to pass the time
aud keep themselves in the spirit. 1t
warmed his heart as he heard the
rolling notes and he was all ready
to dash into his sermon as soon as
he was seated before the table that
did duty as a reading desk. He flung
himself into the hymn with all the
power that was in him, and even be
fore his opening prayer was done,
the congregation showed that it was
unable TO contain its holy Joy.
"0r Brother Parker sholy is full of
de spirit dis mo'nin." aunt Fanny
whispered to Aunt Tempe, and Aunt
Tempe whispered back, Il reckon he
done been in his scout closet aud had
a pensacoshal shower befo' he come"
HE sholy been dwellin' on Mount
Sinai. Seem lax he mus a'hyeaded
de thundah"
"Heish, honey. he's a thunde'in'
hisself."
And so like the whisper of waves
on a shore, the ripple OF comment
ran around the meeting house, for
there were none present but saw that
in some way the spirit had mystic.
riously descended upon their pastor,
Just as the prayer ended aud con,
gregation had swung into another
spiritual hymn, Ike entered with a
scared look upon his face and took a
seat near the door, He glanced
sheepishly about the church, and
then furtively at Brother Parker.
Once he made as if to rise, but think
ing better OF it ducked his head and
kept his seat.
Now ii one thing more than anoth'
err was needed to fire the eXhorter
it was the voluntary presence OF this
sinner untouched by hegospel, His
ewes glowed, and his old frame quiv'
cred with emotion. He would deliver
a message that morning that would
be pointed straight at the heart o
4 Ike.
To the observer not absorbed Will
one idea. whoever, there was some
thing particularly Strange III the ac
tons Of this last conner. Some things
that did not seem to argue that h,
had come to the house OF worship az
a means of grace.
After his almost stealthy entrance
| and his first watchiul glance arount
the room, he had subsidized into hi
seat with an attitude that betokenet
4 despair not wholly spiritual. Hi
ewes followed every motion tn
] preacher made as he rose and locke
- over the congregation and he gre'
visibly more uneasy. Once or twic
~ it seemed that the door behind hir
# opened a bit and there is no doub
!. that several times he turned an
looked that way, on one occasio
u giving his head a quick shake whe
II the door was hastily, but softl
closed.
% When Parker began his sermo
DO Ike crept guiltily to his feet to sli
,h out, but the old preacher pause
Mt with his eyes upon him saying,
hope none O. de cot'egation will leaN
Mt the sactua'y befo' deservice is ende
m. We is in now, an gettin' up will dl
10 turb de res. Hit amt gwine hu
none of us to gin one day to de Law
y spechully ef dem what is neah a
in deah unto us is layin' erpon de bt
I'll of aftliction," and the man had SUI
nd back miserably into his seat with Il
looks OF all his fellows fixed on hiI
ma From then, he watched the preach
he as if fascinated.
ed Parker was in his glory. He hi
ia before him sinner wfithing on t
as gospel gridiron and how he did a
of ply the fire.
he Ike moved about and squirme
lot but the old man held him with
en- eye while he heaped Goals OF fire up'
The the head OF the SHINING man.
his swept the whole congregation wi
ng his gaze, but it came back and rest
nd on Ike as he broke into the son
her "Oh, sinnah, you needn't try to r
it'll erway, you sho' to be caught on
len Judgement day. He sung the car
ne meeting spiritual" with its pow
YER full personal allusion all through al
then resumed his sermon.
al U0l I all uo,, do nrocp1 ia q mint