The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1902-01-15
PARSON
HARWOOD'S
CURVES
s-- BY Bert Estes
W
[EaE
Copyright, 1901, by Bert Estes.

10 0ALLIA CITY, like most Ohio
w river towns, had a mixed pop
- latlon full OF sharp antago-
G nisms, social. political and re-
ligious. Notwithstanding, there was
one local institution about which there
was only one mind. The Gallia City
Baseball club, the apple of the munic-
ipal eye, was felt 10 be set for the city's
defense against the world in general
and the nine from Centerport in par
ticular.
Centerport, n few miles down the
river, was n high headed little town
given to Wanting itself unseemly and
challenging other towns to come out
and meet their doom. Worse than that,
Centerport had i'm hand n large stock
of doom IL was liberal in applying It
over the diamond. The mutual scorn
of Centerport and Gallia City had
something tragic in it's intensity. To
beat Centerport was the summit Of
Gallian achievement; Centerport lived
only to repeat it's victories over the
hated foe. In both business of all sorts
was transacted as a sort Of adjunct to
the larger mission In life.
Brent Harwood came to Gallia City
to supply Dickson pulpit while Dick
son, poor man, was away in hospital.
Dickson was the Presbyterian minis
ter. IIarwood was to live IN the va
cam parsonage and take his ais over
with the Potters. DicksoA had ar
ranged all that. HARDWOOD hoped he
had arranged also for some one to meet
him, but when he stepped off the boat
from Cincinnati early one Saturday
morning and looked about he found
none to welcome him.
When the lock had been deserted by
all but r~oustabouts and chronic loung-
ers, Harweod made up his mind that
there was some hitch-his letter of an
nouncement had possibly m~iscarried-
so he walked up to III old river man in
Ii freighthousc and said:
81 believe | am to board with q fam
lily here named Potter. Dc you know
of any such people"
"Know 'cm! Why, sonny, they amt
man, woman ncr child-doggone it,
even er ornercy yaller purp ner scaso-
ly er fna on that purp-livin' in these
here pnt,- that | don't know! You bet
L know 'em-hull family, includin' the
HlOI 'litD, Mltn lies OH Ills nose
nice ole gal fer his missus, son, the COL
a~lfernalest cuss i'm seventeen states ter
sell planners an Origins, an the sons
wife, Annie, who is jest er great big
hunk o. the salt O. the earth. Say,
what dye want with 'em? BE We one
o them drummer chaps tryin' ter sell
Pot some more goods?"
HARDWOOD shook his head. "I've come
to spend the summer here" he said.
81 shall take m meals with the Pot
ters and live at the parsonage"
"Why, it's shct up! Dickson's gone
ter New York ter have some big doctor
cut hill. omen an right him up inside
the river man said.
81 did hear thar was a-say, young
fellow, you amt the new preacher
that's comin'T"
81 am going to try and preach" Har-
wood said modestly. "My name is
Harwood."
Brother Harwood," faltered the riv.
er man, 'lemme beg your pardon the
durndcst worst way. / had no idec-
you don't. look like n parson, you don't
dress like n parson, you didn't let on
you wus n pi'SOn-how in tunkit was q
fellow to know? hope you'll fergit |
called you sonny. If you will, by grab,
you can lick me If l don't come to
church-not next Sunday, but some
time bef""c you co."
CHATS L bargain" Harwood said,
shaking hands before he made his way
to breakfast at the hotel.
Upon his second Monday morning in
Gallia City HARDWOOD strolled down to
Stevenson POtter'S music Store Ste