Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1902-06-16

lage, tlat man was GeOrule CrdWIOru
He had his Lines" from the Estab-
lished Kirk of Scotland and when Mr..
Craig announced his intention of hav.
ing the sacrament of the Lords supper
observed Geordie produced his lines
and handed them in. AS no other man
in the village was equipped with like |
spiritual credentials, Geordie constitute /
ed himself a kind of kirk session, !
charged with the double duty of guard.
ing the entrance to the Lords table
and Of keeping an eye upon the theo /
logical opinions of the community and
more particularly upon such members
of it as gave evidence of possessing |
any opinions definite enough for state |
ment.
1t came to be Mr.. Craig's habit to
drop into the leagueroom and toward
the close of the evening to have a short
Scripture lesson from the gospels.
Geordie's opportunity came after the
meeting was over and Mr.. Craig had
gone away. The men would hang
about and talk the lesson over, eX-
pressing opinions favorable or unfa-
vorable, as appeared to them good.
Then it was that all sorts of views, re-
ligious and otherwise, were aired and
examined. The originality of the ideas,
the absolute disregard of the authority
of church or creed, the frankness with
which opinions were stated and the
fOrcefulness of the language in which
they were expressed combined to make
the discussions altogether marvellous.
The passage between Abe Baker, the
stage driver, and Geordie was particu-
larly rich. 1t followed upon a very
telling lesson on the parable of the
Pharisee and the publican.
4 The chief actors in that wonderful
story were transferred to the Black
Rock stage and were presented in min
er's costume. Abe was particularly
well pleased with the scoring of the
''blanked old rooster who crowed so
BANKED high" and somewhat incensed
at the quiet remark interjected by
GeOrdie that cit was nae credit till a
mon tae be sinner" and when Geor-
die went on to urge the Importance Of
right conduct and responsibility Abe
was led to pour forth walls of con-
lCllpLuOuO wrath uDOu Iuc lSCCS
and hypocrites who thought themselves
better than other people. But Geordie
was quite unruffied and lamented the
ignorance of men who, brought up in the
"Epeescopawlyun or Methody' church,
could hardly be expected to detect the
Antinomian or Arminian heresies.
"Aunty Nomyun or Uncle NOmyun,"
replied Abe. boiling hot, ''my mother
was a Methodist. and I'll back any
BANKED Methodist against any blank
ETY. blank long faced, lantern jawed,
skinhint Presbyterian!' And this he
was eager TO maintain to any mans
satisfaction if he would step aside.
GeOrdie was quite unmoved, but has
tened to assure Abe that he meant no
disrespect to his mother. who he had
mae doOt, was a clever enough bud
die, tae judge by her son." Abe was
speedily appeased and offered to set
up the drinks all round but Geordie.
with evident reluctance. had to de-
cline saying, ma, ma, lad; I'm league
man, We KEN" And | was sure that
Geordie at that moment felt that mem
bership in the league had it's draw
backs.
Nor was Geordie too sure of Craig's
orthodoxy, while. as to Mrs. Mavor
whose slave he was, he was in the
: habit of lamenting her doctrinal con
dition:
j "She's a fine wumman, nae doot
. but, puir cratur, she's fair carried
! ava wi the errors o. the Epeesco
povvIvupcv
1t fell to Geordie, therefore, as a sa
cred duty, in view of the laXity o.
g those who seemed to be the pillars O.
/, the church. to be all the more watch
{ full and unyielding, but he was delight
fully inconsistent when confronte,
q with particulars. In conversation witt
him one night after one of the meet
/. ings, when he had been specially hare
i. upon the ignorant and goddess, | limo
:. Gently changed the subject to Bill,
d Breen, whom Georde had taken to hi
d shack since the night Of the league
e He was very proud of Billy's success
g in the fight against whisky, the credi
of which he divided evenly betwee
Mrs. Mavor and himself.
Hes fair daft ABBOTT her." he e.
planned to me, San I'll no deny BIT
she's a great help-aye, vera col
seederable asseestance-but, mon, sE
doesna ken the whusky an the insid
&c O. mon that's wantin' it. Aye, pu
y buddie, she diz her part, an whe
Z ye're a bit restless an thrawn aift'
= yer days wark it's like walk in
bOnny glen on a simmer eve, with til
., birds liltin' about, tae sit in yon room
~ an hear her sing. But when the Eigl
: is on an We Gamma sleep. but wauke
wi an awful thurst an wi dreams
:, cozy firesides an the bonny sparkli
~ CLOSES, as it is wi puir Billy-aye, it
~ then We need mon wi a guild grip b
~ side ye."
40 what do you do then. Geordie"
asked.
7 i,,iCf fnr hi pa