The Newberry herald and news. (Newberry, S.C.) 1884-1903, 1902-01-07
"The Man that Came After the
Angel"
IA Minister'S Experience, Profitable
also to the Laity.

A Ministers Experience, Frontdole
also to the Laity.
1t was rather a bitter laugh to
come from young, strong fellow
with g good-natured face. But there
in his lonely study, thawing at the
stove from the cold of long winter
drive and the chill of a half warmed
church, sat Rev John Brown, B. A.
During his round of visits that day
he had come to old Uncle Billy Wood
yatt, who "enioyed" at once, as he
said, ''poor health and second wife" "
"No," said Uncle Billy to the min
lister, as he sought from him sympa-
thy for his various troubles and came
at last is the subject of his second
wife, 'No, I amt got nothing to say
against this one, but my first was an
angel" a..,-.'..
And Rev. John Brown laughed
bitterly as he repeated quietly to
himself, nothing TO say against her
but the first was an ANGEL" then
he added softly, "spoor thing!" Then
he began musing while the fire
burned, and said again, "Poor thing,
to come after an angel but it's just
my luck, too. There was my brother
Bob, his pants lasted longer, his
boots were always better biacked, his
lessons better learned, and if I said
anything out of the way it was. Bob
would never have said that or done
the other thing At school old
Dominic Wilson used to say, Your
brother Robert would never have,
made that mistake!' In the games,
too, no matter how we'll I did, the
boys used to say to the new .comers,
'Oh, but you ought to have seen Bob
Brown
SIN college Cousin Tom was the
'angep and won all the medals and
delivered the valedictory and Wes
held up to nae by all the professors,
and now"-and there was an Hide
fined humble that sounded very
much like ''brother take it," "and
noW-it is worse than ever. Nothing
to say against me! oh, no! not at all,
but the first was an ANGEL" I" and
agein the rather grim laugh echoed
through the lonely room, for Rev.
John Brown, B. A., was only human
and a good deal tired and rather dis
posed to be blue. Is
Now John Brown was naturally a
CHEEKY, hearty fellow, q good average
student and athlete, fairly good
preacher and thoroughly honest
above board fellow, whom all men as
we'll as women liked and children all
trusted. But today he had a con-
siderable overdose of "the angel"
'sThe angel" in this case was Rev:
Frederick Kittefing, Ph. D., Johns
immediate predecessor in the pastor
ate of the Evanston Congregational
church. He was good man, there
was no doubt of that, for John knew
him, but, as John said, "You know
the fellow must have been an angel
for Deacon Jones said, Mr.. Kitterlng
used t, hold prayer meeting every
Tuesday evening at Bottoms Corners
and Wednesday in our home church
and Thursday at the landing while
Deacon Sitwell who lived eight miles
in the other direction from Deacon
Jones said, Yes, sir. rain or shine,
Mr.. Kittering never missed a prayer
meeting. Tuesday evening at the
Glen school house (ten miles from
Bottoms Corners and at the same
hour) 'and Thursday at the Old
Union church in Springfield (thir-
teen miles from the Landing)."
Then John learned that Mr.. Kit
tering used to preach ''every'' Sun
day afternoon in two places sixteen
miles apart at the same hour and,
that he twas the greatest
man for exchanging with his brother
though when he got the
time John could not tell.
Then about visiting, at least forty
families told John that Mr.. Kittering
used to visit "a great deal oftener