West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1903-05-28
BROTHER GARDNER.
His Lecture Befor. the Lime Kiln
Club ON Providence.

door as guard, "mosi Of yo hay~ got at
least dim idea Of what Providence am. It's
gincralIy supposed 10 be presence OF speerit
dat's hoverin' around to shell on, bushels of
good things fur pore folks. We read dat
Providence saved dis pusson from gitiin
drowned, an dat pusson from railroad
wreck, an dat Providence stepped in jest in
time TO preven, house burnin upor a ship
goin down
"Widin de las year, cordin to what hev
heard. Way down Bebee would hev met
mad dog face to face II Providence hadn't
told him to stop into groeey and inquire IL
de pIioe of Goldfish had come down.
"Givadam Jones was abou, to pu, stick
of dynamite in de stove along wild de fire.
wood when Providence had Uncle Reuben
White drap in an tell him wha, de stuff was.
"Couonball Davis starts fur de grocery 10
git quart o kerosene. lie turns back arier
goin few rods to AK de ole woman why she
didn't put mo water wild dc lie an sewer
under de street blows up. II Providence
hadn't turned him back he'd bin busted all
to squash.
Elder Penstock starts out one evenin fur
prayer meetin, but still small voice tells
him to stay home and play checkers wild his
wife. lie does so. an de roof of de church
falls IN an kills leven folkses. II he'd hin
dar, he'd hev BIN goner fur suah
Zone mo case. Kurnel Lincoln Brown
am walkin home wild 81 in his pocket. II
am dark night an he has 10 pass some va
cant lots. Providence whispers in his car to
take TO dc middle of de road an run like
rabbit. lie does so, an he escapes two rob
bers who was lyin N wait fur him wild clubs.
''All desc cases an a dozen mo hev been
talked about in dis yere Lime Kiln club till
some OF de members hev got TO believer dat
Providence will be behind EN- in playin pool
OF shooiin craps. II was only de odder
night da, Resosiion Hooper goes home Wild
dollar in his pocket an tells his wife da,
Providence helped hlm to find i, on de doah
of salocn whar he was standin around fur
free treat.
My lrens, don't yo git things mixed up.
Oar may be sich thing as Providence. but
she's got about all she kin do to take keer
of herself. II any Of yo argue dat she am
hoverin over yo to guide 20 to a lost
pocketbook 20 am gwine TO want fur 'taters
before yo find de money to buy en-.
started out in life a firm believer in Prov
idence, but hahn bin takin any chances
fur de las FIVE years. It's bin my experience
dat i'll sot on de fence all summer shivered
around cold stove all winter.
"On several occashuns hev spent my
last halfdolar to go to- circus. an hev
depended on Provdence TO send me bacon
fur breakfast 1t didn't come. What did
come was talk from de ole woman.
"a dozen times or mo ! hey used my rent
money TO fit me out wild a new kaliker shirt
fur a cake-wslk, thinkin Providence would
help me to find IS bill on de sidewalk n
any IS bills was lost / didn't End en- but
de landlord found me all right an gin me
notice to quit
"Ize tooken leettIe walk Of night to
look fur watermillyons. has found a
patch an climbed ober de fence wild a feeIin
dat Providence was boostin' me up. but as
a result I'm carrin de scars Of dozen dog
bites. an was twice nearly pizened TO
death
Now an den ! hev had a longing fur
chicken. an when a dark night had came
an de world was retrin hev wandered
up a alley an located coop Providence
was right dar wild me to help me break dc
lock of de doah an select fat pullet. but
--ah, un when reached up TO pluck de
fran ffu .Ir, H.
taste chicken pot.pie and feel dat life was
worth libin-- dar cum an explosion an /
lost de ends Of three fingers Providence
had guided me to a torpedo chicken.
Il had a good deal to do wild Providence
when cum to own Leghorn hens myself
She whispered to me on one or two occasons
TO leave de doah Of de coop unlocked an !
obeyed her TO gil up in de mawning to find
all M hens gone. Only last tall 7 left my
wheel barrow in de back yard an trusted
to Providence to watch " while slept IL
was gone next mswnin. an my rake an spade
wild il.
III was to fail into dc ribber to morrow.
I'd heap sooner look around fur a log
dan to depend on Providence TO haul me
ashore
~ used 10 call upon Providence 10 save
me when de thunder rolled an dc lightning
flashed, but arter my smoke house had
bin struck twice and dc chimbley on de
cabin knocked of got in dc habit OF
settin' on dc bed and letiin things rip.
II had bin hit by a street kyar but Il was
my leg instead Of Providence dat saved
me. had been run ober by a butcher
cart, but Il happened to be a soft road
instead Of Providence dat saved my ribs
Only few nights ago met a wild steer
IN our alley an he lowered his head and
come fur me like runaway engine I
spect Providence was around dar some.
whaf but didn't wait Tor her jest made
fur io.foot fence an got obcr IL with an
inch 70 spare.
I'm icllin so dat Providence may be all
right In her way. but at de same time don't
80 git to feeling dat 50 am orphans TO be
taken care Of by her. n 70 do yo'l cit de
tbrow-down an git Il hard.
"As a man obcr 90 years old. an as one
who has been through de mill I'm betun
two to one dat the man vho hustes fur
six days In de week will hov mo cash in
his pocket az de end Of de year dan any
IS pufsons who hey sol around an waited
fur Providence to lead en- up agin a soft
snap