Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1903-09-10

L5l The family had Just left the
, ,s9g.S1 breakfast table when Bishop
t.ssSSl walked in. His shoes and
trousers were damp with dew and COW
cred with the dust of the road. His
wife saw him entering the gate and
called out to him from the hall:
"Well, l declare! Didn't you go to
Atlanta"
He calne slowly up the steps, drag
eing his feet after him. He had the APP
pearance of a man beaten by every
storm that could fall upon Il human
being.
Yes, I went" he said doGgcdly. re
passed her and went into the sitting
room. where his brother-ln-law stood 1T
the fireplace lighting his pipe with
live coal of fire on the tip of stick
Abner Daniel looked at him critically,
his brows raised little as he puifcd,
but he said nothing. Mrs Bishop came
in behind her husband. sweeping him
from head to foot with her searching
eyes.
"You don't mean to tell me you
walked out Beer this mornin'," she
cried. lord have mercy"
Il don't know as I've prepared any
set speech on the subject" said her
husband testify, "but l walked. l
could "a gone to livery an or.
dered out a team, but believe thar's
more'n one way O. wearin' sackcloth
an ashes, an the sooner ! begin the
better III feel"
Abner Daniel winked. The Scrip.
tural allusion appealed to his fancy,
and he smiled impulsively.
THAT thar is" he said. "Thar's a
whole way an a half way. Some folks
lest wear 1t next to the skin whar it
don't show, with broadcloth ur silk on
the outside They think eff it scratches
little thatii satisfy the Lord an
hoodwink other folks. But l believe
he meant 1t to be the whole hog or
none"
Mrs. Bishop was deaf to this philos-
ophy. Il don't see," she said in her
own field of refection-'I don't see, |
say, how you got to Atlanta, attended
to business, seed Adele an got back
heer at sunrise. Why, Alfred
But Bishop interrupted her. Have
you all had prayers YETI
mo; you know we hain't," said his
wife wondering over his strange man.
ner. II reckon 1t can pass jest this
once. bein as you are tired an hahn t
had nothn' TO eat.'
mo; it can't pass, nuther. I don't
want to touch a mouthfuI. Tell the
rest of 'em TO come in an you fetch
me the Book"
"Wellw Mrs. Bishop went out and
told the negro woman and her daush-
ter to stop washing the dishes and go
in to prayer. Then she hurried out to
the back porch where Alan was oilins
his gun.
"Somethin's happened to yore pa"
she said. "He acts queer an says sech
strange things. He walked all the
way from barley this mornin' an now
wants to have prayers fore he touches
bite O. breakfast. ! reckon we are
ruined
I'm afraid that's It," opined her son
as he put down his gun and followed
her into the sitting room, Here the
two negroes stood against the wall
Abner Daniel was smoking. and B!Sh-
op held the big family Bible on his
Quivering knees.
EFF you mean to keep it up" AbncI
,,.o, sov,p, .rgumentotiva,v "oll RIGHT
or,, GOOD hut don't ho,ieve in sudder
sn,,rts q, vorehin NV bosses il hitchef
-, roodv 70 borJ n load n, bark to IN,
tannor,, ON, II NAV throw mo q UttI,
,a+o 81 dinnor hut of Won are a.poin
~ r,o,,o daiIr hn.iposs of II I'm wit,
ro,,,,
.,,. ,,,o fror, nor
~ eJiH a,a,'',,' t,,r,i,,,, a.,
oH' l'Vp' ..I t'. -
.o' W ''''
ie"u i'St .. co, g.
- Wv" Al''ol' -, ~ ~
Al "ii len 'V','' ''''i' 'o', -, ha
,i e- '4o No. .',I,,, -
asneS iioi" rs P'Pe ,ii.o INC pam
ms .l'nN " .,,r' i''.1 49,
1'li''"eS '"' So W. ~ ', -
w." ''"' We
.'u H''e " -" p"S9 ,oN'l
Wv" W. " .',r '''''. w,
- 10y ""T"' '''s ,,,.. ''',D '',i1
N"'' ;,
NV Nv, '. ,,' We :" ~
80 49,. wv 49, -,
t1 49,, ''
~ 49, .,N s. .,.,,