Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1903-09-18
CHAPTER ".


XXI j The family had just left the
E1%a1 breakfast table when Bishop
&SS 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, I declare! Didn't you go to
| AtlantaT'
He came slowly up the steps, drag
ging his feet after him. He had the APP
pearance Of a man beaten by every
storm that could fall upon q human
being.
Eyes, went" he said doggedly. He
passed her and went into the sitting
room, where his brother-in-law stood at
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 pulled,
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 heer this mornin'," she
cried. Lord have mercyw
II don't know as I've prepared any
set speech on the subject" said her
husband testify, ''but walked.
could "a gone to livery an or
dered out team, but believe thar's
more'n one way O wearin' sackcloth
an ashes, an the sooner begin the
better I'll feel"
Abner Daniel winked. The Scrip
tural allusion appealed to his fancy,
and he smiled impulsively.
THAT thar u.s." he said. "Thar's a
whole way an half way. Some folks
Jest wear it next to the skin whar it
don't show, with broadcloth ur silk on
the outside. They think eff it scratches
a little that'll satisfy the Lord an
hoodwink other folks. But believe
he meant it to be the whole hog or
none."
Mrs. Bishop was deaf to this philos-
ophy. II don't see," she said in her
own field Of ref1ection-.I don't see,
say, how you got to Atlanta, attended
to business, seed Adele an got back
But Bishop interrupted her. "Have
you all had prayers yeti"
II "No; you know we hain't," said his
wife, wondering over his strange man.
ner. 81 reckon it can pass jest this
once. bein' as you are tired an haint
had nothin' to eat.'
mo; it can't pass, nuther. don't
want to touch mouthtul. Tell the
rest Of 'em to come in, an you fetch
me the Book"
"Wellv' Mrs. Bishop went out and
told the negro woman and her daugh.
ter to stop washing the dishes and &c
in to prayer. Then she hurried out to
the back porch, where Alan was oiling
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 Bish
op held the big family Bible on his
quivering knees.
EFF you mean to keep it up" Abnel
was saying argumentatively, "all right
an good, but don't believe in sudder
spurts O. worship. My bosses is hitche6
up ready to haul load O. bark to thu
tannery, an it may throw me a little
late at dinner, but eff you are a-goin
to make daily business Of it I'm with
you"
"I'm a-goin' to be regular from now
on" said Bishop. slowly turning the
leaves of the tome. 81 forgot whar
read last
"You didn't finish about Samson u
In all them foxes tails together" sait
Abner Daniel as he knocked the ho1
ashes from his pipe into the palm o.
his hand and tossed them into the
chimney. THAT sorter interested me
wondered how that was a-goin' Il
end. I'd hate to have passle O. foxes
with torches to Their tails turned loose
in my wheat jest fore cuttin' time.
must "a been sight. wondered
how that was a-goin' to end"
you'll wonder how you're a-goin' t
end II you don't be more respectful,
said his sister.
"Like the foxes, reckon" grinnei
Abner-"with eternal torch tied II
me. Well, eff am treated that ava,
I'll go into the business O. destruction
an set fire to everything run across
"Ain't you goin' to tell US what 70,
did in Atlanta fore you have prayer7'
asked Mrs. Bishop, almost resentfully.
"No. hain'tT' Bishop snapped. "I'l
tell you soon enough. reckon won
read this mornin'. Let's pray"
They all knelt reverently and ye
with some curiosity, for Bishop oftel
suited his prayers to important coca
sions, and it struck them that he nigh
now allude to the subject bound VI
within him.
Lord. God Almighty" he began, hi
lower lip hanging and quivering, a
We're his hands clasped in the seat Q
his chair, thou knowest the struggl
thy creatures are maxim on the face Q
thy green globe to live up to the bes
Of Their lights an standards. AS
bend before thee this mornin' realiz
how small bein' am in thy sigh
an that ort to bow in humble sui
mission to thy will, an do. Fo
many yeers this family has enjoye
thy bounteous blessings. We've ha
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