Windham County reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1901-1906, 1903-10-30
RELIGION At TUMsLiNa FORKS.
How Jenny Travsrs Gave Her Life Tor
Her Enemy and Found Rest.

How Jenny Travers Gave 7er I"o 'o'
Her Enemy and Found Rest.
Tod jerks of Tumbling Forks had
got religion. The citizens OF the
Forks couldn't account for It, but they
said there wasn't any question about
1t, and that Tod had it good and hard.
and was probably pious for keeps. Tod
was the only religionist in the Forks.
There were Methodists over at the
Ford and colony of Baptists down at
Deep Water, which latter thing. the
neighbors said, was in keeping with
the eternal fitness of things. Tod had
got his religion from the Complexities
while he was on visit to Hams sta
ton on the Black Stone.
| Prior to Tod's conversion he had
been about as tough as they make
them. and. as his wickedness had
struck deep, so had his piety. Tumb-
ling Forks admired Tods evident sin
certify and allowed that he had per-
feet right to make fool of himself II
he wanted to. That was Tumbling
Forks way Of looking at the matter.
Tod was a fiddler. He used to scrape
out all kinds of things, and in the past
the inhabitants of the place shook their
feet weakly to the strains of his bow
Dan Tucker" and Money Musk" were
never heard and from Tod's cabin
nightly. and daily too, for that matter,
came Wandering Boy Sweet Hour
of Prayer" There is Fountain" and
lot more like them.
Tod used to sing. too. and his voice
wasn't half bad. The Tumbling Forks
people said Tod was the best singer
in the section. They gathered round
nightly now, but in a sort of shame
faced way, and at respectful distance
while he was lifting up his voice inside
his cabin and pealing out Hold the
Fort" and Sinners Turn. Why Will Ye
Die?" with a heartfelt enthusiasm.
One day Tod was sitting in his door
way scraping his fiddle. while the Ten
nessee sun threw maple leaf shadows
all about him. Tod was trying some-
thing new that morning. He had heard
n in little Episcopal mission that
he had wandered into one day when
the Campbellite church was closed.
He had caught the tune only haltingly,
but he more than knew the words, for
he felt them. Somehow he thought
that they were better than any other
things that he had learned The red
bird stopped whistling in the hedge as
Tod struck the tune with his bow and
began singing
Art thou weary, art thou languid.
Art thou sore DISTRESSED
Come to me-" saith One. and coming |
Be at rest"
Tod heard a movement beyond the /,
hedge where the redbird had been |
whistling. He looked quickly. and |
through the interlacing twigs he saw
a woman. She was hurrying away in
a sort OF half-guilty fashion. Tod
knew who II was. II was Jenny |
Travers. Jenny had been one of the
prettiest girls in the Forks 10 years
before. A young fellow, tall, good
looking and with a tongue that could
talk to women had come from beyond
the mountains Jenny had listened TO
him when she wouldn't listen to the
young fellows at the Forks, with whom 1
she had been brought up. One night
Jenny had gone away and the man
from beyond the mountain went at the
same time. Two years later the girl II
came back Her old father took her
In, The Tumbling Forks folk found
out that though she carried in her
arms a baby boy, she was Jenny Trav
ars still. OF the man from beyond the
none of them ever heard
igain.
The men didn't mean TO be unkind
The women put them up to II. They
iidn't speak much to Jenny. and when
the saw the disinclination she spoke TO
lone. OF course. no woman spoke to
Ter. That wasn't TO be expected. but
ZONE were much worse than others.
Tenny's child was now s years old. and
lie went TO the crossroads school and
played with all but one OF them. Mary
iarth's little boy was under orders not
o speak TO little Billy Travers He
lad been taught the value of a sneer
~ his mother. who. before she married
Tod Garth and before Jenny had gone
way with the man from beyond the
had been Jennys girlhood
hum Tumbling Forks people some
lines said under their breath that
fairy had set some store by Jenny's
over and that was the reason she was
o bitter now.
The next day Tod jerks played his =
ddle in the sunshine again. The v
edbird stilled his voice once more. /,
cd went through the Episcopal hymn. a
Re knew he had a listener. No move v
lent until his voice and violin had 7
bundled out the verse; b
II I ask Him TO receive me,
VIII He say me nay? :.
Not till earth. and not till heaven y
Pass away"
Then a woman came half shrink b
Ugly through the gate and advanced S
the doorway. a
rs that true. Tod?' she said timidly W
Sure it's true, Jenny" said Tod b
emily, though it took me 20 years Il
, find 1t out" ir
I've heard you singing lots Tod, and
like it. 1t seems as though I'd like ST
} have a friend who'd receive me as rs
lie hymn has it Sometimes 1 get in
ost crazy. There amt many friends bl
vim around Tumbling Forks. It's a Y,
BOD many years now, Tod, and I've p,
we'd with old dad. He's good and m
l didn't have anything OF
ere; it was empty-like," and the wo- in
an put her hand on her heart, but tn
wv since I've been hearing that hymn re