Mexico Missouri message., 1903-07-23
DHUID MOSES
THE POEM OF LIFE
IN THE FOOTPRINTS
OF PROVIDENCE.
BY tom BENTON.
CoPYRIGnT 1908 BY NOAH s. JOHNSTON
PosTOFFiCE: ROUTE .. LADDoNIA, no.
CHAP. Xv.-CHRIsTIAN EDUCA-
TION.
CHAP. XvI.-QUAiNT PEOPLE.


Every age develops some strik-
ing individuality. Before the
present free school system had
drilled young minds to seeming
uniformity, this idiosynerasy was
plainly seen. The parents had
more influence in their homes,
aud family traits were noticed by
all observers. William Shields
was an old time surveyor. He
used a goose quill pen and proved
his work by casting ont the mines.
David Moses loved to follow the
surveyors and see them raise the
chain to a level on a hillside; it
looked like the man with hills had
more surface than the level plain.
Stick, stuck would cheerily
sound as the iron pins would be
pushed into the ground. AS Wash
ingtOn was a surveyor Of course
David resolved he, too, would
learn this science, and when the
civil engineers with long poles
made the survey for the plank
road he must learn that, too. These
resolutions he kept, though his
knowledge was theoretical, not
having used the instruments i'll
practical work.
While talking adout politice one
day Uncle Billy Shields spoke of
his son running for Representative.
He said, My son Jeems are a
promising young man" And it
provsd true, for James Shields en-
dorsed a check for a comparative
stranger for So, 100 who deposited
800 in the bank, thereby allay-
ing suspicion and left the 81 400
for Mr.. Shields to pay, much to
his financial discomfort.
Allen White lived near Old I'M
ion Baptist church. His farm was
cultivated by his sons, while he
hauled goods from Providence to
Columbia. He had an old Vir-
ginia wagon-bed, very strong, the
ends high in air while the middle
was low. Six gray mules and an
old gray bearded man could be
seen every day at eleven o'clock
on the plank road, making their
way to Columbia. James l..
Mathews, a hardware merchant of
Columbia, had son named Bee
He was a genius with paint and
oil, ornamenting his Uncle Milton
S. Matthew's buggies and carriages
with his brush. He wrote on Mr..
Whites end-gate, Regular fast
freight train" All who read this
smiled at its pointed wit.
Rev. Isaac Jones was quite a re-
vivalist in an early day. This old
brother had quite mastered his
emotional nature and could shed
tears at his pleasure. Once when
holding a meeting in which many
were much interested on the sub
ject of religion he lost his manu-
script. Some young man found it
and along thru the sermon was
written. cry here" cry here. "
The young people thought if he
could so easily act this part, il
was not genuine emotion, and only
smiled at his tears. He had some
misunderstanding with his churcl
in regard to the house in which HI
lived, some claiming the none!
paid was to invest in a Presbyte
rian parsonage, but the deed wa
to Isaac Jones. David would Of
ten look in at the old gentleman il
his retirement, for he read book
and wrote and mingled with til
world but little. The house need
ed painting and the shrubbery il
the yard grew SO large as to al
most hide the house from view
The place looked like hermitag
ia tie middle Of the town.