The commercial. (Union City, Tenn.) 190?-193?, 1903-10-02

with an angel. Every sentence was
convincing proof that she was a
refined, educated, Christian lady,
and as we drove away almost dumb
founded at her refinement and
contentnent iii such q hovel, we
called at nearby store to sell some
more brooms and made inquiry of
the merchant as to whom she was.
He said she was one of the best and
finest women in the State of Ken
lucky, and that her husband was
well-to-do man when they were
married. but he took to drinking
and ran through with everything,
and dragged her down on level
with the dogs, and that he was the
meanest man he had ever seen when
drinking and the b.st one when
sober; but that through thick and
thin, in prosperity and in adversely,
she had stuck to him, took his abuse,
dragged him out of the gutter, Wis
tied him in the calaboose and in
Jail, and through all these years of
abuse had never been heard to
grumble or to complain OF her lot.
But said he professed religion few
weeks ago and has sworn never to
take another drink. IA short-sen-
tence prayer from that woman at
that little church out there in the
grove" said the merchant, caused
more tears to flow than were ever
known to flow before in this Sec
ton. | have him hired now on my
farm, and the little cottage out
there will be completed in a few
days, and l will move him and his
family into it and give him charge
of my whole business, as he is
fine business man when sober, and
l have confidence in him that he is
really a converted man. There goes
the uncle of that lady," continued
he, as he looked out. ''He and all
her folks are wealthy, but through
a misunderstanding we are not on
speaking terms. have not spoken
to him in more than ten years. |
really believe he is coming here
now. What can this mean?" And
the old gentleman came right into
the store and offered his hand to
the merchant, saying: "Jerry, l
have come over to make friends and
O ask your pardon for all the mean
things | have ever said about you
or done to you. | have been mean
and stubborn. and am not worthy
of your friendship. You have con-
WINGED me that you are Christian
and a gentleman, and l want to be
with Sotl forevermore. Nv
have been told that you have hired
10, and that the little cottage you
are building is for him, and that
you will give him charge of your
business. Here is a check for 500
that Sister Martha sent to you to
furnish that house with, and here
is my check for 5000. Buy her a
nice organ and give her the balance
to be used as she sees fit" Behold,
I again discovered l was in the
presence OF angels, and may the
good Lord of Abraham, Isaac and
Jacob continue to dwell there, and
may the benign influences of these
good people spread and scatter I'm.
til it takes in every nook and corner
of the proud State of Kentucky!
AS we went our way we could not
help weep tor joy. We have been
ever since that it was our
pleasure to meet with such Chris
tian people, and to know that the
Lord can muzzle the mouth of the
whisky bottle. We shall visit that
section again IN about four weeks,
and shall call to see and to congrat-
ulate these good people for offering
a helping hand to the weak. Have
we any such Christians in Tennes-
see? Yes, we have them in every
civil district, We personally know
some of them ourselves right around
Pleasant Hill, Rives and in other
places where we are acquainted in
the country; and while their acts
may not have been on as large a
scale as the one mentioned, we have
as charitable, as good and as Chris
tian people as live anywhere, and
may the Lord increase their oppor-
tunities tor doing good, is my desire.
JOHN BARLEYcoRN.