Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1903-07-25

.HVfT was a little after sunrise.
I#I-l The family had just left the
breakfast table when Bishop
s&& walked In. His shoes and
trousers were; damp with dew and cov-
cred with the! dust of the road. His
wife saw him entering the gate and
rallied out to him from the hall:
"Well. I declare! Didn't you 60 to
Atlanta?"
he came slowly up the steps, drag
ging his feet after him. he had the ap-
pearanee Of man beaten by every
storm that could fall upon human
being.
Eyes, I 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 a
live coal Of fire on the tip Of stick.
Abner Daniel looked at him critically,
his brows raised a little as he puffed,
but he said nothing. Mrs. Bishop came
in behind; her husband, sweeping him
IrOIu uedu " looi WILL hcA SeoiSnA5
eyes. F..
"You don't mean to tell me you
walked out heer this mornin'," she
cried. Lord have mercy"
81 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 q team, but believe thar's
more'n one way O. wearin' sackcloth
an ashes. an the sooner l begin the
better I'll feel"
Abner Daniel winked. The Scrip
tural allusion appealed. to his fancy,
and he smiled impulsively.
"That thar is," he said. "Thars a
whole way an half way. Some folks
lest wear It next to the skin whar 1t
don't show, with broadcloth ur silk on
the outside. They think ef it scratches
little thatll satisfy the Lord an
hoodwink other folks. But I believe
he meant It to be the whole hog or
none."
Mrs. Bishop was deaf to this philos-
ophy. "I don't see," she said in her
own field of refection-"I don't see, l
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 yet"
"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 hain't
had nothin' to eat"
"No; it can't pass, nuther. l don't
want to touch a mouthful. Tell the
rest of 'em to come in, an you fetch
me the Book"
"Well! Mrs. Bishop went out and
told the negro woman and her daugh-
ter TO stop washing the dishes and 60
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 seen
strange things. He walked all the
way from Darley this mornin' an now
wants to have prayers fore he touches
bite O. breakfast. l 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-
Cd held the big family Bible on his
quivering knees.
"Ef YOU mean to keep it up," Abner
was saying argumentatively, "all right
an good, but don't believe in sudden
spurts o. worship. My hosses Is hitched
up ready to haul load O. bark to the
tannery, an it may throw me little
late at dinner, but eff you are a-goin'
TO make a daily business Of 1t I'm with
you"
"I'm a-goin' to be regular from now
on" said Bishop, slowly turning the
leaves of the tome. Il forgot whar /
read last"
"You didn't finish about Samson ty-
in all them foxes tails together" said
Abner Daniel as he knocked the hot
ashes from his pipe into the palm of
his hand and tossed them into the
chimney. THAT sorter interested me.
wondered how that was a-goin' to
end. I'd hate to have passle o foxes
with torches to Their tails turned loose
In my wheat Jest fore cuttin' time. 1t
must "a been sight. l wondered
how that was a-goin' to end"
you'll wonder how you're a-goin' to
end If you don't be more respectful" j"
said his sister.
Like the foxes, reckon" grinned
Abner-"with a eternal torch tied to
me. Well, ef I am treated that away
I'll 20 into the business o destruction
an set fire to everything run across"
"Ain't you goin' to tell us what you