The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1904-08-26

presenting the amazing spectacle CT =
flying orator pursued by one Of his
audience, overlook him al Eccies bridge
carried him back Put to IL at
las. Mr.. MacRae braveiy faced the
music mid laughter and cheers; and.
pulling himself together. made a heau-
tiful speech
But / have depressed from my rrien.i.
Silas Ford. and really I have not the
2 to leave him just yet. One even
ing, while on his way home, Silas. sael-
ing unwell. stepped into H~Insdale's|
drug store on Market Square, and
bought a phial of ~paregoric. Now
leaning against the show case. smok-l
ing a cigar. was Henry Jones. a MOTEL
wag and practical joker, into whose
head Satan popped an idea. SaunterngI
out or the store after Silas, he kept
in rear Of mis- man until he entered hlsl
house, looked through yne window anal
saw him take a dose, then rushed tol
the door, and pounded on il. Whenl
he got inside he exclaimed: oh, Mr.
Ford, / hope You have not taken anvil
OF that medicine you got at the drug
store! Yes. / have" replied Silas.I
getting white at once: lust took
some" Great Scotti" aid the wag
Irish Jim Smith. DR.. Hinsdale'sl
clerk gave you tinctura opii campho-l
ratas oh, Lord" cried his victim.
Il thought IL tasted curious: I'm a,
oAC H1 liz "a dlu 2itd'AEl
for DR.. Robinson in a dead run. AL
mitted into the doctors study, he eX-i
claimed: Doctor, do something S,
me, / thought / was drinking a dnsel
Of paregoric, n I've taken a lot of
tinctura opii camphorata. or some sichI
pizen stuff"
DIR. Robinson spoke in very slow, del
liberate and drawing tones Survey,
ing his excited patient from head tol
foot he said with a grim smile on :ilsl
fine face: "Silas Ford. go home and sol
to bed, YOU fool: somebody has beanI
guying you. Tinctura opii camphorGtal
is only high Dutch for p~aregoric."
Silas Ford must have had the bumpl
of generation generously developed, i'll
his Uranium and been examined phren-l
ologically; for he never failed to occu-I
ply 1.-The mournerS' bench on rs occa-
sion of every religious revival. The
difficulty was, he wou back-slide, and
had to be rehabilitated and regenerated|
at every meeting. There never was a
more faithful and devoted wife than
Mrs. Ford, sorely as she was often tried
bv her cranky husbands i~dioSyncra-
sizes: but she finally drew the line OIL
Silas getting religion" She set her
and followed SilaS through all the
stages Of a big revival, sitting right
nv his side. When the congregation
cot 10 4 certain point in the singing,
sEa knew it would fetch the penitenl|
who would chew more fiercely than.
ever, and shuttle his feet, preparatory
to a start for the front bench. At last
they broke forth in the simple butt
beautiful hymn:
Shall / be carried to the skies
On fiowery beds of ease,
While others fought to win the prize
And sailed Ger stormy seas"
Then Silas Ford started to go up.l
when he was pulled back down on tie
bench by his coat tails, and his wife
said, in a whisper ver5 audible in the
adjoining pews: "S:las Ford, if revi-,
walls would save. you'd have been I'M
heaven long ago. You stop this fooi-I
ishness and come home with me-" And
Silas went without a murmer. 1 will
say this for him-that he returned his
wife's faithfulness with an affection
that never wavered and that there
was in his heart a depth of feeunSI
above all ridicule
I have mentioned his excessive add:c-
ton to tobacco, n he was the only
man l ever knew who could chew and,
swallow the juice without any appar-
ent deleterious effect in his stomach
He must have done so, because at the,
church where the above mentioned re-
vival was heM they We're very strict
dSd1ISl SpllllIIS VII liz ilool, oiiN =
Silas chewed all the time he was I'M
there, his jaws working hardest whcn'
he was getting religion. There was a.
trusty old deacon whose face used to
turn as red as fire when he saw Silas's
molars grinding away. and he would
make for him, and hen he would urn
away, madden tina ever, when ne
peeped over into the pew and saw no
puddle of AMBER. But SilaS Ford
would go on humming:
Il would not live always,
l ask not to stay"
Poor Silas Ford! Many years ago he
gathered up his small belongings, and.
with his faithful wife, moved out
west. If he be living, he is an old, Old
man: if he be dead let US hope that
in the evening of life hat he once
more got religion" and that with his
last breath he caught the rustic of
'pinions, the white wings waiting inIoi
blessed port the good Ship Of Zion"
Fayetteville, Aug. 10. j. H. NJ.
THE BUTCHERS STRIKE.