The Rathdrum tribune. (Rathdrum, Idaho) 1903-1963, 1904-11-25
A CONVERSION
fOriYnal.1


WIS prejudico-1 against the CLOTH Deg
rcd me to be careful as TO my remarks.
only half promised.
| found the parson very diffefeht
sort Of man from what ! had supposed,
IN athlete, fluent talkcr, and his IN
| tcllcctual endowments were Vouchcu
for by n peculiar looking. old fashioned
watch key, the badge of the PHI Beta
Eappa. an "honor" college society.
made up my mind should like him
| II he would throw out from his thcol-
ogy those Bible stories which l have
long considered myths. To find OUT
| about this l flung Jonah and the whale
at him. but he lodged. Then | tried
him on Lots wife and the pillar OF
salt, and he duckcd. At last l poked
him with Daniel in the lions den. Ihls
time he concluded to face the music.
"Yes," he said, Il believe all these
stories, especially the first one you
have mentioned, because l have been
|
| When left college my father sent me
OIL Il sea voyage. lie wanted me 10 see
something of the devil | WAS TO ilgilt.
so he nut me on IA ship whose crew
was about as fighting, swearing Il set
as ever met Feom the day we sailed
The weather was stormy. and we pass
cd FROM one gale into another till we
struck Il regular hurricane. The crew
were blasphcmously supcrStltioUs.
$50 great was thcig' prejudice against
clcrgyncn that they really got all IDEA
was the cause of all their troubles.
When the storm was al the worst, !
saw them coming aft and making
straight for nc. 'parson. said the
spokesman. were sorry To trouble YOU,
but you're brngn' this here stress o
weather on Us. and we're under the
painful necessity o. lookn' out for our-
Il hand. l was lifted over the Suliwalc
and tossed into the sea. l hadn't been
in the water minute before saw ~
shiny something moving toward me.
and | knew it was Il shark.
Now that my story may not seem
impossible. III put in here that WAS
while ut college the right tackle of our
university football team and an eX-
pert swimmer. Sharks are numbering
things, and it doesn't require much
agility to got ahead of them. This one
, lcisurcly turned over OH his side 10
take me in. watched till he opened
his Jaws and had one on each side OF
me, when like flash made q quick
turn, planted my foot on his lower
row of teeth and braccd both hands on
his upper jaw. Then | had him wedg-
cd"
The minister paused, and l gave Il
gasp. He proceeded:
THE sailors were looking over the
ships side and saw the whole thing OF
course the shark was bound to drown
with his jaws pricd Open and it wasn't
long before he was dead as Il doornail.
Then threw myself Gu my hack, gave
Il shove with my feet and sailed away
from him. Sailors are quick to appre-
ciate any getting the better of shark,
and nearly every man on the ship
threw me Il line. Eut | refused to come
aboard until they had apolo-iZed for
their rough treatment and had prom
ised me that l should be permitted to
hold service every Cay during tic resi-
nf the voyage. They promised, and |
was pulled on deck. The captain offer
cd Inc a stiff glass of grog, which ac.
eeptod, for l needed IT, You 500, the
water WAS very cold, and the mus
cllar effort had been considerable.
THAT episode was thc means of the
conversion of the whole crew, from
master to cabin boy The weather
moderated ut once and held service,
every day. two hours morning and aft.
ernoon. with psalm singing in the even
ing. found ihcm sin"uarly unbcIicy.
ing. especially as to the miracles re,
corded in the Bible. and confined my.
self principally to their explanation.
converted the crew to Il belief in every
miracle in the gospel. though one burly
fellow held out so long that was
obliged 10 give him Il good thrashine be
fore could convince him.
Il have told you the story to show
yea that there is no accounting for
how the Civinr purpose may 10 carried
out. We do not knew hnt that | was
l'plac"d CT TINT very ship. thrown over.
board hy the men and given the
strength to save myself that the unboly
crew might = converted
"l'arson," l said, the manifestation
Is quite enough TO convert II whole city
be 1t wicked us Nincveh, aud confess
myself convinced. am sure that Won
must have been given divine strength. =
| No" said the parson. MY strength
was only that vouchsafcd me by Moth.
sr Nature"
1T was divine" ! insisted.
IF you, have glorcs ready | will CON.
vince You that it was but natural"
Angered ut his domineering tonc-be
tldrs, ] was very proud of my skill n,
hoxing-I led the way to an upncr
room, where kept my athletic para
phernalia. We each put on pnr of
gloves; but. though | was in tho hos,
OF practice. he soon hammered mo into
COM fusion, then knocked ME down and
sat on me.
DO you believer" he asked.
| Il believe that vou'rc ~ hid, , s,>,....