Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1904-12-22

tired OF unnin' our church with one eye
on to four other churches TO see that they
don't come out a step ahead
Here a horses hoofs clattered upon the
frozen road In front. Two or three wo-
men went to the window. ITS Preacher
freeman" they announced. He's on his
.ay to Mills Ford to see that man that's
been hurt by the explosion"
Hes got nine miles farther to ride,
and It's mighty cold"
The door opened, and a tall man, dark
and spare. entered He might have been
thirty years old. but he smiled at the tree
with boyish appreciation a. he made his
way past 1t and gave the assembly a gem
eral "Howdy."
Brethren, I spent last night twenty
miles from here up on Hartman noun
tain. You all know VIA Hartman is
Ike"
Colonel Ledbetter twisted himself round
and faced the speaker.
It's the b~arrenest. ungratefulest land in
the North Carolina mountings, and how
old Preacher Carr wrastles a Twin out
of that place is more'n I can study out
TITS Preacher Carr / want to speak to
you about. You all know that Brother
Carr can get a crop out OF q piece of
ground IL any one can. Next to mems
souls he loves the soil, and, my friends,
whether we work with things physical or
spiritual, it's the loving touch that coaxes
On the harvest. YOU all know that. with
late spring frosts and summer droughts,
this has been a hard year for our farm
ers-your own cribs are only half hull Of
corn, and your fodder stacks are few and
small-and yet your valley is a land of
promise compared to Harriman's Bald.
Preacher Carr and his wife are facing q
winter Of want. They CAV me the noun
taineer's welcome, but when she pre-
pared upper I heard her gourd scoop
scrape the bottom of the meal bin, and
this morning a creditor led away their
staggering, starving row. And vet
Brother Carr IS not decrepit; he Is stil
hale and hearty, but-God pity. the old
when their work is taken out Of their
hands before their graves are ready for
them.
"He asked after his people in Junaluska
(you win be his people as long as his
loyal old soul harbors a sentiment), and
wien ! told him / should pass through
here this evening ne said. Tell them q
God bless you for me-. Some one has
told him that his old church is well nigh
zone to ruin. and he asked me to take
notice of II as l passed by and to shut
the door II II stood open.
$50 I have come back to ask you to ado
10 your Christmas list the name OF your
old ~neighbor, friend and pastor, this
needy servant of God. He has not for
gotten you. and ! know you will not for
get him" et.NM
He turned and walked out Of the cab
In. and the group sat In silence till the
sound Of his horses hoofs grew faint.
II va some to blame when Preacher
Carr was sent away" said Colonel Led
better. II hadn't . thing In the world
asin him; twas only that two other
churches was ~a-runnin' opposition TO us,
n their preachers were young men and
were drawin' OF our young people. ]
thought II we had q young man to preach
for us VIZ might get 'em all back ag'in.
Twas zeal that made me do IT,"
But we need not give q fun report OF
that meeting. 1t was not conducted by
parliamentary rules. but its enactments
went into effect next day. BY sunrise
hammer end trowel were playing away
upon the Ledbetter cabin. Grandaddy
and Grover Cleveland repaired the roof;
they cemented the loose stones OF the fire.
place and topped out the fallen chimney,
between the logs they spatted clay
taken from the road IN front, but rood
rs imperial Caesars - and stopped the
cracks ito keep the wind away" They
propped the leaning cow shed. and before
neon an occupant. mighty nigh All Ter
sey." was chewing her cud, while over
her head was stored sroughness' sum
eaAnf t. ksep- hsr ahAsri~~ I'll PASTURES