The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1904-04-24

in the face. and. on Docs advice, sent for
Preacher Lamwell.
Your miserable old daddy said Doc
put off the gittin' of grace till he was sure
his last gasp was jest in sight, and l
suppose he got saved, though If | was the
Lord ned never got chance to poke his
scraggy old nose inside the pearly gates.
ole man Hobbs took advantage of the elev-
enth hour promise clean up TO the last tick
of the pendulum. but if you don't hurry up
your clock ii strike twelve before the
preacher can get here. And serve you
blame we'll right. You'd ought to scorch in
fire everlasting, anyhow.
Preacher Lamwell was a Methodist of
the good old school. who believed in
literal fire and birthstone hereafter for sim
ners, and he was delighted with the idea of
wrestling with case-hardened old rip like
Jack He made up his mind, he came
along, TO perform his whole duty by fay
ing lack alive for his sins, and rubbing
salt in the cuts, before signing his passport
into the better world. He had a nice scorch
ing line of talk all framed up, but lack
took him off his feet with the very first
question
Look here, parson,' he asked, lis it all
so about the mansions and the gold pave
ments and jewelry in the New Jerusalem?
It's the gospel truth, Brother Hobbs
declared the parson.
An every repentin' sinner gifts man.
sion?' he inquired.
No doubt about it, the parson as
sured him.
AN harp? Zeke anxiously went on.
" There will be a harp for everyone of
U.S., the parson said.
Pure gold?' asked lack
Pure gold affirmed the parson, who
never questioned his Bible. jot or title,
verse, chapter or annexation.
" Do you suppose il will be big harp
that a body'll have 10 stand on the floor
TO play, or jest little one" asked lack
We'll. all 1 can gather from the Good
Book, replied the preacher, it'll be harp
small enough TO carry around
'Uh-huhr unused lack Well even THAT,
the harp alone, pure gold, had ort to be worth
about two or three thousand dollarsr
Preacher Lamwell sat up and gasped.
but words failed to come. lack broke the
pause with another question.
Z" An this here salvation's plumb free,
haint it? he asked.
Salvation is free but you will be ex-
pected TO help pay the church debt
swered the parson, somewhat codly.
thought So sighed lack. We'll, I'm
feelin a heap better now an 1 reckon I'll
think over it fer a few days
For one brief instant Preacher Lamwell
ached TO resign from the ministry and be-
come humble mule driver long enough
TO express his opinion. No words strong
enough TO fit the case being allowed him
by the church ritual, he left the house.
speechess.
LAS soon as lack got able to leave the
house he began to figure with all the good
Methodists, BaptistS and Campbelltes in
and around Grassville. on how much
year it cos them to belong to church and
found that TIE Methodists offered the cheap
est rates. by few cents. He figured the
problem twelve ways from the middle of
the month--intereSt, compound interest and
usury, and on his we'll days he almost made
up his mind to just go TO the other place.
rather than give up any money. Every
time he had a sinking spell, though. he
sent for Preacher Lamwell. If that sturdy
die and go to Hades before he got there, he
never admitted it, even to himself and at