The Tupelo journal., 1905-08-11

W. htthtHN 80 t~tf
the st. Louis Exposition. Etc, Tells the
Story CT a Prodigal Nephew Who Re-
turned to the Fold.
Copyright, 1905. by Joseph B Bowles.)
Josiah's nephew, John Waddle AL
len, has been home on a visit. He is a
well disposed young chap, but he's
lived in New York and wants to be
fashionable.
He wuz brought UP well. Karen
Happuck Allen, born Waddle, wuz a
Christian. He wuz bred on the altar.
as you may say. Sunday school and
meetin' wuz his hants on the Sabbath
day, and good picture books and Bible
stories his recreations.
| used to admire his up-bringin', he
had a few interestin' toys and picture
books brought out only on Sunday, to
make 'em a desired rarity. Noah's
Ark, the Tower of Babel, and Bible
games. He enjoyed himself first rate
and wuz KEEP in, zoo. She used to
take him to walk Sunday afternoons
sometimes, in quiet pretty places, for
he loved flowers and birds and runnin
brooks, and his ma said she read SER
mons in EN-. l have too, sometimes.
She learnt him the greatness and
goodness of the God she loved in His
works.
Well, as I say. he grew up a Chris
tian, united with the N. E. meetin'
house, got good book learnin', and wuz
engaged to Deacon Piddockses Lucy,
and his folks wuz well pleased, for
Lucy wuz a good girl, and a pretty one,
and a believer and perfessor from IA.
But Jack went to New York as clerk
in his rich uncle's office. and got fash
ionable and new-fangled idees. His
uncle didn't really know what he did
believe in. | guess he kinder favored
the Hindoos. He wuz real took with
one of the SWIMMERS that held meet
ms there. and he kinder favored the
Booders, too, I've been told. He
wuzn't really settled on anything. but
very stylish, and Jacks firm beliefs
got kinder loose tinted, | guess, Twin
there, 'tennyrate he got dretful fash
ionable idees in his head.
His folks spozed he would come
home after a year or so, and settle
down. They stood ready to give him a
good farm and farm house, and Deacon
Paddock stood ready to furnish it from
top to bottom. And his folks spozed
that he would only stay in New York
jest long enough to git money to stock
the farm with, that wuz his intentions
x.INa h. ,yrA- Nro vyOon WOULD h. YyA
been enough and two a great plenty.
But years went by and he didn't come
back and he didn't come back, only
summers on a visit. and his folks acted
sad and Lucy looked peaked. And
finally the fourth summer his folks
went Off to spend most of the summer
with q married daughter to the west,
feavin' the farm to a tenant, and when
Jack got ready for his usual summers
vacation he come to our house on our
invitation. Josiah thinks his eyes on
him and \ do too, but l don't like his
idees and told him SO.
Yes, it whz sad to see how Twin
amongst them genteel people he'd got
genteel loose idees, fur different from
his mas, and when l reminded him Of
it he said "he'd outgrown EN-"
Outgrown his mas good sound be-
liefs and ways! The idee! The good
old M. E. creed that he used to lean
on for comfort n help didn't seem
to support his strong young back no
more. He didn't seem to believe much
in anything, he didn't believe in keep
in the Sabbath, he believed in every
body's usin' their own judgment. He
talked a sight about the beauties of a
Cosmopolitan Sabbath, pleasin' every
one, you know, lettin' everybody do as
they are a mind to, drink of let it
alone, work or refrain from it. have
all kinds of amusement and recreation
goin' on.
And | told him that what wuz n
mans meat wuz another man's'piZen,
and if folks that didn't want to keep
Sunday went a-whackin' and poundin'
round, buZZ saw mills a-buZZin',
thrashin' machines a%-thrashin'. SEWN
machines and mangels a-goin', ball
games and theaters runnin' and the
noisy wheel of bizness and hilarity a.
rollin' and screechin' along, it took
away the liberty of them that wanted
peace and quiet on that day. and l be-
sSAn