The Waxahachie daily light. [volume] (Waxahachie, Tex.) 1894-current, 1905-07-31

club such things as they keep in
lciubdom.
| That is one way of getting MOTTO
ed, but there are other ways. That
was just a triumph of an hour but
there are triumphs of eternity and
as sure as yon are born the hand OF
God Is in the latter.
Last year while travelling In West
Texas | stopped one night at the
home of a noted preacher, Rev. John
Cotter. He lived near Painted
Rock on a large ranch. The house
In which he lived was an immense
rock structure, and roomy typical
| OF that breezy country. The old
man himself was of more than pass
| ing notice. He was nearly eighty
years old and stood six feet six His
long white locks hung down over his
shoulders like a hdlo around his
devoted head. He had been leader
of men, no doubt OF that, and his
leadership had been for good. | had
heard much OF him in my travels in
T, that country and that night as we
talked ! asked him for the story of
| his life. asked him how 1t was
| that he came TO preach, and If he
really believed that men were called
of God to preach. | was interested
In the life of the man for / knew the
events of his life would be interest
| ing reading to those who knew of
| him and OF his wonderful work His
reply was about as follows as near
i as | can give 1t.
| II will tell you some OF the vicis-
sitades through which | have passed,
not all, OF course. for your time
| would not permit | shall not an
sver directly your question as to
whether men are called of God to
preach, but will tell yod how | came
10 preach and will let you Judge
| for yourself
| When | was a Young man | at
tended an eastern college where
graduated near the head Of the
class, My folks had intended me
| for the law. but when | was put in
a law office soon saw that the pro-
! fession would never suit NE The
| fact In / was surfeited on books and
actually wished never should see
another one. One night / got on the
train and came TO this western coun-
TRY | broke and rode the widest
b3t ks anu ny VIA RipsFtS AbN3AEA kAtt
tcourteously and showed me that
had their fullest confidence
Now. WAS never a rowdy or bull
/ ly in any sense of such terms but
ALWAYS managed to take care Of my
self never drank. gambled. or in
/ any way did anything unbecoming
a gentleman. This il why | got the
confidence OF my employers and OF
h
for some money and some valuable
papers TO be carried from our place
10 another ranch over two hundred
miles away | was asked to under
take the job | accepted. though I
knew the danger 20 which / would
/ be sub bjeeted These dangers were
robbers that was all. My EN-
ployer told me Ia equip myself with
anything I wanted and be ready 10
start next morning. | got up my
| black pony and blanket and a pair
| of old fashioned saddle bags. | took
| off my COW boy clothes and put on
the clothes of a civilian. a suit of
which | had in ms trunk. OF course
teok a couple Of pistols and dirk
knife The first day out / had no
| trouble, but next morning about 10
O'Clock | saw two h0rsemen riding
toward me in gallop | galloped
too and kept my distance without
any trouble They kept waving at
me and / finally decided 20 stop and
take the consequences; If they were
friends 10 be friendly and II they
were robbers TO fight "a out with
them.
/ But they we're friends bert on
peculiar mission. They rode up. sa-
luted me politely and asked me If
/ | WAS a preacher ! guess / looked
| like one OF the old time preachers
who sometimes rode over those vast
prairies. preaching wherever they
| could get a congregation. for my
arms were concealed and my clothes
and saddle bags bespoke the costume
OF a minister Of those days Now
comes the strange part of my llfe's
story. 1 don't know why I answer
I'd in the affirmative. bat I did.
am sure | did not do so as "a little
boy would SAY Just for Fun. but
told them ia all seriousness that
WAS a preacher The spokesman ~
the two eoW bows then tuld ma that
the little girl of the owner OF "a
nearby ranch vas dead and thar che
mother ~ss very anxious FOR some
preacher 20 conduct the funeral SET
Yiees and he asked me II ! w0uld
go I went THE ranch was some
thirty miles aNax bnt We soon arriy-
ea a. the plaee rhw Mtle girl vas
already dressed Ia lItfie hahy Gown
/ all he ~ork af the loving Fingers ~
the Christian mother The little oof,
/ fin Nas made If boards and covered
Nith while muslin The tltfie our q
hands were folded across g. hasnm
aad IA them we're enc WtlH prairie
/ tfowefw Amous whleh she sas go
wunf 80 piAs
had a snail ashir sud 3 hymn
lssak @sth me hash wlfta frptn ms
aanfheF SANG sell ihHn ama wsth
/ he help ~ DE usn I saaw = few
sssnRs appropriate fu the OCCASION
Nus had : lHtis sister - ea has x
- tiess snsn she Is omiy ak uuuthw
asA A. sae tsme ! wAs fur TnAFw
! aid and : shall nmRar fngwms shw Mar.
RES II ms father AnA masher re-
aswul HMr the ai8 sra8 ha.ret nteAa heF
Il A.