The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1905-02-12

away on the other side of the house
and still another. a very loud one
right near where we were.
Boys said father, eff rocks were
thrown against the house we would
hear them fall on the ground We
must account for these reports III
some other way for. by that time
THE popping was heard all around the
house. 1T must be- said father.
the freezing of the timber. ] have
heard said he. that during a very
severe cold spell In my fathers life
time the timbers in his house cracked
SO that my father thought it was an
earthquake"
BY that time we were all SO cold
we were willing to accept any theory;
so we went in the house and sat by
our hot fire. While the bombarding
continued to go on. And it did go on
all night. Our neighbors. whom We
saw the next day. informed us their
houses popped all night also. The
weather has been right cold a few
days at time, this winter, but we
have had no such popping around our
houses as we had that cold night.
But, as l remember now, ] didn't
care for cold weather then as l do
now. / went a ducking, at Simeon
Ctley's mill, one day when q thin
sheet Of ice covered the pond. / kill
ed several ducks, and as the boat was
locked and Mr.. Utley was not there
with the key, L stripped and swan
III. breaking the ice and got my
ducks. Yes, it was right chilly when
l plunged in, but when | came out and
put my clothes OH / felt hot.
A great many people used to be
baptized in the winter time so that
they might have it to brag on. /
don't know how manv | have heard
say, in the course of my life: when
] was baptized we had to break the
ice; and they seemed to think it was
a feat that ranked them with the
martyrs.
Talking about baptizing IN cold
weather. reminds me of an incident
said to have taken place in western
county a Methodist preacher was
called upon to baptiZe a fellow who
thought that ice cold water and u
winters wind would kill out the
least and last remains of sin. He in
sisted on being plunged in ice water.
while the Methodist preacher in
sisted just as earnestly that cold wa
ter wouldn't do the washing half as
well as warmer water would in the
summer time. But the candidate said
no to all the preachers arguments
and insisted on breaking the ice, and
freezing out old carnality. The preach
tl iiilallN DtopOSeu a. SOll OF COlnDrO-
mise. A plank was to be laid one
end on the mill dam and the other on
stump, some few feet away. The
candidate was to walk down in the
water, breaking the ice, while the
preacher was to walk out on the
plank. The candidate was TO kneel
down in the water so that his head
only would be above the water. which
the preacher was to duck under the
W. tp, inb
without wetting the preachers sun
day clothes. Unfortunately q little
water had sloshed on the plank which
turned to ice in moment. The
preacher went out very carefully.
steadying himself with a pole. He
reached the candidate and was Just in
the act of ducking his head under
when his feet slipped and into the
water the preacher went like a ter
rapin off log. carrying the candidate
down with him. That may not be ex-
actly as it happened. but it's the way
] heard it. At anv rate, that preacher
would never baptize by immersion in
the winter time, after that. He was
unwilling to take any more risks.
/ receive so many letters asking me
about my book, ! guess l had better
answer all of them here and now. The
copy is in the hands of the printers.
and the book will be ready for deliv-
cry in a few weeks The book Will be
sold for $3.50. Nearly three hundred
orders have been received. and / am
sure the edition will soon be disposed
Of. Those who order now will be
sure TO get copies. Those who wait
and send in their orders later may
fail TO get books. as / am printing
small edition. The book will con-
tain 500 pages and about twenty il
Illustrations, will be bound in cloth and.
altogether, will be gotten up I'm good
style. As to the reading matter, tho
public know about that. If your dol
lar and half is handy. send it along.
and you'll be sure to get one of the
first copies.