The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1905-03-08

che wall OF his shop, and seized him
by the throat, and mauled him as be
sang:
Fight on my soul, till.death-"
Well, the long and the ahort Of it
was, that sold Sledge" whipped him
aud humbled him to the ground and
taen lifted him up and helped to re-
store him. and begged thousand
pardons. When Devil Bill had re-
tired to his house and was being cared
for by his wife, sold. Sledge' mount.
ed box in front Of the grocery and
preached righteousness, and temper
ance and judgment 60 come, to the
people.
He closed his solemn discourse with
q brief history Of his own sinful life
bsfore his conversion and his humble
work for the Lord ever since, aud he
besought his hearers to stop and think.
stop, poor sinner, stop aud think"
he cried in alarming tones.
There we're q few men anu many
women in that crowd whose eyes, long
unused to the melting mood, dropped
tears Of repentance at the preachers 8
kind and tender exhortation. Bill
Jones's wife, poor woman, had crept
humbly into the outskirts of the
crowd, for she had long treasured the
memories Of her childhood, when she
too, had gone with her good mother to
hear preaching. In secret she had
pined and lemented her husbands
hatred for religion and for preachers.
After she Rad washed the blood from
his, swollen face aud dressed his
wounds she asked him if she might
go down aud hear the preacher. For
o minute he was silent and seemed to
be dumb with amazement. He had
never been whipped before and had
suddenly lost confidence in himself
and his infdelity. ''Go long Sally"
he answered, "If he can talk like he
can fight and sing, may be the Lord
did send him. It's ali mighty strange
to me, !" and he groaned in, anguish.
His animosity seemed to have changed
into an anxious, wondering curiosity
and, after Sally had gone, he left his
bed and drew near to the window
where he could hear something for,
himself. .ss
"Old Sledge'' made an earnest, soul
reaching prayer, and his pleading
with the Lord for Bill Jones's saliva
tion and that of his wife and children
reached the window where Bill was
sitting, and ne heard it. His wife re-
turned in tears and took seat beside
him, and sobbed her hearts distress,
but said nothing. Rill bore it for
awhile in thoughtful 8. !ence, and then
putting his bruised and trembling
hand in hers, said: ..Sally, If the
Lord sent cold Sledge'' here, and
may be he did II reckon you had bet
ter look after his HORSE And snre
enough 'sOld sledge'' stayed there
that night and held family prayer and
the next day he preached from the
5piazzs 20 . great multitude, and sang
his 9avorite hymn: 4'.Is 'sSi5a
Am 1 Q colder of che GROSS 5ll5
And when he got to she third verse
his untutored, bus musical voice
ses.7A sesss.7A e y y iHtsi lifted little higher as
he sang: III. &.
Sure Imust fight if I would reign,
Increase my courage Lord 2 n
Devil Bill was coaversed and be-
came . changed man. He joined the !
church. and closed his grocery and
helped to: build . meeting house, and
TT;s aiisays said and believed that
'HtOld sSledge mauled the grace into /
his unbelieving soul. and it never
would have got in any other way.
4 # & 81 .5 Bill Arp.