The new enterprise. (Madison, Fla.) 1901-1908, 1907-08-29

man. He had been wild and reckless,
and feared not God nor regarded man,
but one day at a camp meeting, while
Bishop CASTOR was shaking up the
sinners and scorching them over the
internal pit, Tom got alarmed, anu
before the meeting was over he pro-
fessed religion and became a Jealous
outspoken convert, and declared his
intention OF going forth into the
world and preaching the gospel. He
was terribly in earnest, for he said
he had lost a power OF time and must
make it up.
Tom was a rough talker, but he was
a good one. and knew right smart OF
IS 'ripter," and good many OF me
old-fashioned hymns by heart. me
conference thought he was a pretty
good fellow to send out into the Dor
der country among the settlers, and
so Tom straddled his old fiea-bitten
gray and in due time was circuit nd
ing in North Mississippi.
In course of time Tom acquired no.
toriety, and from his strong language
and stronger gestures, and MS muscu'
lar eloquence, they called MIN olu
"Sledge Hammer" and after awhile
old "Sledge," for short. Away down IN
one corner of his territory there was
a blacksmith shop and a wagon shop
and a whiskey shop and postotlice al
Bill Jones's crossroads; and BIZ Kept
all Of them, and was known far and
wide as Devil Bill Jones" so as TO
distinguish him from Squire Bill the
magistrate.
Devil Bill had sworn that no preach
err should ever toot horn or sing
hymn in the settlement, and If any o!
the cussed hypocrites ever dared 10
stop at the crossroads he'd make him
dance a hornpipe and sing hymn,
and whip him besides.
And Bill Jones meant just what he
said, for he had a mortal hate for the
men of God. 1t was reasonably sup
posed that Bill could and would do
what he said, for has trade at the an
vii had made him strong, and every
body knew that he had as much brute
courage as was necessary. And SO
Uncle Tom was advised to take
roundance and never tackle the cross
roads. He accepted this for a time,
and left the people to the bad intu-
ence Of Devil Bill; but it seemed TO
him he was not doing the Lords Will,
and whenever he thought of the wom-
en- and children living in darkness and
growing up in inidelity, he would
groan.
One night he prayed over it with
great earnestness, and vowed to do the
Lords will if the Lord would give
him light, and it seemed TO him as he
rose from his knees that there was no
longer any doubt-he must go. I'm
Gle Tom never dallied about anything
when his mind was made up. He
went right at it like killing snakes;
and so next morning as "nabor"
passed on his way to Bills shop I'm.
Gle Tom said:
MY friend, will you please carry
a message TO Bill Jones for me? Do
you tell him that If the Lord is willin'
! will be at the crossroads to preach
next Sunday at IL o'clock, and l am
shore the Lord is willin'. Tell him
TO please 'norate' it in the settle
ment about, and AK the women and
children to come. Tell Bill Jones
will stay at his house, God willin', and
\ ! am shore he's willin', and I'll preach
Sunday too, if things get along har-
monious."
When Bill Jones hot the message
he was amazed, astounded and his in.
dignation knew no bounds. He rayed
'eursed at the 'onsult," as fhe
|he Consulting message OF
he swore that no