The weekly true Democrat., 1907-11-29
PLUcKY DONNIE
WON AGAINST ODDS.
ThanhssivlaS story BY RvsAsna EG-
wards.


When yon have ridden over sixty miles
through the chill Of late autumn day.
the combination Of q hot supper and a
soft bed has usually but one result-you
come down late for breakfast. had
reached the little railway town the night
before, after a heavy summers work
on q survey line, and as jumped out
Of my bath at disgracefully late hour,
/ wondered what changes had taken
place in the world since had last seen
civilization. had almost finished dress
ing before caught glimpse of myself
in the mirror opposite. The effect
was startling was a change with
D vengeance Instead of the pale stu
dents face that had looked out at me
six months ago, was confronted with
the burned and bushy visage of a veri-
table Robinson Crusoe One look was
sufficient ! sized my hat and fled.
The barber shop was just across the
street, and as l entered the open door,
distant church bell began to ring in
even, steady tones.
N'Not Sunday, is it," / asked the pro-
prietor. as handed him my hat. 1t had
been 80 long since had seen a calendar
that l thought it possible / had got
astray in my reckoning.
Sunday No, sir. We don't keep
open on the Sabbath" and the worthy
knight of the shears gave me a look of
mingled rebuke and severity. However,
BY the time had disposed myself com
fortably IN the plush-bound chair, he
had grasped the situation, and the cor
ners Of his mouth relaxed.
"Oh, / see !" he exclaimed. "Why,
this is Thanksgiving day, and that is
the first bell for the service. They don't
make much of the day in most towns out
here, but it 's a real red-letter day with
us. In fact, it was Thanksgiving day
service that made our town what. it is.
Perhaps you would like to hear the
story"
] assented readily; it was good to
hear new voice, and the subject prom
iyed to be interesting. The barber se-
lected a pair of clippers, cleared his
throat, and began
''Well, sir, it was this way. 1t is Just
five years ago last spring that our min
ister and his young wife came up from
the East. Not much of place to come
to then, sir the town was forty miles
from the railway and looked as if it had
been run up late on a Saturday night.
A general store, rough-lOoking hotel,
a blacksmith shop, and about a dozen
wooden shacks-that was about the ex-
tent Of it in those days. There wasn't
much farming done, and few cattle
ranches comprised the entire settle
ment. was cookie over at the X Y.
ranch myself, and used to cut the boys
hair for practice
1--WE heard that a sky pilot was COM
ing our way, but none of us waXed very
enthusiastic over the news. We had
grown pretty careless about religion, |
and preacher, to our way of thinking, !
didn't seem to be what the newspapers
would call "a long felt want Well, !
one day in March the stage arrived
with two passengers, the minister and
his wife. 1t was a mighty cold day, |
and the reception they got wasn't any
warmer than the weather.
II tell you, cir, IL makes we want TO |
kick myself even yet, to think of the |
way we treated the finest couple God |
ever made. Old Pete, the stage driver. |
let them out at the Queens, and there |
wasn't q soul to meet them and bid them |
welcome. DOyou know what Iwould have |
done IL had been in their shoes that |
day2 ] would have shaken the dust of !
this 0ut-of-the-way hole off my feet and |
taken the next stage for home and | |
guess could have found Scripture war
rant for 1t, too.
"But our new minister wasn't built |
Snat way. he was pure Rrlt, he was, |
and he had come up here to stay. His |
| little wife, God bless her, was Of the |
game mind, and stay they did. That
fst summer they got little shack hut |
d live in, and they held services there
EVERY Sunday until the schoolhouse was
bgihilt in the fall. 1t was pretty heart
hrfeaking work at first, but they were
thle most cheerful couple you ever saw.
Il Unjust have been three months after
thfly moved into their house before their
fut niture came-pretty badly battered
mp it was, tOo-Yet even that didn't
MAZE them complain. In fact, they
didn't seem TO know how.
1.-THE arrival of the furniture, re-
member, caused considerable excite
ment in the town. You see, there was
"a organ, the first that had ever come
- the settlement, and we all went up
- the Pilots to help unload. When Mrs.
MeDOugall caught sight Of the organ
(ehe was awfully fond of music, and
the Instrument was present from her |,
fathef,) she just sat down and had a
good cry. We got the furniture all in
SIDE and after promising the minister
and his wife TO go up the mcknight for
some music, we left them as happy as
pair of clans.
on Sunday Mr.. MeDOugall some
r1hnt gtaf4led ug by annnfanciup that