The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1907-09-28
THE PREACHERS GRIP.

loutish fellow, to his ne'er-do- we'll
comrade in manya drinking bout at
the village tavern.
"I'm in it, whatever it is" replied
Phin Crowle, with vicious grin.
These worthless were notable sports
and dog-fanciers, and each had his
bulldog ''that could whip anything
of its size and weight in the country"
1t was agreed, therefore, to bring
their respective dogs to the evening
preaching, to keep them asunder till
the service was well under way, and
then to incite them to fight. A few
we'll. directed digs with their heels ex-
cited the beasts to angry growls and
snarls, to the great amusement of the
village toughs and to the great alarm
of the women and girls.
Lawrence Temple, student from
a neighboring college, had just been
appointed local preacher with view
to the ministry. He was sent to try
his prentice hand on the natives of
the Four Corners Schoolhouse, ne
elected rural neighborhood near the
college town. His first preaching
experiences were likely to be, to put
it mildly, not uninteresting.
His previous practice of athletics i'll
telling trees in lumber camp stood
him in good stead. He did not easily
get ratified nor lose his head. When
the disturbance became too obvious,
he requested the owners of the dogs
to keep them quiet or to take them
out. When the annoyance continued,
he announced that the disturbing OF
a religious service was violation of
| the law and must cease at once.
"Now's yer time, Phin, said Lar
kins, in loud voice aside, "let her
go, and in minute the exasperated
dogs were rushing at each others
throats and causing panic of terror
among the women.
Quickly leaving the teachers desk
which served as preaching stand,
Lawrence walked down the central
passage to where the dogs were snap
ping, snarling and rolling over each
other on the floor.
"Take your dogs OUT" he said
with a very decided tone and gesture.
Seeing that their owners took no no.
tice, he added sternly: "And do it
at once"
"Take 'em out yerself if yer wants
to-" said Phin Crowle, "but warns
yer it's at yer peril. If my Tige
grips yer leg he'll never let go-not
if yer cuts his head off,"
"Open the door, please" said the
young preacher, which was promptly
done by a man sitting near it.
Lawrence had not practiced foot
ball in vain. Before their 1outish
owners could interfere, he had plant
ed we'll directed and tremendous
kick on the interlocked and astonish-
ed dogs that unlocked their jaws !;
followed by two others, that swept
first one and then the other over the
threshold ard into the outer darkness
before they knew where they were.
''Now follow your dogs !" he said
grimly to the cowardly bullies-for
your bully is always coward.
"Supposin' we don't choose to !"
drawled Larkins.
"I'll simply have to make you |"
said Lawrence with blazing eyes,
"and tomorrow have you fined for
disturbing public worship"
Lets go, Jim," said Phin "he's
got the drop on US this time.'
"We'll be even with yer yet, Mr..
Preacher, and be blanked to YER"
growled the human brute, Larkins,
more degraded than his dog, and went
into the blackness of night making
the air lurid with oaths and curses.
In moment Lawrence was calm
again, and with earnest, pleading
tones he read over the words in the
Apocalypse concerning the finally i'm
penitent: Without, in the black
ness of darkness forever, are dogs
and sorcerers, and whatsoever 1oveth
and maketh a lie, :" and with tears
in his voice he exhorted his hearers
to heed the solemn warnings of God
and to flee from his present and eter-
nal wrath. His words came home
with strange power and not few Of
the rufians' companions who bad
"come to scoff remained to pray"
An hour later Lawrence was max
ing his way home from his first ser.
vice at the Four Corners Schoolhouse.
A great gladness filled his soul and he
needed not the wild and wintry winds
for the drifting clouds that were scud.
ding rapidly across the sky. Through
their riffs the moon shone brightly
Just as he reached a bridge across q
ravine two figures glided out of the
shadows of the trees, accompanied by
two dogs. Lawrence at once recog
nized them as Jim Larkins and Phir
Crowle and their invariable compan
ions-we might almost say comrade:
Bull and Tige.
Now, Mr.. Preacher" growled
Larkins, IT said I'd be even with yel
yet, and blest if it isn't goin' to bt
ter.night." Only "blest'' was mo-
exactly the word he used, but one O
opposite meaning.
''I have no cause of quarrel witt
you," said Lawrence. II forgivt
you all about that little incident a
the schoolhouse."
"But I amt forguv yer, nor Bul
neither, and we've got yer where VT
want yer. Stem. Bull Stem, Tige 7
Ominous growlings and snarling
followed, but just then rift in th'
cloud emitted bright CLEAN of moon