The Democratic advocate., 1907-07-19
geleft Stnrp.


Uncle Tom Barker was much OF a 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,
and before the meeting was over he pro-
fessed religion and became jealous, out
spoken convert, and declared his intention
of going forth into the world and preach
ing the gospel He was terribly in earn
est, for he said he had lost power of time
and must make it up.
Tom was rough talker, but he was "a
good one, and knew right smart of ''scrip-
ter, and Il good many of the old-fash-
ioned hymns by heart. The conference
thought he was pretty good fellow to send
out into the border country among the
settlers, and so Tom straddled his old flea
bitten gray and in due time was circuit
riding in North Mississippi.
ID course of time Tom acquired notorie-
ty, and from his strong language and
stronger gestures, and his muscular elo-
quence, they called him old ''Sledge Ham
mer, and after awhile, old ''Sledge,
for short Away down in one corner OF
his territory there was blacksmith shop
and wagon shop and whiskey shop and
a postoffice at Bill Jones crossroads; and
Bill kept all of them, and was known far
| and wide as "Devil Bill Jones, so as to
distinguish him from Squire Bill the mag
| istrate.
Devil Bill had sworn that no preacher
should ever toot horn or sing hymn In
the settlement, and if any of the cussed
hypocrites ever dared to stop at the cross
roads he d make him dance hornpipe and
sing hymn, and whip him besides.
And Bill Jones meant just what he said,
for he had a mortal hate for the meu of
God. 1t was reasonably supposed that
Bill could and would do what he said, for
his trade at the anvil had made him strong,
any everybody knew that he had as much
brute courage as was necessary. And so
Uncle Tom was advised to take roundance
and never tackle the crossroads. He ac-
cepted this for time, and left the people
to the bad influence of Devil Bill; but it
seemed to him he was not doing the Lord S
will and whenever he thought Of the
women and children living in darkness and
growing up in infdelity, he would groan.
One night he prayed over it with great
earnestness, and vowed to do the Lord S
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 CO. Uncle 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 Uncle 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 am shore the Lord is
willin. Tell him to please 'norate' it in
the settlement about, and ak the women
and children to come. Tell Bill Jones I
will stay at his house, God willin' and I
am shore he S willin', and I'll preach Sun
day, too, if things get along harmonious. "
When Bill Jones got the message he
was amazed, astounded and his indignation
knew no bounds. He raved and cursed at
the Consult" as he called 1.-THE Son
sulting message Of 'Old Sledge' and he
swore that he would hunt him up, and
whip him, for he knowed that he wouldn' t
dare to come to the crossroads.
But the "nabors' whispered it around
that "Old Sledge' would come, for he was
never known to make an appointment and
break it; and there was an old horse thief
who used to run with Murrel's gang who
said he used to know Tom Barker when he
was sinner and had seen him fight, and
he was much of man.
So it spread like wild fire that "Old
Sledge'' was coming, and Devil Bill was
sgwine'' to whip him and make him dance
and sing chime and treat to gallon
of peach brandy besides.
Devil Bill had his enemies, of course,
for he was hard man. and one way or
another had gobbled up all of the surplus
of the 'snaborhood'' and had given moth
ing in exchange but whiskey, and these
enemies had long hoped for somebody to
come and turn him down. They, too,
circulated the astounding news, and with
out committing themselves to either party,
said that he'll would break loose on Sat-
urday at the crossroads, and that "Old
Sledge'' or the devil would have to 90
under.
On Friday the settlers began to drop
into the crossroads under pretence OF bust
ness, but really to get the, bottom facts of
the rumors that were afoat.
Devil Bill knew full we'll what they came
| for and he talked and cursed more furious
" than usual, and swore that anybody who
would come expecting to see "Old Sledge'
tomorrow was an internal fool, for he WASH
acorning. He laid bare his strong arms
and shook his long hair and said he wished
the lying, deceiving hypocrite would come,
for it had been nigh on to IA years since
he had made preacher dance.
Saturday morning by 9 o clock the set
tiers began to gather. They came on foot
and on horseback, and in carts-men,
women and children, and before IL o clock
there were more people at the crossroads
than had ever been there before. Bill
Jones was mad at their credulity, but ne
had an eye to business, and kept behind
his counter and sold more whiskey In an
hour than he had sold in a month. As
the appointed hour drew near the settlers
began to look down the long, straight road
that ''Old Sledge" would come, if he came
at all, and every man whose head came in in
sight just over the rise Of the distant hill
was closely scrutinized.
More than once they said, "Yonder he
comes-that's him, shore. - But no, 1t
WASH him.
Some half dozen had old bull seye sill.
YER watches, and they compared time, and
lust at 10. 55 O. clock the old horse thief