The Washington herald., 1907-05-19

in this life that amt little, till you git
10 follerin' EN- up and seein' what they
come to-
1 thought of Pippa's song:
Say not a small event Why 'smallp
Costs il more pain that this. ye call
A great eTent, should come TO Iass.
Than thats Uutwine me from The mass
OF deeds which make up life. one deed
Power shall fall short in or exceed
And Aunt Jane went seTenely on:
Anyhow. it wasn't long till Amos was
goin' to his church and Marthy to hers,
and they kept that up the rest of their
lives Still. they might "a got along well
enough this way, for married folks don't
have 10 think alike about everything but
they was eternally arguin' about their
church doctrines II Amos grumbled
about the weather. Marthy'd say, Amt
everything predestined? Warn't this
drought app'inted before the foundation
OF the world? What's the sense in grum-
bin over the DEGREES Of GOdT And 1t
got so that If Amos wanted 10 grumbe
over anything, he had 10 gil away from
home first and that must "a been mighty
wearin on him; for, as rule, man
never does any Erumblin except at homei
but pore Amos didn't have that privilege
Sam Amos used 10 Say-Sam wasn't
church-member himself that there was
some advantages about bein a Babtist
after all: you did have 20 go under the
water. but then you had the right 10
srumble But If a man believed that ey-
erythng was predestined before the foun-
dations Of the world, there wasn't any
sense oil. reason In findn' fault with any
thing that happened. And he believed that
he'd ruther line the Babtist Church than
the Presbyterian. for he didn't see how
he could carry on his farm without COM
plainln about the weather and the crops
and things in general.
If Marthy and Amos'd been divided on
anything but their churches the children
might "a brought 'em together, but ev-
cry time a child was born matters got
worse Amos. of course, wanted EN- all
babtlzed in infancy. and Marthy wanted
'em immersed when they Jinad the
church. and so il went. Amos had his
way about the first one, and l never
shall fOrgt the day il was born. !
went over 20 help wait on Marthy and
the baby, and as soon as l got the little
thing dressed. we called Amos in 10 see
H. Now. Amos always took his religion
mighty hard II didn't seem 20 bring him
any comfort or peace o. mind I've
heard people say they didn't see how
PTeSbyterianS ever could be happy, but,
Ia. child, it's jest as easy 70 be happy
i'm one church as in another Il all de-
pends on what doctrines you think the
most about. Now you take election and
justification and sanCtifCatiOn. and You
can git plenty O. comfort out o. them.
But Amos never seemed to think Of any
thing but repTObatiOn and eternal damna-
tlon. Them doctrines jest seemed to
weigh on him night and day. lie used
TO say many a time that he didn't know
whether he had made his calm and cleo
ton sure or not. and 1 don't believe he
thought that anybody else had made
theirs sure, either Abram used 90 say
that Amos looked ike he was Carrrin
the sins o. the world on his shoulders.
THAT day the baby was born / thought
To myself. Well here's somethin' thstN
make Amos forgtt about his calm and
election. for once anyhow and I wrap
ped the little feller up in his blanket and
held him TO the light, so his father could
see him. and Amos looked at him like he
was skeered, for a minute. and then he
says o Lord. | hope it amt a reprobate.'
Now jest think Of man lookin' down
into "a little newborn babys face and
taIkin about reprobates,
"Marthy heard what he said, and says
She Amos are you goin' 10 have him
babtized I'm infancy"
Why. yes, says Amos; of course
II am"
And Marthy says. We'll. hadn't YOU
better wait until YOU find out whether
he's a reprobate or not? If he's a rep
rebate babtizin' amt goin' to do him any
good and If he's elected he don't need
to be babtized'
And I says. For goodness sake. Mar
Thy, you and Amos Jet tne doctrines alone.
or you'll throw yourself into "a fever
And I pushed a rockin chair up by the
bed and I says. Here. Amos. you set
here by your wife, and both Of YOU thank
the Lord for givin' you such a fine child
and 1 laid the baby in Amos arms. and
went out i'm the Eydrdan To look around
and git some fresh air. I gethcred a
I bunch q hOneySuCklcs 90 put on Mar
thyS table. and when I got back, Marthv
and the baby was both asleep. and Amos
looked AS If he was beginnin' tn have
some little hopes of the childs salvation.
"Marthy named him John. and Sam
I Amos said he reckOned II was for John
/ the Babtist But it wasn't il was for
Marthv's twin brother that died when b.
was jest three months old. Twins run n
/ the Crawford family Amos had him bab-
/ tized I'm infancy Jest like he said he would
and such a hOlleril' and squalliu' never
was heard IN Goshen church The next
/ day Sally Ann says 10 me. SAYS she.
/ That child must a been a Babtist, Jane:
for he didn't appear 10 favor infant bab-
tism.
We'll, Marthy had her say-so about
/ the next Chld-that one was q boy. too.
and they named him Amos for his father
and young Amos wasn't babtizcd i'm in
fancy; he was laid aside for immersion .
as sam Amos said. Then il was Amos
time to have his way, and 50 they went
on till young Amos was about fifteen
years old and Marthy got him converted
and ready 10 be immersed The Babtists
had a big meetin' that spring. and there
was a dozen or more converts to be bab-
tized when IL was over. Wed been havin'
mighty pleasant weather that March: I
ricOllect me and Abram planted our pO-
tatoes the first week in March. and |
would put In some peas. Abram said il
was too early. and sure enough the frost
got 'em when they was about two inches
/ high. 1t turned off real cold about the
last o March. and when the day for the
hdbtizin' come. there was a pretty keen
east wind end Kittle Creek was mighty
high and muddy, OWN to the rains they'd d
had further up. There was some talk o.
putin off the babtizin' till better wealth
er but Brother Gyardner. he says: The
colder the water, the warmer your faith.
brethren; Christ never put off any bab-
tizin' on account Of the weather.
Sam Amos asked him if he didn't reck-
on there was some difference between the
climate o. Kentucky and the climate o.
Palestine. Sam was always a great hand
to joke with the preachers. But the way
/ things went that day the weather didn {
make much difference anyhow to young
Sam.
The whole neighborhOOd turned out
Sunday evenin end went over 10 Kittie
Greek To see the big babtizin' Marthy an
Amos and all tho children usas tbara