Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1908-04-03
THE BOOK AUcTIoNEER's STORY.
Told Before Asking His Auditors to
Bid on a Copy Of the Bible.


He had just sold a copy of Robert G..
[ngersolrs lectures, forty-eight lectures
bound in one volume, and now, turning
to the shelves at his back, the auction
eer took down, as the book he would
offer next, a copy Of the Bible. But be-
fore inviting bids upon it, he talked
about it briefly.
This was a copy bound in flexible
morocco gilt edged over red, and it
contained a concordance. And then for
moment he spoke of the Bible itself,
telling what the Old Testament con-
tanned and what the New, and how for
ages it had been the guide and comfort
Of millions There were some who
picked flaws in the Book, but even these
trusted those who believed in it and
followed its teachings. And then the
auctioneer told little story:
"A man." he said, "who was travelling
in a remote and sparsely settled part Of
the country, found himself overtaken
by nightfall at an isolated farm house.
1t was not the most inviting looking
place in the world, but it was there or
nowhere for him, and so he knocked on
the door and asked II he might stay
there for the night, and the farmer said
he could.
$50 he went in, and the farmer and
his wife gave him supper, and after
time he was ready to go to bed.
"And as a matter of fact the traveller
was troubled in his mind, as he had
been for that matter from the moment
he saw the farmer This was a re-
mote and lonely spot, and the farmer
was a tall, gaunt, silent man with
furrowed face, and he and his wife
were all the people in the household.
And as the traveller dwelt again upon
how far away he was, and upon the
gaunt, silent farmer, he recalled all
the stories he had read of men who had
been murdered and robbed in just such
out Of the-way places, and as the time
came for retiring his fears increased,
and when the farmer showed him at
last to his room the traveller was much
troubled and he prepared for sleep
less and watchful night, and to DEFEND
himself the best he could If need be.
He barricaded the door with all the
movable furniture in the room for one
precaution and he didn't disrobe him.
self, for he wasn't going to bed; he
was going to sit up all night and watch,
and when he had made all his prepa-
rations he put out his light and sat
down to keep guard for the night.
His own light out, the traveller saw
a little beam Of light coming into his
room through a crack in the wall on
the side toward the room where he had
left the farmer and his wife, and to be
sure he pretty soon had his eye to that
crack to see what they were doing, and
there he saw them, the farmer sitting
on one side and his wife on the other
Of the table, and both silent
But presently the traveller saw the
old man get up and go to shelf and
take down a big book which he laid
upon the table and opened. And, bend
ing over the book, the farmer read from
it aloud a chapter from the Bible. And
the reading finished he closed the book,
and then the farmer and his wife knelt
at their chairs and the stern faced
man prayed.
And then the traveller his fears all
gone. took down the barricade from the
door and went to bed to sleep peace
fully and refreshingly, for he knew
that there or anywhere under the roof
Of those who believed in the Bible and
lived according to it's precepts, he was
safe from all HARM"
The auctioneer paused, and for mo-
ment the room was still, and then the
auctioneer spoke again. saying this
time, as he held the book in his hand up
into view:
Gentlemen, how much am I bid for
the ?"-News and Courier.