Devils Lake inter-ocean. (Devils Lake, N.D.) 1909-1915, 1909-09-10
h|VIATT'E|:R
CONSCIENCE.
:. RYM QUAD

BY no. al AD.
downright, 1909. " ociated Literary
al Deacon Uriah Hart of the village sc
{ oolsyille was an ex-deacon, as Ii mat.
ter Of fact but the title still chung toS
him. n It was the same with Deacon
Abraham Noble For ten years there
was a neighborly and q brotherly feel
ing between these two men Then
came a rupture. They traded horses,
and each felt that the other had taken,
advantage ct him r hare was no.
scandal over 1t. but The two men were
cool TO- each ther .,ld had moth
ing to xplaln. even To- their wives.
The minister OF their church sought III
smooth over matters. but found them
noncommittal t III 81 sss
AT the end Of the year Deacon Hart
rose up In. prayer meeting one night
and said that: VII Aes he had tried his
best to be ID good man. he had nade a
slip or two In his life One; OF those
slips rested hard on his conscience and
he would ask forgiveness Hewasa bout
to make q statement when a big piece
OF plaster fell from the ceiling and
struck him on the head. and his tn
juries were such that he was ID bed!
for fortnight. 5;. 81 ;2
He had been out of bed and walking
around for a month when he and
Deacon Noble met on the bridge. They;
were about to pass with nod when
the latter deacon stopped and said:
"Uriah; don't feel right IN my mind.
It isn't about that horse trade, but;
something else. i think Of It and can't
sleep nights. I'm going to own up
and ask. you 49, ,Sss.,.- +IsSsss
But he didn't own up. Just then u
farmers runaway team came along,
and they had to jump into the creek
to get out Of the way. They both
crawled out sopping wet and went
home.t and after they had got dried
out conscience didn't seem to prick
quite so hard. Then Deacon Hart
wounded himself In the leg with al
pitchfork, and after day OF two
symptoms Of blood poisoning set In
He feared that his days were num-
bered: and he sent for Deacon Noble
and said - . =: ~, s53SfI
abraham. 1 may die Of this, and #
want: to leave my house In order. Ny
conscience is pricking me about q GER
tain thing in connection with you. and
want to get it off my mind. ~
That's right, Uriah,"' urged the 9TH
er. ''No one ought to go to the grave
with any thing on his mind. Pm ready
to hear your confession" s.: 53:ss3sSl
/ But no confession was made. The
doctor came in" Just then to examine
and dress the wound. and he said he
Twas glad to Inform Deacon Hope that
1.-The bad symptoms had disappeared
and that the leg would now do nicely
These words had a. wonderful eject
Ton conscience, and the deacon shut his
lips and waited for some other time.
That time didn't scome for d year or
more. Then Deacon Mobiles wife was
taken Ill with TYPHOID fever. When
the crisis approached and the doctor
said the chances were all against her
the husband broke down. He was out
under an apple tree. and when Deacon
Hart came along aud began to express
bis sympathy Deacon Noble decided to
lrelieve his conscience. :
But he didn't relieve It The doctor
came to the door and *beckoned to him
and whispered that he believed the crisis
was passed !. It was such good news that
Deacon Noble wouid sfraVec Messed
anything for IA hundred dollars. His
wife convalesced. and lime ran along
until the biannual camp meeting
opened. Both deacons were particu-
larry strong on camp meetings. They
were there and enthusiastic On the
third day Of the camping the spirits Of
all were aroused BY the words of
/ visiting minister. and at length Deacon
Hart got up and said that. he could
stand It no longer. He was admon-
fshed TO make a full confession, but
before he could start out Deacon No
bic. who was aboring under nervous
excitement. arose and said that he
had q burden on his conscience that
he was determined to get rid Of. (: F:
Something might have come OF the
two confessions then and there but for
some loafers who had planned to
/ break up the meeting. They let lot
OF bees loose on the people and created
q diversion lasting an hour. and when
| It was over It was found that both
deacons had been stung 10 many times
] that any matters OF conscience had
been adjourned 10 q more propitious
occasion. That occasion came just a
year later. There was food In the
rtvee. and both deaconB turned ont 10
help the 60 Wrniil man save Ills prop