Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1909-08-05
THE TRIBUNE, MINERAL POINT, WISCONSIN,
A MATTER OF
CONSCIENCE,
~ "A. QUAD.

ter Of rart but the title still chung to
him Il WAS Tie same with Deacon
Abrallm Noble FOR ten years there
WAS upigid,orly ana brotIrrIy fnpi-
iug between these two men Then
came rupture. They traded horses.
and each felt that the p;her had taken
advantage of him. There was No
scandal over It. but the two men were
cool 10 each other and had moth
ing to explain. even to their wives.
The mini ,ter of their church sought TO
smooth over matters. but found them
noncommittal
At the end OF the year Deacon Hart
rose NJ in prayer meeting one night
and said that while he had tried his
best to he u good man. he had made a
slip or two in bis life. One of those
slips rested hard Oh his conscience aad
he would nSk forgiveness. He wasabout
to make a statement when big piece
of plaster fell from the ceiling and
struck him on the head. and his In
juries were such that he was in bed
for fortnight
He had been out of bed and walking
around for n month when he and
Deacon Noble met on the bridge. They
We're about TO pass with Il nod when
the latter deacon stopped and said:
"Urah, don't feel right in my mind.
1t isn't about that horse trade, but
something else. think of it and cant
sleep nights. I'm going to own up
aud ask YOU
But he didn't own up. just then a
farmers runaway team came along.
and they lad To jump into the creek
to get out of the way. They both
crawlcd out sopping wet and went
home. 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 n
pitchfork. and after Il day or two
symptoms Of blood poisoning set in.
He feared that his days were num-
bercd. ana he sent for Deacon Noble
and said
Abraham | may die of this. and |
want to leave my house In order. My
conscience is pricking me about a GER
tain thing in connection with you. and
/ want TO get it of my mind"
That's right. Uriah." urged ,he 9th
er no one ought to go to the grave
with anything on his mind. Fm ready
to hear your confession"
But no confession was made. The
| doctor came in just then TO examine
and dress the wound and he said he
was glad to inform Deacon Hope that
the bad symptoms had disappeared
and that the lex would now % nicely.
These words hAd wonderful effect
| on conscience, and the deacon shut his
| lips ana waited for some other time.
| That time didn't come for year or
more Then Deacon Mobiles wife was
taken III with typhoid fever. When
the crisis approached aud the doctor
| said the chances We're all against her
| the husband broke down. He was out
under an apple Tree, and when Deacon
| Hart CAME along and began to express
his sympathy Deacon Noble decided 10
relieve his conscience.
But he didn't relieve it, The doctor
came to the door ana beckoned to him
| and whispered that he believed the crisis
was passed 1t was such good news that
| Deacon Noble wouldn't have confessed
| anything for u hundred dollars His
wife convalcSced. and time ran along
until the bianuual camp meeting
| opened Both deuconS were particu-
! larly 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 Il
visiting minister. and at length Deacon
Hart got up ana said that he could
stand il no longer lie was admon-
iShcd To make full confession. but
before he could start out Deacon No
Bile who was luborng under nervous
excitement, arose ana said that he
had burden ON his conscience that
ne was determined to get rid of.
Something might have come Of the
two confessions then and there but FOR
some loafcrs who had planned to
break up the meeting They let a lot
Of bees loose on the people aud created
a diversion lasting an hour. and when
! il WAS over IL was found that both
deaconS had been stung SO many times
that amy matters of conscience had
been adjourned 20 more propitious
| occasion That occasion came just a
| year later There was flood IN the
| river, and both deaconS turned out 10