Amador ledger., 1909-09-24
A MATTER OF
CONSCIENCE.
BY NJ. QUAD.

ter Of fact, but the title still chung to
him. it was the same with Deacon
Abraham Noble. For ten years there
was a nuighborly aud brotherly feel
ing between these two men Then
came a Rupture. They traded horses,
and cslcla felt that the other had taken
Advantage Of him. There was no
scandal over It, hut the two men were
cool tO each other and had moth
ing 10 explain. even to their wives.
The minister OF their church sought 10
smooth over matters. but found them
HOlQc0mnlittal.
at tive end OF t'lrr year Deacon Hart
rose up In prayer meeting one night
and said THAT. vihile he had tried his
locst to be 81 good man. he had uqsade "a
slip or two In his life. One OF those
Slips rested hard on his conscience and
lie would ask forgiveness. lie wgsatout
TO make ~ statement when q brig piece
of plaster fell from the ceTling and
struck him 'on the head. and Ibfs i'm
tui'ieS were such that he was dn he'd
for n fortnight.
He had ihsell out Of bed and walking
around for Il month wben Ire and
Deacon Noble met on the bridge. They
were about to pass with q mod when
the latter deacon stopped and said:
"'Ul'iah. l don't feel right 9n my MUD.
1t isn't about that horse Trade. hut
something else. think OF q and can't
Sleep nights. I'm going 40 own mp
and ask yoI"
But he didn't own up. Eust then III
farmers runaway team came along.
and they had to jump ip1e the cVeGk
to get 'oUG of the way. They both
crawled out sopping wet and weut
home. and after they had got dnied
out conscience didn't seem to nEfck
quite 40 hard. Then Deacon Hurt
wounded himself in the leg with ii
pitch Fork. and after day or two
symptoms. of blood poisoning set in.
He feared that his days Were num-
hered. arAl he sent for Deacon Mobile
and said:
'Abrahani. / may die OF this. and
want to leave my house IN order. MY
conscience is pricking me ;sDout Il Ger
| want &~ get it off my ndEd."
"Thut's right Uriah," urged the oth-
er NO one ought to 90 to the grave
with anything on his mind. am ready
to hear g0ur confession"
But no confession was made. The
doctor caane in just then to examine
and dress the wound. and he said he
,rl., n tt,f, I.o4
the bad symptoms had disappeared
and that 7iae leg would now do nicely.
These words had Il wonderful effect
on conscience. and the deacon shut his
lips and waited for some other time
That time didn't come for year or
more. Then Deacon Mobiles wife was
taken i'll 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 and began TO express
his sympathy Deacon Noble decided to
relieve his conscience.
But he didn't relieve 1t. The doctor
came 10 the door and beckoned to him
and whispered that lie believed the crisis
was passed. 1t was such good news that
Deacon Noble wouldn't have confessed
anything for hundred dollars. His
wife convalesced. and time ran along
until the bannua camp meeting
opened. Both deacons 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 q
visiting minister. and at length Deacon
Hart got up and said that he could
stand it no longer He was admon-
ished to make full confession. but
before he could start out Deacon No
bic. who was laboring under nervous
excitement. arose and said that he
had burden on his conscience that
me was determined to get rid of.
Something might have come of the
two confessions then and there but for
some oafers who had planned to
break up the meeting They let Il lot
If bees loose on the people and created
n diversion lasting I'm hour. and when
II was over it was found that both
dcacons had been stung so many times
that any matters of conscience had
been adjourned to a more propitious
occNSion That occasion came just Il
year later There was Il flood in the
river, and both deacons turned out to
help the s;lwmill man save his prop
crry They We're engaged in this
ueighborly task when both found
themselves seated on the same log and
being whirleO downstream. 1t was
then That Deacon Hart said:
abraham. we are in danger"
I'VE are. Uriah."
we may never see home again"