Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1909-08-27
A MATTER OF
CONSCIENCE,
BY M. QUAD.

POolSville was an eX-deacon, as Il mat
ter of fact, but the title still chung to
him. 1t was the same with Deacon
Abraham Noble. For ten years there
was a neighborly and a brotherly feel
ing between these two men. Then
came rupture. They traded horses,
and each felt that the other had taken
advantage of him. There was no
scanda over it, but the two men were
cool to each other and had moth
ing to explain, even to their wives,
The minister of their church sought to
smooth over matters, but found them
noncOmmittal.
At the end of the year Deacon Hart
rose up i'll prayer meeting one night
and said that. while he had tried his
best to be a good man, he had made Il
slip or two in his life. One of those
slips rested hard on his conscience and
he would ask forgiveness. He was about
to make 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 a fortnight.
He bad 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 a nod whom
the latter deacon stopped and said
"Uriah, don't feel right in my mind.
1t isn't about that horse trade. but
something else. ] think of it and can't
sleep nights. I'm going to own up
and ask you
But he didn't own up. Just then a
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 ana 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 Il
pitchfork, and after a day or two
symptoms of blood poisoning set in.
He feared chat bis Nys were mum
bered. and lie, sent for% Deacon Noble
and said:
''AbrahaIn, 1 may die pf this. and
want to leave my house n ,es' 81. Ny
CONSCIENCE is pricking me about GEL
tain thing in connection with you. and
want to get it off my mind"
That's right, Uriah,' urged the 9th
er. mo one ought to go to the grave
with anything on his mind. FIN 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 leg would now do nicely.
These words had a wonderful effect
on conscience, and the deacon shut his
lips and waited for some other time
That time didn't come for Il 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 it. The doctor
came to the door and 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 a hundred dollars. His
wife cohvalesced, and time ran along
until the biannual 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 a
visiting minister, and at length Deacon
Hart got up and said that he could
stand it no longer He was admon-
iShed to make q full confession, but
before he could start out Deacon No
bic, who was laboring under nervous
excitement, arose and said that he
had a burden on his conscience that
he was determined to get rid of
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
a diversion lasting an hour, and when
it was over it was found that both
deacOns had been stung so many times
that any matters of conscience had
been adjourned to more propitious
occasion. That occasion came just a
year later. There was a flood in the
river, and both deaconS turned out to
help the sawmilI man save his prop
erty. They were engaged in this
neighborly task when both found
themselves seated on the same log and
being whirled downstream 1t was
then that Deacon Hart said:
Abraham, we are in danger"
I'VE are, Uriah'
1--WE may never see home again"
I'm afraid we won't"
"Then I'll make that confession to
you, and you make yours to me-
Yes; the time has surely Gomez
Abraham, we traded horses.
thought you cheated me-
"Just what thought Of YOU, Uriah."
Il didn't say anything about it, but
to get even with you l sneaked into
your barn one night and cut off your
cows tail. Can you, will you. forgive
repentant man?"
with all my heart, Uriah. thought
you had beat me in that horse trade
and one night / sneaked over into your
pasture and knocked the horns off
your bull Shake! Neither one of us
has burned thing on his conscience.
and this saw log is driving riob+