The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-10-31

l Ing the lONelOfn SnpSlop aTFtNeu thdl
 afternoon at-a roadside ale house, where
 they found the parson contentedly smok- 1 Ing his pipe over a glass of ale and won 1 dering what had become of Joseph. Slip
 slop gave Joseph a lift in the coach for
 the next stage of the journey, though
 that bashful and virtuous youth was much disturbed by the admiring glances and slight pressures of the hand which
 the mature virgin now and then be- l gift of beauty! how men who possess 1t are persecuted, to be sure.
 They had not proceeded far before Jos eph, putting his head out of the coach
 window, cried: "As I live, if there is not Parson Adams-and he has forgotten his horse" Sure enough the parson was trot- ting along on foot at a swinging gait and when he saw the coach whip up to i, try and overtake him ran still faster, waving his great crabstck and crying You can't catch me" So the coach slowed down and let the parson go. Now at one turn of the road it was just pos sible to get off the right direction That ! possibility, of course, Parson Adams ac- l complished, and after wandering about 1 aimlessly for while, sat down on hill ] and, taking out copy of his favorite Es- chylus, which he always carried with him, read composedly until man who was out shooting came along and asked him what he did there T am waiting for the stage coach." replied Adams. Bless you" said the man, you are off the road and the stage coach has passed. You might have seen it from this hill had you been looking"
 The right was closing in and the stranger, who talked loudly and boasted of his bravery, invited Adams to his house for the night. As they were cross ing field near some woods they heard a female voice calling loudly for help. The parson ran at once to the rescue of the distressed damsel, whom he found struggling in the grasp of two ruff1ans, while the man who had been talking so bravely ran off as fast as his legs could carry him.
 Adams set upon the villains with his crabstick and so battered them that, after short struggle, one ran away and the other lay senseless upon the ground. What was the astonishment of the parson to find that the damsel whom he had res cued was none other than the charming Fanny A traveller had brought her word of Joseph's lying i'll at the inn where he had been taken after his encounter with the footpads and the dear girl had taken all the money she had, amounting to half a crown, and set out on foot to the rescue of her lover.
 After explaining matters to the people who, attracted by the noise of the con- fict, now came running up and to the justice before whom he was taken, Adams and Fanny set out to find Joseph. At the first inn they came to they met to their great delight the longedfor youth. The rage of Slipslop at the appearance of Fanny may be imagined, and that lady drove off in her coach the next morning in mighty huff, leaving the three trav- elers to their own devices. And de vices they stood in need of when the par son proposed to settle the bill for their entertainment. Joseph had no money at all, Fanny's money had been taken from her by the rascals who had assaulted her and the parson had only sixpence ha'- penny in his pocket, while they owed nearly seven shillings. Adams was at his wits end and the landlady was wax ing furious when peddler, who had been listening quietly to the altercatlon. took the parson aside and loaned him the necessary sum, saying he was bound to Adams parish and would stop and col- lect 1t from him there. So the three. set
 
 lieved from his dilemma and Fanny and Joseph at being in each others com pany.
 But by night lack of food and weariness of travel had so exhausted Fanny that she could go no further and begged Joseph to knock at the door of a comfortable-lool<- ing huse which stood near the road and beg permission to rest while in its shell ter. It happened that the house and a small estate surrounding it were owned by Mir. Wilson, who, when he per- ceived the modest and innocent look of Fanny and the cassock of Adams, and after a little talk with the parson which convinced him that he was what he rep resented himself, made them welcome guests for the night. You may be sure they ate heartily enough of the good supper which Mrs. Wilson at once pro- vided This Wilson had been a great beau in his day. but, having learned at last the hollowness and vanity of the world and having spent all his own and most of his wifes fortune, he had re- tired to this farm to live at peace for the remained of his days. valuable store of worldly wisdom had MT Wilson gathered in the course of his varied life and had proved the fallacy of many max inns generally accepted and of opinions generally received without question. So when Parson Adams said he could judge man by his face, Wilson replied: Judge him by his face, sir! Never look in a mans face to learn anything about him except whether he has had smallpox or not"
 As they sat by the fire that night after the women had retired Wilson told the parson the story of his life, and his ac- count of how he passed a day when he was among the most fashionable of the town beaux presents curious picture of the manners and customs of good society in the year 1742. "In the morning." said he, q took my great stick and walked out in my green frock, my hair in papers, and sauntered about until 10. Went to the auction; told Lady Blanck she had dirty face; laughed heartily at something Captain said though I did not very well hear it; whispered Lord This and