The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1909-01-11


 ] members of the Kent and Horner fac- l tions. nearly all of whom had come unwillingly, and around them was a double line of attentive soldiers. Out | side other soldiers-the church was | within our lines-walked up and down. rifle on shoulder, and on the slope not | far away the polished metal work of a Gatling gun gleamed brightly. | Through the open door of the church | the glorious June sunshine poured in a golden flood, illuminating the swarthy set faces of the feudists, and bringing out every stern feature. | I sat near the front, with MT. Hay on one side of me and Mrs. Hay on the other when Elias came into the pulpit. 1 He was as one consecrated, 'the light l that never was on sea or land" shin 1 ing on his face. I have compared him l before to one of the prophets of old and I think it good comparison. To- day he was transported by his task.
 There was intense silence in the | room as he opened his Bible. The Rents were on one side of the church and the Horners on the other, and be- 1 but now they looked only at the min 1 ister.
 Certain moments, when we are lift | ed up and carried on by a superhuman strength which is of the spirit, come | into the lives of all of us, and such a moment had now come into the life of Elias Peabody. He preached from the sublime text. Vengeance is mine saith the Lord,'' and he levelled ter rible words at the two factions before l him which had claimed vengeance as 1 their own.
 I am low1ander with the 1owland- CTS doubts that will come now and 1 then, but in the mountains all is faith. | It is not easy to doubt with the ma | jestic peaks looking down in silent re- l buke, and all of this vast primeval belief, this fire and passion in the ser vice of Christ, with whom he com muned daily. was centred in the soul | of Elias Peabody. He spoke in sim pie words. he used few gestures, but his was the eloquence of a great un- taught world and he reached the mind | and heart of every man in that build ing.
 He preached no milk and water doc Urine, but a Hell. at least of the soul, if not of the body. Every word was laden with conviction and went straight. to the mark. I Saw the dark faces of the feudists paling before the lightnings that he hurled. More than one looked toward the door and made the first motion to steal out, but my
 
 had to listen
 Elias painted magnificently with mountain symbol and illustration the condition into which they had brought themselves. He told how the wrath of God would punish the assassins and the murderers, and he deftly alluded to the temporal power, that is the State, as another agency at hand to help. But it was always the spiritual wrath that fhaU fparo6 fha I could see and as I had expected. Their apprehension soon passed into fright as the great minister thundered in vective and threat at them and more than once I saw huge mOuntaineer nervously wipe perspiration from his face with the back of his hand.
 Elias passed from the thunders of the Church to the promise of peace for those who would walk in the strait and narrow path. Honesty. and abso- lute openness were necessary, he said, our lives should be blameless in the eyes of all, and as he spoke his eyes rowing over the congregation met mine. I thrilled in spite of myself, because I knew than that Elias, unconsciously, had begun to preach to me.
 He talked again of the strait and narrow path. No man could carry his sin, he said, he must throw it off, or the burden would become too heavy for him to bear. My eyes wandered around the church and met those of Harrison, cynical even sneering. I believed that he understood, but it did not matter to me then whether he did or not. Elias was appealing to a higher motive than fear. He describ- ed in words, simple in themselves, but burning with the truth, the freedom and joy of the man who had cast off his burden of sin, and all the time I listened spellbound, feeling his words eat into my very soul.
 I did not know then that he preach ed a long time-I was told afterward that we were two hours in the church but when he finished we all went out in a dazed silence. He had preached the sermon I wanted and also another I had not expected. Both kept me thoughtful for a long time, and I un- derstoOd more clearly than ever that things could scarcely go on in the old way. The warnings were too strong.
 I stayed two weeks in Elverson and I found that the double threat of spir- itual and temporal punishment was a good deterrent for the Rents and Horners, and [ had the satisfaction, too, of seeing the murderers placed on trial for their lives, several of which were afterWard taken by the State. But Elias remained as the great moral deterrent, and it was his influence, aided by little judicious law that set tied forever the feud of the Rents and the Horners.
 When I came away with two of the military companies, leaving only one or guard, Elias walked with me to the edge of the valley.
 "I feel that God brought us together again, Charlie" he said, "and it was for the good of us both. I know that you will do right, Charlie
 If I know what is right, and if I am strong enough to do it, I replied.
 'The way will be pointed out to you," he rejoined with the tone and look of a seer.
 The opening from the valley, a mar row cut between the ridges was not far from Elverson. and I stopped there a moment to look back at Elias. He stood on the crest of a little hill, his tall thin figure enlarged in the bril- liant sunshine, his head bent forward a little, as if he would gaze after us until we should pass out of sight.