Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1909-11-24
His Thanksgiving Sermon
Ry veIma cald well Melville.

| He was minister and the morrow
was Thanksgiving. An eloquent
f1owerv sermon lay finished on MS
desk and in the early twilight. wen
satisfied. he turned an easy chair 10
the fire and settled himself to rest
But the mind never rests and soon
he was busily engaged in counting up
the successes and blessings OF the
| past year.
sTt's been an uncommonly sat1sfac-
/ tory year." he mused; "and an uncom-
monty busy one. Let me see, l have
preached at least seventy-f1ve SER
mons and touched on every vital Ques-
| tion.''
mo, you haven't" said decided
voice beside him. Turning in surprise,
he saw a sweet creature, angelic IN
appearance, who certainly did not
| look capable of contradicting man
| so fatty.
"Why, what's this? Who are you"
81 am an angel of mercy"
"Eh! Anybody dying or in need?
Did you want me?"
Plenty of people are dying and in
need, but for none of them am
here. Yes l want you; get ready
for we have long journey before u.s."
But it's chilly out; 1 am tired, and
tomorrow we dine at Judge LIS" re
monstrated the man of God.
"Are you a Christian?'' asked the
angel
Most certainly; why, am minis
ter of the Gospel
did you not say that, as such, you
had touched all vital questions dur
ing the past year?"
II did"
"Sir, some of us angels of mercy
have lowered over your pulpit, as well
as all other Christian pulpits every
Sabbath during the past year, and
while you have been diligent along
some lines, you have never men
toned in either sermon or prayer one
of the most vital questions of the
day."
Astounded, the good man could only
stare and mutter: what can you
mean?"
Come with me and will show you
1t would do no good for me to talk;
seeing is believing
Impelled against his will, the min
lister made ready and accompanied
his guide, who, strangely enough, led
him to large livery stable. With
supernatural sight he beheld as he
passed from stall to stall, the deform-
tiles and diseases that made life per-
feet torture for majority of the
poor horses there confined. Some were
grooming with toothache exaggerated
by having a bit in the mouth all day
long, some could not eat, though we'll
nigh fam1Shed, on account of torn and
bleeding mouths, sore throats, induced
by long dusty drives without water !.
irregular teeth and other ills. Others
held up their feet and moaned with
pain. Shoes, put ON hap-hazard-
most cases their feet cut down to
fit the shoe-cramped them until the
pain was unbearable; nails were ruth
lessly driven into the quick; these.
and one poor fellow with hoof half
torn off, had been relentlessIy driven
by any and everybody who could pay
their hire.
And nobody to speak a word in our
defense and we can't speak for our
Selves walled one, whose neck was
swollen in knots from the use of the
overdrawn checkrein.
And yet there is class of peo
pie calling themselves Christians. who
pretend to give their lives to the
helping the helpless and doing good"
said another, who shivered so he
could hardly make himself heard
Here I've endured untold torture all
summer, my master having cut off nv
tail and name, from flies and singing
insects, and now they have clipped
close all the hair on my body, and
oh I'm SO cold!"
What did he clip you for?" asked
another.
Style! My mistress is a very de-
vout woman and they've been deco
rating the church for THANKSGIVING
services tomorrow, and had to stand
in the wind-my head drawn clear
pack-and every bone in me aching,
for three long hours. It's her doings
having me clipped. She says it's the
fad"
Is she Christian
Eyes, indeed"
What the minister saw and heard
was as new and astonishing to him
as If the same had never come to his
notice before, and that poor, clipped,
over-checked horse wrought upon his
sympathies as if there had not been
scores OF just such abused creatures
waiting outside his church door