Manchester Democrat., 1910-04-27

the judgment Day were depicted IN
words that fell from the thin lips like
tie sentence of an inexorable Judge. Z;
. Depart. from me. We cursed. into
everlasting fire, prepared for the deviii
and his angels!'" he thundered. and a.
shudder ran through the crowded
church as II an earthquake had shaken
the valley There is your end, inipents
tent soul: and. alas! for you. IL a. onIv
the beginning of fearful eternitvt
Think of IT. you who have time IS
think OF everything but the salvation
\ OF your souls. your sins, and the 4 wf,ii
doom whfchris awaiting you, Think
OF It. you who are throwing your lives
away in the pleasures Of this world {
you who have broken Gods commands !.
You who have stolen when you ti,onrht
mo eye was on You: you who have "a
often committed murder in your hat,nr
hearts! Think not that you ,wfll' IA
suffered to escape! & Every servant q
the most high God who has ever, "a
clared His message to you win be there
to denounce you: ]. silas Crafts. win
meet You al, the judgment.seat ~
Christ to bear my witness against
|syou!' s} ( !, = = .75fs,
"A man. red-faced and with the de-
mon OF the cup of trembliue peerfna
kfrom sunder hie shagEy eyebrows. roEe
|'unsteadily from his seat on the bench
nearest the door.
Sh! he's fotched Tike Bryerson..
new the whisper from lip to ear:s but
the man with the trembling madness
in his eyes was backing toward the
door. Suddenly. he stopped and rose
again with backwoodsman's rife IN
his hands. and his voice sheared the
breathless silence like the snarl Of a
wild beast at bay.
NO, by Jacks, We won't witness
aginstF me. silas Crafts; YEN be
deadi" ~
The crack, Of the rifle went with the
words, and at the flash of the piece the
man sprang backward through the
doorway and was gone. Happily. he
had been too drunk or too tremulous 10
shoot straight. The preacher was un-
hurt, and he was quick to queil the
rising tumult and to turn the Incident
to good account.
"There went the arrow Of conviction
quivering to the heart Of murderer"
he cried. dominating the commotion
with his marvellous voice Come back
here, Japheth Pettigrass; and you.
William Layne: God Almighty will deal
with that poor sinner in His own way.
For him. for every impenitent soulhcre
Tonight, the Hour has struck. Now Is
the accepted time; now is the day Of
salvation While we are singing, Just
as / am, without one plea, let the
doors of divine mercy stand opened
wide, and let every hard heart be soft
ened. Come, ye disconsolate: come
forward to the mercy-sea as we sing
The old, soul-moving, revival hymn
was lifted in a triumphant burst OF
sound, and Thomas Jeferson's heart
began to pound Ikea TRIP -hammer.
Was this his call-his one last chance
to enter the ark Of safety? Just there
was the pinch. "A saying Of Japheth
Pettigrass', overheard in Hargis' store
onft the first day Of the meetings, fiick-
ed Into his mind and stuck there:
Hits scare. first. last. and all the time,
With Brother Silas. He knows mighty
wen that good bunch hickories,
thatll bring the blood every cut, beats
sugar kittle out o. sight when 1t
comes to film the anxious seat" Was
1t really his call? Or was he only
,scared?
The 12-year-old brain grappled
hardly with the problem which has
thrown many an older wrestler. This
he knew: that while he had been lis
tening with outward ears to the rest
less champing and stamping OF the
horses among the pines. but with his
inmost soul to the burning words Ct
his uncle, the preacher a great fear
had laid hold of him-a fear mightier
than desire or shame. or love or ha :
Tired. or any spring of action known to
him. 1t was lifting him to his feet; II
was edging him past the others on the
bench and out into the aisle with the
mourners who were crowding, the space
In front Of the pulpit plat i At the
turn he heard his mothers low-mur-
INJURED Il thank Thee. o sGod!, ard
saw the grim, set smile on his faith
er's face. Then he feal on his knees
on the rough hewn floor. with the tall
countaineer called William Layne en-
his right. and on his leftSa young girl
from the choir who was sobbing softly
In her handkerchief.
To his new young. life after that 4
seemed but a step to June, the queen
Of the months in the valleys OF Ten
L
iZoar had the pick and choice of all
the Sundays of the year for the day
of their baptizing. ,s
The font was of great natures own
providing. as was the mighty temple
housing it-a clear pool IN the creek.
with the green-walled aisles In the
June forest leading down to It. and
the blue arch of the flawless June sky
for dome resplendent. 4S
All Paradise was there to see md
hear and bear witness. as a matter of
1;course; and there were not wanting
lfarm-wagon loads from the great val
ley and from the Pine Knob high
lands. Major Dabney was among th.,
ionlookers, sitting his clean -iimbed
Hambletonian. and twisting his huge
white moustaches until they stood out