The Celina Democrat. (Celina, O. [Ohio]) 1895-1921, 1910-05-13


The revival in Paradise Valley, con-
Quoted by the Reverand Silas Crafts,
of South Tredegar, was in the middle
of its second week, and the feld-to
use Brother Crafts own word-was
white to the harvest
! Little Zoar, the square, weather
tinged wooden church at the head Of
| the valley, built upon land donated TO
the denomination in times long past
| by an impenitent but generous Major
Dabney, stood a little way back from
the pike in a grove of young pines.
BY half-past six of the June evening
the revivalist's congregation had begun
/ to assemble.
Those who came farthest we're first
on the ground; and by the time T.
year-o old Thomas Jefferson, spatting
barefooted up the dusty pike, had
reached the church house with the KEY,
there was a goodly sprinHing of un-
hitched teams in the grove, the horses
champing their feed noisily in the wag-
n-boxes, and the people gathering in
little neishborhood knots to discuss
gravely the one topic uppermost in I'll
minds-the present outpouring Of grace
on Paradise Valley and the region
roundabout.
Dye reckon the Elder'n make it this
time with his brother-in-law?" asked
tall, at-chested mOuntaineer from the
Pine Knob uplands.
Samantha Parkins, she allows that
Caleb has done sinned away his day
o. grace" said another Pine Knobber,
but | amt goin that far. Caleb's a
-g,r 10 Y9glyau n
old furnace o. his'n-honest and even
grained, and just as good for plow
points and the like as it is for soap
kittles But hot r cold, it's just the
same, ye cayn't change hit and We
cayn't change him"
That's about right said a third.
1T looks to me like Caleb done sot his
stakes where he's goin' to run the fur
row. If livin' a dozen years and mo-
with such a sancterfied woman as Mar
tina Gordon won't make out to toll a
man up to the pearly gates I allow
the amt no preacher goin' to do it."
We'll, now; maybe that's the rea-
son." drawled Japhcth Pettigrass, the
only unmarried man in the small cir
Gle of listeners; but he was promptly
put down by the tall mountaineer
Hold on thar, Japhe Pettigrass! !
allow tn amt no dyed-in- the wool |
hawss- trader like you gOin' to stand |
up and say anything ag'inst Marthy |
Gordon while I'm a-listenin'. I'm rec |
ollectin' right now the time when she |
sot up day and night for more = a |
week WITH my Malviny."
Thomas Jefferson had opened the |
church house doors and windows and |
was out among the unhitched teams |
looking for Scrap Pendry, who had |
been one of a score to go forward for /
prayers the night before. So it, hap
pened that he overheard the hat-chest-
ed mountaineer's tribute to his moth
err It warmed him generously; but
there was a boylsh scowl for Japheth
Pettigrass. what had the horse trader
been saying to make it needful for Bin
Layne to speak up as his mothers de-
fender? Thomas Jefferson recorded
black mark against Pettigrass name,
and went on to search for Scrap.
what you hiding for?" he demand
ed, when the newly made convert was
discovered sllullling in the dusky shad
1ws of the pines beyond the farthest
waGon.
Il amt hidin'," was the half-d defiant
answer.
Come on out where the folks are,
lrged Thomas jefferson. Sim Can
ren and the other fellows are alIowin'
-ou're afeard,'
Il amt afeard" denied the convert
mo; but you're sort O. shamed, and
hats about the same thing, / reckon
1ome on out; I'll go long with you"
Then spake the newborn love in the
leart of the big, rough, country boy !
1 cayn't understand how you can hold
nut Tom-Jeff I've cobe thoo', praise '
he Lord but I jest natchelly got TO
ave stars for my crown. You say
ou'n go long with me, Tom-Jeff: say
ag'in and mean it, ,
1t was admitted on all sides that j
Irother Crafts was a powerful preach IS
r. Other men had wrestled nightly
a Zoar, but none to such heart-shal- !
lg purpose, When he expatiated on t
he ineffable glories of Heaven and I
he joys Of the redeemed which was t
OF too often, the reflection of the ce- I
3stial effulgences could be seen rip
ling like sunshine on the sea Of faces il
preading away from the shore Of the b
ulpit steps. When he spoke of hell h
nd its terrors, which was frequently t
nd with thrilling descriptive, even so t
ardened scoffer as Japheth Petit b