Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1910-09-28
An Evangelist
By OLIVE EDNA MAY
Copyright. 1910, by American Press
Association.

mex Sunday. | wisht you'd go n hear
him. You don know how mis'abIe it |
makes me to be in tile fold and have
my husban' out of it,
WHATS an evangelism"
IAN evangelist is one of them minis
ter's the Lord sends onct in a while !
to str up the feelins O. them as can't
be teched by ordinary means"
One of whom | am which"
Yes, you be. Elijah. I'ms sorry to
say it. hope you'll go and hear this
hoiy man and mebbe he'll tech your
heart"
Mahulda DunkerS sighed and walked
away. Her efforts to bring her hus-
band under the influences that guided
her always proved abortive. He was
matter of fact man, while she was
emotional BY some he was called a
scOffer, though no one ever heard him
speak disrespectfulIy of religion. He
disliked cant and those disposed to
cant called him Scoffer because he
was not of their ilk. The couple lived
in tine far west where extremes were
extremist in mattersl of religion. If
the husband was an extremist it was
in the manifest presence of the devil
who seemed to guide both the good
and the bad in Nuggetville.
Sunday morning came and a few
minutes before service time a man in
| clerical garb was seen descending the
fP4iI "a il-nH y1-ith SIR md
| carried a prayer book in his hand. The
| Reverend Mr.. SANITY was unknown
| to a single person in Nuggetville. He
! had sent word that be would preach
| there on that Sunday morning and
! hoped that he would move every I'M
| Christian man. woman and child in the
| camp to repentance.
Elijah Dunkers saw the evangelist
! coming and watched him descend the
| canyon.
! What makes We scow so. Elijah?"
| asked his wife. ut seems that every
thing holy has a contrary effect on We
| Can't you look at man of God with
out shown the impiety there is in We!
1t isn't you that's scowlin at this
servant Of the Lord; it's the devil
| that's got a holt on yer heart"
"Jes' you go to meetin, Mahulda.
What We got to put in the hat?"
81 got four ounces O. dirt
'Ye goin' to give four ounces O. dirt
to that
"Forbear, Elijah. Forbear: Don't
speak impiously of the Lords anoint-
ed"
Elijah turned away. His wife made
one more effort to induce him to ac
company her to the grove that was
one of Gods first temples" but he
paid no attention TO her.
The evangelist found the people of
Nuggetville assembling and taking
seats on the boards ranged in front of
stump to which a piece of scantling
supporting an inclined bit of timber
for book rest was fastened. Mount
ing the stump be said:
My friends | wish before beginning
the service to ask if any one Of you
have brought to this place consecrated
to the Lords service any of those
hellish machines used to kill your fell
them at the foot of that tree over
yonder,"
He waited while several of the men
present. awed by his impressive tone,
deposited their revovPrS and knives as
he directed When they were again
seated the evangelist asked if any
other person was deSpcrating the
place and called down the wrath of
7 heaven upon them if they were. This
resulted in the deposit of two more
/ weapons. after which the service pro-
ceedpd
Mr. SANITY proved to be one Of
those men who have the faculty of
pouring forth ii torrent of words work
ing on their hearers more by their
personal intensity than by what they
say EXcitabl himself. be excited 9th
erS. His word pictures of the terrible
damnation in store for those who did
not do what he told them to do were
lurid as an approaching tornado Mrs.
DunkerS. the most emotional woman
in the congregation. became hysterical.
The evangelist finished his exhortation
with the following words:
And now. my hearers. l. wish you
to plant Oh this holy ground a church.
| | desire that one of your number pass
around the hat TO receive your contri-
buttons, and remember that as you
! give so shall you be received at the
last day into heaven"
A white headed man arose. passed
around a hat. and when he had finish
ed set it down, overflowing with gold
dust and coins. at q point indicated by
the evangelist. Then the good man
dismountad from the pulpit stump.
walked up TO the hat. faced the con-
gregation drew ~ caliber revolver,
covered those present. picked up the
hat and said:
you're the easiest plucked lot o. ga
loots ever relieved o their dust"
He was turning TO walk away with
the plumber when shot knocked his