The herald. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1905-1953, 1911-07-20
THE DAY OF
THE TRUMP
Copyright. 1910. by Associated Lit
eTaTy Press.
By Nj. QUAD

picked up his hat off the floor and
walked out of the house without a
word. Mrs. Wigs did not ask where
he was going. She knew. Every week
day night for years and years Silas
had gone down TO the village to loaf
and CAB for two or three hours. Ev-
cry night he inquired for mail at the
postottice, and every night he received
a shake of the head.
On this evening, however, Silas did
something he had never done before
his wife and children. us if bidding
them farewell
Mr.. Wigs had come TO be forty-eight
years old. He had worked all his life.
He hadn't broken his back at it, but he
had done fairly well for n man who
hated work. There were days when
be was hOeinG corn for some one for
81 day that he got SO mad he jumped
up and down and whoOped He want
ed to take life easy. but he couldn't.
He wanted to have Il whole sack OF
-four and three pounds of butter ahead
of the appetite of the family and then
go fishing, but the day had never
come.
Neither the village pOstOfiice nor the
grocery nor the drug store saw Silas
that evening nor for many long even
ingS to come. 1t was remarked that
something must have happened to
him. Something had. On leaving the
house he had walked in the opposite
direction from the village. He had
walked all night and all the next day.
In fact, he kept on walking until he
was 100 miles away. Then he stopped
and got work in hotel barn for few
weeks. He finally found the man he
was looking for, and after several in
teryiews with him Silas put fifty more
miles between him and home. Then
he sat down in a hamlet in the midst
Of rich farming community and got
his breath. AS soon as rested he an
nOunced himself as Ablijah, the proph-
ct. He had come there to warn sin
ners and all others that the last trump
was about to sound. He set the day
for it to sound. The date had been
given him In dream.
Silas' hair hung down to his Shout
ders, and he had a venerable appear
ance and a deep voice No one around
there had ever seen a prophet. but il
wasn't long before everybody was
agreed that Silas at least looked like
one. At first he was laughed at and
ridiculed. but that only made him the
more earnest. He spoke from the
steps Of the tavern, and he went from
house TO house and from farm to farm.
He spoke TO the women more than to
the men. In two weeks he had half a
dozen of them with him. Then he
found male converts. This was in
May. The last trump was to sound on
the 4th of August.
In four weeks two-thirds of the pop
ulatian of a county were converts. In
six weeks there were only a few out
siders. The weekly papers scoffed at
Silas and his dreams and predictions,
but he silenced them by asking. How
do you know that this thing won't
come to passT' They didn't know it.
They couldn't declare it impossible.
They couldn't sneer at the last trump
business without offending their Chris
tan subscribers. 1t was the same
with lawyers and doctors. They jump
ed on Silas to jump off again.
you believe there is a heaven, don't
your he would ask.
"Oh, yes"
Ever been there?"
"Of course not"
ever see any one who hadT
mo"
''Then why do you believer
Because the Bible says So"
But it also saya there shall be
judgment day"
"Yes. but why on the 4th Of Au-
gust"
"Why on any dayi Why not on that
day as well as another?
"If the last trump is to sound what
of our property"
at will be destroyed with the earth,
Of course" was the reply.
That suited some, but not the major
ity.
All day on the Sd Of August the coun-
ty held its breath. Farmer and VII
lager put on clean shirts and did no
work. 1t was said that children forgot
to cry and that never a rooster crowed.
Hundreds of people sat up all that
night, going to their doors now and
then to consult the heavens.
On the morning of the Attn there was
a gathering on hills and knobs and
farewell shaking Of hands. People
spoke in whispers. and husbands and
wives held hands. 1t was so up to 10
o'clock, to noon, to midafternoon, to
shutdown. Then Silas Wigs stood up
and said to the people around him:
at has not come and we will dis
perse, but to hold ourselves in readi-
ness for a week yet. 1t may be that
Gabriel has mistaken the date"
Did they swarm for him? Did they
bring out a rail and tar and feathers7
Did they go to the courts and cast him
into Jail? Nothing of the kind for Silas
Wigs. They allowed that there was
a mistake somewhere. but 1t might be
Gabriers fault instead Of Mr.. Wigs.
II -