The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1914-10-29
VOW!

MY mother was a Scotch Presbyte-
rian. land an angel. if there ever was
one); my father a Lutheran, my sister
an Episcopailan and if there had been
any more of US, some of the other
churches might have had look in.
Well, | learned the Presbyterian
catechism so that | could repeat it
backward or forward, l could sing it or
even whistle it. learned bible verses
by the score, | had regular stunt to
learn so many verses each Sunday and
l thumbed my bible over and over I'M
til it was physical wreck, hunting out
short verses.
l remember at the age of eight, won
first prize, bible with pictures in it,
for learning and reciting the greatest
number of bible verses for the quarter.
in the Sunday school of three hundred
scholars. You can imagine l needed
some urging. Well that little Scotch
mother was right there on the job. My
nearest compititor, a boy of eighteen,
took second prize. a bible with no
pretty pictures.
/ will never forget that grea. Sun
day when we were called up to the
rostrum to receive our prizes. The
superintendent made a little presenta-
tion speech, lot of nice things: YOU
know about what, and felt so proud.
Why, even to this day I can't quite
figure out why l didn't just swell up
and burst.
Looking back over the awful task, l
feel it was worth the effort, for | be-
lieve it was one of the happiest moments
of my mothers life.
Now | wasn't so awful good. You
see | read hundreds of Sunday school
books and soon discovered that the
good little boys always died young and
the not quite so good ones always
carried flowers and wept over the good
little boys grave, so l just played
safely.
Time went on, mother died. Then
college and the world.
I was Of an inqurng torn of mind
wanted to see things, and also had q
streak of-''I'm from Missouri"
Well, | went to the different churches
sometimes and sometimes | didn +. more
often well, you know. went
through the general course like many
others on the religious question. Mental
philosophy, Darwin, Paine. Ingersol,
all the creeds. Mohammadism, higher
Criticism, Praymatism, Christian
Science and Pastor Russell. and by the
time I got around the circle | was up a
tree and so darned high that l was
sort Of dizzy. wasn't sure whether
was created or just evolved ( was
considerably worried. But you know
how tgoes, the cares, hustle, pleasures.
and such sort caseharden fellow and
he let's it run, puts it off and just drifts,
yet back of it all, there is not one of
Us but who expects that at some time,
some how or in some way to skip that
birthstone route and secure those wings,
starry crown 1914 model halo, and the
diadem with the little jewels in tive
haven't figured out just how but we
expect to make good.
But, say, isn't it sort of dangerous 10
put it off so long? Thercsmight be a
wreck and we'd miss the connections
and then his satanic majesty would be
to pay.
Would'nt It be a good plan to work up
a few credits on the ledger that will he
used when we come TO make our final
settlement on that last great day? a
little balance IN our favor would look
mighty handsome just about that time.
Have YOU ever stopped to figure out
whether you are adding enough credits
each day to balance the debts? How is
your balance tocay? Ouch! Running
behind IS mighty dangerous business,
ones clock might stop unexpectedly
and then there would be no time. All
those thinks and lot more percolated
through my thought reservoir.
You know there are al sorts of
opio.ons about the hereafter, some
think there is no hell, others vary from
he'll fire to q state Of mind, some say
God is too good to damn a soul, others
tina, the soul is too good to oe Jamaed