The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1916-09-21

purity q sight as man would care to
see. But Jane comes of hard thinkin'
Dutch stock, an never had any sort
o religion, an, while she is pure gold
In many ways, she don't seem to be-
iieve thar is sech a thing as a God or
When Baker was trudging away
and Abner was turning toward the
house. Mary came from the kitchen. q
pan of meal dough in her hands with
which she was feeding the ducks and
chickens.
Il don't think l slept wink last
night" she said. as she emptied the
pan and turned to meet him. How
ard and l have been such close friends
for so long that calamity like this is
almost unbearable. You will want to
get to town early. I'm sure. and so
I'm going to get your breakfast
They went into the quaint old kitch-
en-. Seeing nice strip of bacon
on a table Abner cut several slices,
and. holding them over the embers on
Il fork. he broied them.
LET me fry you some fresh eggs
she suggested. THE pan is hot. and
it won't take minute"
'Thank you." he said. "You are Il
good gal. Mary-as good as ever
knowed."
Il only wish l were," she faltered
Then maybe God would hear my pray
ers. Uncle Abner"- She hesitated.
Il know what it was," he said
You needn't tell me. fer know. At
sech a time, little girl. you an me
could only pray fer one thing"
But I've been wondering"
fixed her eyes on his melting face as
she moved small table forward for
his plate and cup and saucer-"rve
been wondering If there is not some
great spiritual law at the bottom Of
what Jesus kept emphasizing-that
only prayers made in perfect faith are
answered. And as kept praying last
night began to wonder If my prayers
were not actually hindered by my doubt
and fears"
II catch yore point" Abner had fix
ed his eyes on her grief swept face
That's one of the biggest thoughts in
the world. have tuck notice that
when I pray fer thing an know ii
is comm that it always does ceme, an
eff I doubt at all the whole thing falls
fat"
That's it"-Mary suppressed a sigh
-"and all last night. while was pray
ing. something seemed to keep saying
to me that wrong had to be in the
world. and that in consequence my
prayers were falling on closed ears. II
| could have believed they would be
answered perhaps they would have
been. but my fears were SO overpower
ing that
"Ah. that's fact, an big. big one!'
Abner broke in. with kindling eyes
who knows but that was yore su
prene test? think sech trials have
to come to all of US accordin' to divine
law. Tharin lies the meaning Of THY
vii. be done. 1t seems awful unfair
to hare to bow the head before inius
tice. as we look at it. but eff you or
could rise so high right now as to bs
able to submit without a murmur ever
to the worst that might happen in this
case we might be higher to the natur,
O God. Another Mary long ago hat
to stand by an see her beloved sol
slowly tortured to death, but look wha
has come Of it-come of it to the whole
wide world? Can we doubt that tina
mother. livin' now amongst the bless
ed, is satisfied with all that happened
Why, every soul. Mary, that wings it
way heavenward through that infiu
ence would fall faintin with bliss a
.er feet Gods law is right, an it i
more sure to be right at the very tim
we think it is wrong. I'm shrinkin
back from this here trouble, but evel
| ef it went plumb agin me I'd still tt.
| to think Ged knowed better what wa
right than me. Did l ever tell yo
| about how my best comrade In wal
times died?"
81 don't think so," Mary answered.
| Me an him was nigh the sam
age" Daniel went on reminiscently
IAN hardships an trouble in then
awful times tied us closer together
1--WE marched side by side. shared GU
| rations O hardtack an salt pork al
| drank water from the same cantee
| after his was shot off his back in
skirmish. He was the best, pures
minded boy 1 ever knowed His bear
was jest beginning to sprout like va
Ter fuzz on peach; his eyes was SIX
blue. an his hair was reddish gol(
He smiled Ike a gal. He was an onl
son Of poor widow, an she had dote
on i'm so much that she wouldn't col
sent to his goin' to war; But he &C
In with a gang Of schoolmates that wa
goin' an slipped off an enlisted
KNOWN that boy convinced me ths
thar are some persons that arc sens
tive enough by nature to know whe
/ thing bas happened off at distant
and even be aware beforehand th;
something important is about to TAX
place. That boy predicted so man
things accurately that the soldie
would come to i'm at night an ak II
eff all was well at Their homes an I
they was goin' to git letters. an Il
like. Sometimes he'd make Il try at
. an then agin he'd say he wasn't
trim for 1t. He used to tell me thin:
that he kept back from the others. II
instance. I've seed i'm suddenly poi
out comradc as we was marchin'
! battle an heard i'm sigh an say th
. he felt sure that particular one VOL,
/ fall before night, an it come tru
Just before the battle at Chickamau;