Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1916-06-28

u
good gal, Mary-as good as ever
knowed."
Il only wish I were," she faltered.
Then maybe God would hear my pray
ers. Uncle Abner''- She hesitated.
II know what it was," he said.
you needn't tell me, fer l know. At
sech time. little girl. you an me
could only pray fer one thing"
but I've been wondering"-Mary
fixed her eyes on his melting face us
she moved small table forward for
his plate and cup and saucer-"l've
been wondering II there is not some
great spiritual law ut the bottom Of
what Jesus kept emphasizing-tha
only prayers made in perfect faith IRE
answered. And us l kept praying last
night began to wonder II my prayers
We're 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. l have tuck notice that
when pray fer thing an know it
Is comm that it always does come, an
eff doubt at all the whole thing falls
fat"
THAT'S it''-Mary suppressed 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
I 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 onel'
Abner broke in, with kindling eyes.
"Who knows but that was yore SUI
preme test? think sech trials have
to come to all Of us accordin' to divine
law. Tharin lies the meaning of Thy
will be done It seems awful unfair
to have to bow the head before injus-
tice, as we look at 1t, but eff you or I
could rise so high right now as to be
able to submit without a murmur even
to the worst that might happen in this
case We might be higher to the nature
O. God. Another Mary long ago had
to stand by an see her beloved son
slowly tortured to death, but look what
has come Of it-come Of it to the whole
wide world? Can we doubt that that
mother. livin' now amongst the bless
ed, is satisfied with oil that happened?
Why, every soul, Mary, that wings its
way heavenward through that 1nflu-
ence would fall fa1ntin' with bliss at
'er feet. Gods law is right. an it is
more sure to be right at the very time
we think it is wrong. I'm shrinkin'
back from this here trouble, but even
eff it went plumb agin me I'd still try
| to think God knoWed better what was
right than me. Did ever tell you
about how my best comrade in war.
times died?"
II don't think so," Mary answered.
ME an him was nigh the same
age," Daniel went on reminiscently,
IAN hardships an trouble in them
awful times tied us closer together.
We marched side by side, shared our
rations O. bareback an salt pork an
drank water from the same canteen
after his was shot off his back in q
skirmish. He was the best, purest
minded boy ever knowed. His beard
was jest beginning to sprout like yal-
Ter fuzz on a peach; his eyes was sky
blue, an his hair was reddish gold.
He smiled like a gal. He was an only
son of poor widow, an she had dotted
on i'm so much that she wouldn't con-
sent to his goin' to war; But he got
in with gang Of schoolmates that was
goin' an slipped off an enlisted.
Known that boy convinced me that
thar are some persons that are sensi-
tive enough by nature to know when
a thing bas happened off at distance
and even be aware beforehand that
something important is about to take
place. That boy predicted so many
things accurately that the soldiers
would come to i'm at night an ak i'm
eff all was we'll at Their homes an eff
they was goin' to git letters, an the
like. Sometimes he'd make try at it,
an then agin he'd say he wasn't in
trim for it. He used to tell me things
that he kept back from the others. For
instance, I've seed i'm suddenly point
out cOmrade as we was marchin' to
battle an heard i'm sigh an say that
he felt sure that particular one would
fall before night, an it come true.
Just before the battle at Chickamauga
a great change come over i'm. He
wasn't as lively as he had always been
encouragin' us with Jokes an pranks
an jolly songs. He looked downcast
an had far off stare in his eyes. !
got uneasy. fer l lowed maybe the
poor food an lack o. substantial shoes
an clean clothes had made i'm sick
tried to cheer i'm up, but he wouldn't
smile. Purity soon. when the bugle
was calm us to the front to meet the
long blue line that we seed across the
hills In Their splendid clean uniforms
an glitterin' guns an bayonets. he
reached out an ketched my hand
Shake, Alb, old boy said he, an he
chung to my hand tight, an / felt II
quiverin'.
"'What's wrong?' said l.
Then, lookin' me straight in tn.
face, he said. with a husky culver ii
his voice: I'm goin' to git shot in thi:
battle, Alb. know it.
II tried to treat it light. l slapped
i'm on the back an told i'm to plucl
up, but he stared at me like a person
In dream. He refused to load hi:
gun-said he didn't intend to take hu
| man life on tho ove, If lOsin' his own