Carthage courier. (Carthage, Tenn.) 1913-current, 1921-06-16
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
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Fifty Years in the Ministry.

No. 20.

Twenty years ago I was pastor of
Macedonia, at New Middleton. l used
to be a great hunter and fisherman.
John Barrett, then living at the Luz
Their Cheek place, told me at one ap-
pointment that at the next appoint
ment / must go home with him as
the squirrels would be ripe. / accept
the invitation and went home with
him Saturday for dinner, ready for a
big SQUIRREL hunt. He had made am
pie arrangements. About p. m. we
went over into long skirt of woods
belonging to Robt. Bradford who mar
led daughter of Uncle Tom Morris.
Barrett told me Bradford had his lot
posted but would allow him to hunt
on special occasions, and John certain
1y understood this to be very spec
ial occasion, as he had his pastor in
his home. Soon we were in the woods
and soon / had four squirrels on the
ground. We had gone to the upper
side of the lot. / became a little sus-
picious. John kept looking toward
Bradford's house, a half-mile south,
when suddenly John said, "Yonder he
comes, rum" / looked and saw a man
horseback six or eight hundred yards
coming toward us in a gallop. When
/ saw Bro. Barrett was frightened
turned suddenly white about the
mouth and we both made a break
down through the lot. John was 20
yards ahead for awhile, but / gained
on him while the man on the horse
was rapidly gaining on US, and COM
n1anded US to stop. We got down
at it right then, but again he COM
manded US to stop, and think John
thought he said, "If you don't stop
I'll shoot" John said, "He's got US. .
BY that time the man on the horse
came charging up to US saying, 80
yes, I've got you" To my surprise
the man was my own cousin by mar
riage. He was thunder-struck to
catch preacher trespassing and he
was doubly surprised to find his neigh
Dor, Barrett, in there with me. We
were all in confused mess. Brad
ford tried to make out he was hunting
his cows. Barrett tried to make it APP
pear there were some big bull-bats on
the hill, and my looks showed / was
caught in the act. Bradford didn't
know what to say, neither did John or
l. Bradford wanted to get away and
didn't know how and we wanted him
to get away and didn't no how to go
about it. Bradford finally said, Boys
have you seen anything of my cows
out here ?" John said, eyes, they are
right around the hill" At which in
formation Bradford made a dash for
the cows but there were no cows out
there. When he turned the hill John
said, "Robt. didn't know US, did he %
/ said, II thought you said he allowed
you to hunt in here" John said, 'He
does when he is away from home, and
made sure he had gone to town, as it
49, u
gathered up the scattered squirrels we
accidently dropped when running and
we made for home. We certainly had
a fine mess of tender squirrels for
breakfast, and would have had more
but for Bradford's COW hunt. In spite
of it all John had an expression on his
face that l had never seen there be-
fore. Twenty years have passed and
l never see John or Bradford but we
all grin and then laugh and go on.
The next morning / had arranged to
preach on "The Value of a Law-abid-
ing Citizenship" but after reading the
scriptures Bradford and wife came in
and preached on Escape For Your
Lives, larry Not in All the Plains y
1t was no time for me to urge folks
to keep any sort of law.
The appearance of certain persons
ia the congregation generally mas the
whitening or inspiring effect on preach
ers. / was assisting Ed. Willie Wilks,
of blessed memory, in a meeting in
Sumner County. The second Sunday of
the meeting, just before preaching
time, United States Senator William
B. Bate and wife walked down the
aisle and were seated. Bro. Wilks
said, "Do your best, that is Senator
Bate, and he is not a Christian" I
took for my text, F'These shall go
away into everlasting punishment, but
the righteous into life eternal"
breathed prayer to Gcd for help and
fer the salvation of the distinguished
gentleman in the audience. began by
saying, "the text gives the doom Of
all who die unsaved and the victory