Rockingham post-dispatch. [volume] (Rockingham, N.C.) 1917-1965, 1922-07-27

didn't show up. said,> well. that
meeting is the biggest thing in town
and I'll go over and round them
up. went over to the tent and took
q scat way back in the rear / donF
think heard word tie preacher
said, ! was so busy taxing az, ii.
ventory OF the congregation to see II
there was enough of my kind to
have game after the services. Al
ter the sermon they made the altar
call, and Bud Roginson, the cowboy
preacher, who didn't know letter
IN the book when he was converted
at ~ years, stepped off the rostum
and pushed his way through the
great crowd walked over benches
until he reached me. He stood there
and gazed at me and / stared at him.
He had the gentlcst. kindest. sweet.
est countenance that was ever Mac
ed on a human being. have often
wished that ! could reproduce his
tender tone and loving look when he
said: Young man, man that looks
like you and has the appearance
that you have, the evil is doing dirt
with him in this country He turn
ed and walked back to the lostrum
without saying a word to another
soul. Some girls standing near me
said, Baxter did he know your,
No, he never saw me before We'll.
that is strange that he pushed his
way through this crowd and came
back here and spoke to you, and YOU
only?" Yes, that's So" The bene-
diction was pronounced, the service
was over | forgot about my an
ticipated poker game, and opened
up the light gear for home. | went
there about as seldom as Il went
anywhere. / retired for the night
but not to sleep; the pillow was
hard, the bed was uncomfortable, the
cover was too short; j rolled and
tumbled, was nervous and restless
and all could think about and all
i could see and hear was, Young
man, a man that looks like you and
has the appearance that you have,
the devil is doing dirt with! him in
this country" | would close my
eyes and his face would stand out
there before me. would try to see
something else, and his voice would
ring through my ears, Young man,
a man that looks like you and has
the appearance that you have, the
devil is doing dirt with him in this
country | would say to myself
what is the matter with me, but
down in my heart | knew, | said
if God will forgive me for going to
the meeting I'll never go to another.
About o'clock got up and went
to the closet and took good strong
bracer, but it didn't touch the spot.
] lay down and all could see was
that mans face and all / could hear
was, Young man, a man that looks
like you and has the appearance
that YOU have, the devil is doing dirt
wi "a MIN in this country My God,
how my conscience talked to me
that long, lonely, dark night The
things that had done and was do
ing stood out before me like y piano.
rama, That monster was in my
my breast the footprints of Deity
were rolling over my soul The
coolest thing that was ever said to
Dives in the black pit, charred walls
of the graveyard of the damned was,
Son, remember" That God-given
faculty of memory was resurrected,
sins OF omission and sins of commits
sion, secret sins, public sins, sins |
had forgotten, a broken-hearted
mother, father with his hopes
blighted, q home that was hell, all
by me in one hideous black
procession. Oh, the inventory that
God helped me to take of myself
that night, d wasted talent, ability
prostituted and everything noble
and grand and beautiful assassinat-
ed Irolfed and groaned and sighed
and yawned and cried, 20 God, will
the day never conner"
whats the Natter"
"Rena would say, Baxter what's.
the matter with you, that you are so
restless and can't sleep?" would
say nothing and then would see
Buds face and hear his words ring
ing through my head. Early the
next morning arose and went to
my shop to join man with whom
| took a drink every morning. When
the shop boys came in | began
swearing at them and cursing them
and acted as a man crazy and damn
I'd everything in sight. Everyone
wondered what had come over me.
On every way j turned the preach
er's face was before me and his
words kept ringing in my ears. The
night before ! had heard them an
lounce a song service for 1890 that
and could not keep my
yves off the clock. | swore that 4
would not dafken the doors of
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