Year: 1872

fright; the lightning flashed, the wild
beasts squealed, when poor preache
of the gospel wended his way through
the dismal intricacies of a western for
est, many years ago.


The poor man felt anything but
comfortable, for he was wet through
to the skin, and almost tired to death
He had been tramp;ng around since
morning, besides he had lost his way
so the reader can imagine what state
of mind he was in, and also appreci
ate the sudden transition from des
pair to hope, which he experienced OIL
seeing the glimmer of light ahead
He quickened his tagging footsteps
and soon came up to the light, which
issued from the only window of a soil
tary log cabin in the forest.


Remembering the sc,iptural injunc
ton, ''Knock, and it shall be opened
unto you," he did so, but without any
response. He raped again, louder
than before, and this time a gruff fe-
male voice asked:


"Who's there?"


'It is ]" was the indefinite reply



of the rain-soaked parson


"Well, who are you, and what do
you want?" asked the voice, gruffel
than before.


ga poor benighted preacher of the
gospel, who has lost his way, and who
wishes to stay here all night" answer
ed the preacher in dolorous voice.


"Well, stay there-I don't see whats
to hinder you" .


"But I am almost starved, and ]
will pay you literally for some supper,
he responded, his teeth chattering
with cold, and notin the least ap-
preciating the joke.


The words ''iberally pay" acted like
a charm, and after a few moments de
lay, caused by the unfastening of the
door, it was opened and our paste,
entered.


He found himself in rough apart
ment, with large fireplace at one
end, on which a large log was blazing
rough pine table and three chairs,
besides o box filed with dry flax,
composed the furniture.


But all minor Deficiencies seemed
to be made up by the landlady, of the
house, for she was fully six feet in
hight, and weighed nigh unto three
hundred pounds.


After having placed some food on
the table, she turned to the parson,
who stood shivering before the fire,
making futile attempts to dry himself,
alternately turning one side and
then the other to the fire.


'Now, I want you to eat this grub
as quick as you know how, and then
tramp, for it is utterly impossible for
me to keep you over Eight.


'But my good woman" said the
parson anxiously, II shall perish in
this inclement weather. have been
wandering in this fearful storm since
morning, and if you have any compass
sion or pity at all, you will try and
give me place where I can be shell
tered from this storm for the night,
and he offered five dollar bill.


"Well," said the woman, ayaric.
iously clutching the money, 'f you
think you can stay in the garnet, ma
be you can stay; but hurry up, for !
expect my husband home every min
ute, and it's as much as your life is
worth if he should catch you here, fol
he is a perfect devil incarnate; would
think no more of numbering you than
he would of shooting a grizzly bear.


The woman produced ladder, as
she spoke, and bade the parson go uI
in the garret.


There was small "drop," or trap
door in the ceiling, which raised of its
own accord on the parsons head
pressing it upward, and not without
some difficulty he managed to squeeze
himself through the aperture. After
he was up, the woman told him to
shut the trap and not to make any
noise for his life, and then taking the
ladder away, the preacher was left to
his own reflections.


Wet and uncomfortable as he was,
his fatigue was such he had almost
fallen asleep when he was disturbed
by some one knocking at the door.


Being curious to know what kind
of a looking man his unknown host
was, he rose and peered through q
small crack in the floor into the room
underneath. He sawthe woman open
the door cautiously, and after admit
ting a short, thick man, in a heavy
cloak, close it again. :t
From the mysterious actions and
whisperings that ensued, our parsor
rightly concluded that the person who
= had just entered was not the woman's
husband, but her paramour, who had
: taken advantage of her husbands alb
sence to pay her a nocturnal visit
:, After whispering together for while
the woman went to the cupbard and
produced q bottle of whiakey and {
,-Eplate Of ham and bread, which she sci
on the table, and the twain were soor
engaged in a loving repast. While
the parson WAS watching the guilty
couple, there came laundering knocl
at the door, which caused them bott
to jump to their feet with the great
est consternation. Without q mo