The Abbeville press and banner. (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, February 24, 1915, Image 2
The Gall of the
1 Cumbertands D
| By Charles Neville Buck
I ?5
i. .
i
With Illustrations
from Photographs of Scenes
in the Play
It
(Copyright. 191J, by W. J. Watt & Co.)
fi SYNOP3IS.
: _On Misery creek Sally Miller finds
George Lescott, a landscape painter, uryi
conscious. Spicer South, head of the fami
Wy. tells Samson South and Sally that
v Jesse Purvy has been shot and that Saras'
son is suspected of the crime. Samson
; .denies it. The shooting of Jesse Purvy
9. breaks the truce. In the Hollman-South
- feud. Samson reproves Tamarack Spicer
r lor telling Sally that Jim Hollman 13
hunting with bloodhounds the man who
i' fihot Purvv Thp hlAAHhnunHfl lose the
? trail at Spicer "South's door. Lescott disr
' covers artistic ability in Samson. While
; ' Bketchlng with Lescott on the mountain.
; Tamarack discovers Samson to a jeering
$ crowd of mountaineers. Samson thrashes
v..mm and denounces him as the "trucebuster"
who shot Purvy. Lescott tries to
'. persuade Samson to go to New York with
him and develop his talent. Sally. loyal
! but heartbroken, furthers Lescott's ef;
forts. At Wile McCager's dance Samson
, tells the South clan that he Is going to
, leave the mountains.
\ CHAPTER VII?Continued.
? Lescott staged on a week after that
v simply in deference to Samson's insistence.
To leave at once might savor of
flight under fire, [ but when the week
was out the painter turned his horse's
ihead toward town, and his train swept
him back to the Bluegrass and the
'East..
A quiet of unbroken and deadly
v routine settled down on Misery. The
conduct or tne Soutns in Keeping nanas
off, and acknowledging the justice of
- Tamarack Spicer's jail Bentence. had
/ been their answer to the declaration
of the Hollmans in letting Samson ride
into and out of Hixon. The truce was
established. V/hen, a short time later,
Tamarack left the country to become
?.a railroad brakeman, Jesse Purvy
passed the word that .hie men must,
until further orders, desist from violence.
The word had crept about that
Samson, too, Was going away, and, if
' this were true, Jesse felt that his fttture
would be more secure than his
fcpast Purvy believed Samson guilty,
} despite the exoneration of the hounds.
h Lescott had sent a box of books, and
Samson had taken a team over to
Hixon, and brought them back.
He devoured them all from title
page to finis line, and many of them
* he went back to, and digested again.
OHtf wrestled long and gently with
his uncle, struggling to win the old
man'$ consent to his departure. Bat
- Splcer South's brain was no longer
plastic. What had been good enough
for ihe past was good enough for the
^-future. Nevertheless, he arranged affairs
eo that, his nephew should be
able.to meet flnancal needs, and to go
where be chose in a fashion befitting
i a South.
/ November came" in bleakly, with a
raw sod devastating breath of fatality.
The .smile died from horizon to horizon,
and far days cold rains beat and
f lashed the forests. And, toward thi
; end of the month, came the day which
Samson had set for hiB departure. |
At the threshold, with the saddlebags
over his left forearm and the rifle
In his hand, be paused. His uncle stood
Ibow and the boy put out his
hand. ,
"Goo?-by, Unc' Spicer," was all he
said. The old man, who had been his
second father, shook hands. His face,
too, was expressionless, but he felt
that he was saying farewell to a soldier
of genius who was abandoning the
field. And he loved the boy with all
' the centered power of' an isolated
; heart.
* A half-mile along the road, Samson
^"halted and dismounted. There, in a
' small cove, surrounded by a tangle of
; 'briers and blackberry bushes, stood a
small and dilapidated "meeting house"
and churchyard, which he must yiBit.
He made his way through the rough
undergrowth to the unkempt half-acre,
and halted before the leaning headstones
which marked two graves. With
a sudden emotion, he swept the back
^o?Jais hand across his eyes. He did
not remove his hat, but he stood in the
drizzle of cold rain for a moment of
[ Silence, and then he said:
"Pap, I haint fergot. I don't want
Lje ter think thet I've fergot."
Before he arrived at the Widow Mil
i ler 0, tuo ittiu uau oiuppcu ttiiu uiw
cloud8 had broken.
Sally opened the door, and smiled.
She had spent the day nerving herself
for this farewell, and at least untA
the moment of leave-taking she wou'd
l>e eafe from tears. The Widow Milkier
and her son soon left them alone,
and the boy and girl sat before the
glazing logs.
For a time, an awkward silence fell
( between them. At last, the boy rose,
and went over to the corner where he
had placed his gun. He took it up and
laid it on the hearth between them.
"Sally," he said, "I wants ter tell ye
reome things thet I hain't never said
ifter nobody else. In the fust place, 1
^wants ye ter keep this hyar gun fer
W*
r -QSie girl's eyes widened with eurRpSr
k "Hain't ye a-gofn' ter take hit with
-je, Samson?"
"He shook his head.
"I hain't a-goin' ter need hit down
, below. Nobody don't use 'em down
v thar, I've got my pistol, an' I reckon
thet will be enough."
) ' ' "I'll take good keer of hit," she
promised.
:. The boy took out of his pockets a
hn* ot cartridees and a small Dackaee
tied in a greasy rag.
"Hit's loaded, Sally, an' hit's cleaned
hit's greased. Hit's ready fer use."
. Again, she nodded in silent assent,
and the boy began speaking in a slow,
9 du-eful voice, which gradually mountBed
into tense emotion.
H "Sally, thet thar gun was my pap's.
H When he lay a-dyin', he gave hit ter
H me, an' he gave me a job ter do with
hit.' When I was a little feller; I used
Vtor set up 'most all day, polishin' thet
gun an' gittin' hit ready. I used ter
go out in the woods, an* practice shootin'
hit at things, tell I learned how ter
handle hit. I reckon tliar hain't many
fellers round here thet kin beat me
now." He paused, and the girl hastened
to corroborate.
j "Thar hain't none, Samson."
"There hain't nothin' in the world,
Sally, thet I prizes like I does thet gun.
Hit's got a job ter do. . . . Thar
hain't but one person in the world I'd
trust hit with. Tbet's you. ... I
wants ye ter keep hit fer me, an' ter
keep hit ready. . . 1 They thinks
round hyar I'm quittin', but I hain't.
I'm comin' back, an', when I comes, I'll
need this hyar thing?an' I'll need hit
bad." He took up the rifle, and ran his
hand caressingly along its lock and
barrel.
"I don't know when I'm a-comin'," he
said, slowly, "but, when I calls fer this,
I'm shore a-goin* ter need hit quick. I
wants hit ter be ready fer me, day cr
mgnt. mayoe, noDoay won t *uuv* i lu
hyar. . . . Maybe, I won't want
nobody ter know. . . . But, whea
I whistles out thar like a whippoorwill,
I wants ye ter slip out?an' fotch me
thet gun!"
He stopped, and bent forward. H1<j
face was tense, and hie eyes were glinting
with purpose. His lips were tight
set and fanatical.
"Samson," said the girl, reaching out
and taking the weapon from his hands,
"ef I'm alive when ye comes, I'll t do
hit. I promise ye. An'," she added,
"ef I hain't alive, hit'll'be standiu'
thar in thet corner. I'll grease hit,
an' keep hit loaded, an' when ye calls,
I'll fotch hit out thar to ye."
The youth nodded. "I mout qome
any time, but likely as not I'll hevjter
come a-fightin' when I comes."
Next, he produced an envelope.
"This here is a letter I've done writ
ter myeelf," he explained. He drew
out the sheet, and read:
"Samson, come back."'- Then he
handed the missive to the girl. "Thet
there is addressed ter me, in care of
%r ? T T?f anrthtnir hon.
Oil. IjCOtUU. uu/vuiuB uu|/
pens?ef Unc' Splcer needs me?I
i
"When I Whistles Like a Whippoorwill,
Fetch Me That Gun."
wants yer ter mail thet ter me quick.
He says as how he won't never call
me back/but, Sally, I wants thet you
shall send fer me, ef they needs me. I
hain't a-goin' ter write no letters home.
Unc' Spicer can't read, an' ^ou can't
read much either. But I'll pliimb shore
be thinkin' about ye day an' night."
She gulped and nodded.
"Yes, Samson," was all she said.
The boy rose.
"I reckon I'd better be gettin' along,"
he announced.
The girl suddenly reached out both
hands, and seized his coat. She held
him tight, and rose, facing him. Her
upturned face grew very pallid, and
her eyes widened. They were dry, and
her lips were tightly closed, but,
thrpugh the tearless pupils, in the firelight,
the boy could read her soul, and
her soul was sobbing.
He drew her toward him, and held
her very tight
"Sally," he said, in a voice which
threatened to choke, "I wants ye ter
take keer of yeself. Ye hainlt like
these other gals round here. Ye hain't
got big hands an' feet. Ye kain't stand
es much es they kin. Don't stay out
in the night air too much?an', Sally?
fer God's sake take keer of yeself!".'
He broke off, and picked up bis hat. ^
"An* that gun, Sally," he repeated at\
the door, "that there's the most precious
thing I've got. 1 loves hit better
then anything?take keer of hit."
Again, she caught at his shoulders.
"Does ye love hit better'n ye do mc,
Samson?" she demanded.
He hesitated.
"I re^lrnn vo tnnwo hnw miifh I
loves ye, Sally," he said, slowly, "but.
I've done made a promise, an' thet
gun's a-goin' ter keep hit fer me."
They went together out to the stile,
he still carrying his rifle, as though
loath to let it go, and she crossed
with him to the road.
As he untied his reins, she threw
her arms about his neck, and for a
long while they stood there under the
clouds and stars, as he held her close.
There was no eloquence of leave-taking,
no professions of undying love,
for these two hearts were inarticulate
and dizzy clinging to a wilderness
code of self-repression?and they had
reached a point where speech would
have swept them both away to a breakdown.
CHAPTER VIII.
The boy from Misery rode slowly toward
Hixon. At times the moon struggled
out and made the shadows, black
along the way. At other times .It was
like riding in a huge caldron of pitch.
' When he passed into that stretch' of
country at whose heart Jesse Purvy
^ dwelt he raised his voice in song. His | s
singing was very bad, and the ballad s
lacked tune, but it served its purpose t
J of saving him from the suspicion of \
furtiveness. Though the front of the r
house was h^ack, behind its heavy shutters
he knev that bis coming might be i
noted, and night-riding at this par- \
ticular spot might be misconstrued in t
the absence of frank warning. i
The correctness of his inference t
brought a brief smile to his lips when t
he crossed the creek that skirted the 1
orchard and heard a stable door creak
softly behind him. He was to be fol- t
lowed again?and watched, but he did ?
not look back or pause to listen for I
the hoofbeats of his unsolicited escort. 1
On the soft mud of the road he would 1
hardly have heard them had he bent f
his ear and drawn rein. He rode at a i
walk, for his train would not leave un- *
til five o'clock in the morning. There
was time in plenty. s
It was cold and depressing as he
trudged the empty streets from the c
livery stable to the railroad station, ^
carrying his saddlebags over his arm. f
At last he heard the whistle and saw the s
blazing headlight, and a minute later ?
he had pushed his way into the Bmoking
car and dropped his saddlebags v
on the seat beside him. Then, for the
first time, he saw and recognized his t
watchers. Purvy meant to have Sam- 1
son shadowed as far as Lexington, and e
his movements from that point defl- 8
nitely reported. Jim Asberry and Aaron ^
Hollis were the chosen spies. He did C
not speak to the two enemies'who took
seats across the bar, but his face F
hardened, and his brows came together e
in a black scowl. a
"When I gits back," he promised o
himself,* "you'll be on? of the fust d
folks I'll look fer. Jim Asberry, damn 1
ye! All I hopes Is thet nobody else *
don't git ye fus^. Ye b'longs ter me." 1
The sleeping .car to which he was
assigned after leaving Lexington was
almost empty, but he felt upon him the '
interested gaze of those few eyes that c
were turned toward his entrance. He 1
engaged every pair with a pair very 8
clear and steady and undropping, un- e
; til somehow each lip that had started t
to twist in amusement straightened, 1
and the twinkle that rose at first 1
glance sobered at second. Yet, for 2
all his specious seeming of unconcern, *
Samson was waking to the fact that ^
he was a scarecrow, and his sensitive *
pride made him cut his meals short
in the dining car, where he waB kept
busy beating down inquisitive eyes 1
with his defiant gaze. He resolved
after some thought tfpon a definite policy.
It was a very old policy, but to
him new?and a discovery. He would
change nothing \n himself that involved
a surrender of code or conviction.
But, wherever it could be done
with honor, he would concede to custom.
v it was late in the second afternoon
when he stepped from the train at Jersey
City, to be engulfed in an unimagined
roar and congestion. Here 1
it was impossible to hold his. own
against the unconcealed laughter of
the many, and he stood for an instant
glaring about like a caged tiger, while
three currents of humanity separated 8
and flowed toward the three f^rry fi
exits. Then he saw the smiling face of
Lescott, and Lescott's extended hand. *
Even Lescott, immaculately garbed and 1
fur-coated; seemed almost a stranger,
and the boy's feeling of Intimacy froze 8
to inward constraint and diffidence. ^
But Lescott knew nothing of that s
The stoic in Samson held true, mask- 1
ing his emotions. 1
"So you came," said the New Yorker, 4
heartily, grasping the boy's hand. )
""Where's your luggage? We'll Just 1
pick that up and make a dash for the
ferry." , 1
"Hyar hit is," replied Samson, who
still carried his saddlebags. The ^
1 ? Irl kn+ fkn E
paiuiei B CJCO iniumcu, L/Iii <.ud tun ui
was so frank and friendly that the
boy, instead of glaring In defiance,
grinned responsively.
"Right, oh!" laughed Lescott *T
thought maybe you'd bring a trunk,
but it's the wise man who travels 8
light." 8
. He followed Lescott out to the foot B
of Twenty-third street, and stepped c
with him into the tonneau of the *
painter'8 waiting car. Lescott lived 1
with his family uptown, for it hap- "
pened that, had his canvases pos- '
sessed nov value whatever, he would e
still have been in a position to drive a
his motor and follow his impulses a
about the world. If he did not take t
the boy to his home, it was because f
he understood that a life which must <i
be not only full of early embarrass- c
raent,, but positively revolutionary, t
should be approached by easy stages.
Consequently the car turned down r
Fifth avenue, passed under the arch j
and cfitew up before a door just off I
Washington square, where the land- i
scape painter had a studio suit. There I
I were-,sleeping rooms and such accessories
as seemed to the boy unheard-of I
lU?a$7, though Lescott regarded the I
| place as a makeshift annex to his '
^me establishment. i
fijfflfou'd better take your time in se- .
permanent quarters," was bis I
Fotteless fashion of explaining to Samj
eon?" "It's juet as well not to hurry. '
[ You are to stay here with nie, as long J
as you will."
"I'm obleeged ter ye," replied the
! boy, to whose training in open-iloored |
hospitality the invitation seemed only
natural. The evening meal was f
brought in from a neighboring hotel,
and the two men dined before an open
fire, Samson eating In mountain silence.
while his host chatted and
asked questions. v
"Samson," suggested the painter, s
when the dinner things had been car- t
ried out and they were alone, "you are
here for two purposes: First, to study j
painting; second, to educate and equip f
yourself for coming conditions. It's
going to take work, more work, and ?
then some more work." i
4'' fl/AAro/l r\f TL'Arlr "
i uaiu i oncci cu vi fvv???i
"I believe that. Also, you must
keep out of trouble. You've got to ride
your fighting instinct with a strong
curb."
"I don't 'low to let nobody run over
me." The statement was not argumentative;
only an announcement of \
a principle which was not subject to f
modification. t
"All right, but until you learn the t
ropes let me advise you." I
The boy gazed Into the fire for a few i
moments of silence. j
"I gives ye my hand on thet," he t
promised. t
At eleven o'clock the painter, having t
hown his guest over the premise
aid good-night and went uptown' 1
lis own house. Samson lay a lor
vhile awake, with many disquietii
eflections. ?
Meanwhile Lescott, letting himse
nto a house overlooking the par
vas hailed by a chorus of voices fro
he dining room. He turned and vei
n to join a gay group just back fro
he opera. As he thoughtfully mix(
iimself a highball, they bombards
tim with questions. /
"Why didn't you bring your ba
i&rian with you?" demanded a dar
jyed girl, who looked very much i
?escott himself might have looked hj
le been a girl?and very young ai
ovely. Nov? she flashed on him an s
ectionate smile, and added: "W
lave been waiting to see him. Mu
re go to bed disappointed?"
George stood looking down on thei
tnd tinkled the ice in his glass.
"He wasn't brought on for purpose
if exhibition, Dreniiie," he smiled.
?as afraid if he came in here in tl
ashion of his arrival?carrying h
addlebags?you ultracivilized fo
aight have laughed "
A roar of laughter at the pictu;
indicated Lescott'e assumption.
"No! Now, actually with saddl
tags?" echoed & young fellow, with
Ikable face wnicn was ior me in
aent incredulously amused. "Th;
;oes Dick Whittington one bette
fou do make some rare discoverie
}eorge. We celebrate you."
"Thanks, Horton," commented tl
lainter, dryly. "Wien you New Yor
rs have learned what these barbae
,ns already know, the control of yoi
iversensitized risibles and a courtei
teeper than your shirt-fronts?mayl
'11 let you have a look. Meantime I'
Quch too fond of ail of you to ri?
etting ?ou laugh at my barbarian."
* 0 I> *
Several months were spent laborij:
yith charcoal and. paper over plaet*
:asts in Lescott's studio, and Lescc
timself played instructor. When tt
kylight darkened with the coming i
(vening, the boy whose mountain n
ure cried out for exercise went fi
ong tramps that: carried him ov<
nany miles of city pavements, ai
ft or that when the etis was lit. 1
urned, still Insatiably, hungry,
volumes of history, and algebra, ai
acts.
t> i?
A sloop-rigged boat with a crew
wo was dancing before a brisk bree:
hrough blue Bertouda water. OfT
he right Hamilton rose sheer ai
jolorful from the bay. At the till
lat the white-clad figure of Adrlem
jescott. Puffs ol' wind that whipp<
he tautly bellying sbeots lashed h
lark hair about her face. Her lip
Ividly red like poppy petals, we:
ust now curved into an amused ami]
vhich made them even more than c
linarily klssable and tantalizing. H
:ompanlon was neglecting his nomin
luty of tending the sheet to wat<
ler.
"Wilfred," she teased., "your co
rast is quite startling?and, in a wa
ifTective. From head to foot you a
ipotless white?but your scowl Is a
folutely 'the blackest black" that 01
syes endure.' And," she added, In i
njured voice, "I'm sure I've been ve:
ilce to you."
"I'have not yet begun to scowl," ]
issured her, and proceeded to she
phat superlatives of saturnine exprt
lion he held in reserve. "See her
Jrennie, I know perfectly well th
'm a sheer Imbecile to reveal the fa
hat you've made me mad. It pleas
rou too perfectly. It makes you ha
tier than is good for you, but?"
"It's a terrible thing to make n
iappy, isn't it?" she inquired, sweetl
"Drennie, you have held me ofT sim
ve were children. I believe I first a
lounced my intention of marrying y<
vhen you were twelve. That intentl<
emalns unaltered. More: It is un<
eraoie ana lnevnaoie. my ruaaui
or wanting to needn't be rehearse
t would take too long. I regard y<
is possessed of an alert and remar
ible mind?one worthy of companio
hip with my own." Deepite the fri
ilous badinage of his words and tl
mmorous smile of his lips, his ey
linted at an underlying intensit
'With no desire to flatter or spoil yo
find your personal aspect pleasii
inough to satisfy me. And then, whi
i man should avoid emotionalism,
.m in love with you." He moved ov
o a place in the uterasiheets, and h
ace became intensely earnest. I
Iropped his hand over hers as It h
m the tiller shaft. "God knows, dear
le exclaimed, "how much I love you
Her eyes, after holding his for a m
nent, fell to the'. band which still ii
>rlsoned her own. She shook b
lead, not in anger, but with a ma
ter of gentle denial, until he releas<
ler Angers and -stepped back^UT
i:ND TO FOOTBALL GAM
'olar Elear May Only Have Intended
Witness Contest, but Players
Took No Chances..
One day, while the whaleshlp Na
vhal was tied to an ice floe in Berii
ea, and the lookouts were at the mat
lead scanning the open water sout
vard for the appearance of whales.,
jarty of the forecastlemen made
ootball of rags and corn, and wei
>ver the bow to kick the misshape
hing around on a smooth stretch <
ce a short distance from the vessel.
The fun was .at Its height and tl
nen were just getting the kinks out
heir legs when the harpooner in tl
:row's nest called softly down to tl
ieck that a polar bear had scented tl
nen ori the ice and was excitedly ma
ng his way toward them. No warnir
vas given to the football players. B
ore long the bear appeared close
he edjje of the floe, and be seemed i
>e in a great harry. He shambled ra
dly. along in and out among the bui
nocks, and ?r?ry few feet he wou
pull himself erect to sniff the a
md crane his liead an: clou sly. Closi
md claser he caiae,
s. "You are a dear, Wilfred," she comto
forted, "and I couldn't manage to get
ig on without you, but you aren't marig
riageable?at least, not yet"
"Why not?" he asked.
If "In the first place, you are one of
k, thosq men whose fortunes are listed
m in tbfe top sohedulfe?the swollen fornt
tunes. Socialists would put you In the
m predatory class."
id *"Drennie," he groaned, "It's not my
id fault that I'm rich. It was wished on
me. If you are serious, I'm willing
,r- to become poor as Job's turkey. Show
k- me the way to strip myself, and I'll
is stand shortly before you begging
id aim."
id "To what end?" she questioned,
if- "Poverty would be quite inconvenient
re I shouldn't care for It But hasn't it
at ever occurred to you that the man
who wears the strongest and brightest
n, mail, and who by his own confession
is possessed of an alert brain, ought
38 occasionally io be seen In the lists?"
"I "In short, your charge is that I am
ie a shirker?and, since It's the same
is thing, a coward?"
Ik Adrienne did not at once answer
him, but she straightened out for an
re uninterrupted run before the wind,
and by the "tiny moss-green flecks,
q. which moments of great seriousness
2^
jd /' "You Are a Dear, Wilfred?"
brought to the depths of her eyes, he
knew that she meant to speak the un
veiieu iiutii.
"Besides your own holdings in a lot
of railways and things, you handle
0 your mother's and sisters' property,
le don't you?"
? Ha nodded.
"la a fashion, I do. I sign the neceser
sary papers when the lawyers call me
*? up find ask me to come downtown."
"You are a director in the Metropole
er Tru st conipany?"
*' "Guilty."
re "In the Consolidated Seacoast?"
?- "I believe so;"
,r* . "With your friends, who are also
shareholders, you could assume conf
trol of the Morning Intelligence,
couldn't you?"
"I guess I could assume control, but
n* what would I do with It?" ?
y> "Do you know the reputation of that
newspaper?") ,'
"I guess it's all right It's conservaur
tive and newsy. I read It every mornlD
ing when I'm In town. It fits In very
ry nicely between the grapefruit and the
bacon and eggs."
ac "It is, also, powerful," she added,
"and is said to be absolutely servile
;'8* to corporate Interests.",
?' "Drennie, you talk like an anarchist.
a* You are rich yourself, you know." (/
c "And against each of those otiifcr
08 concerns various charges have been
^ made."
"Well, what do want me to do?"
^ "It's not what I want you to do,"
she informed me; "it's what I'd like
to see you want to do."
"Name It! I'll want to do it forthwith."
j_ "I think when you are one of a handful
of the richest men in New York;
j8 when, for Instance, you could dictate
the policy of a great newspaper,, yet
^ know it only as the course that follows
your grapefruit, you are a shirker and
n a drone, and are not playing the
v game." Her hand tightened on the
16 tiller. "I think if I were a man riding
es on to the polo field I'd either try like
y' the devil to drive the ball down beu'
tween the posts, or I'd come inside and
jg take off my boots and colors. I
? wouldn't hover in a ladylike futility
around the edge of the scrimmage." |
She knew that to Horton, whe
played polo like a fiend incarnate, the
Ie figure would be effective, and she
whipped out her words with something
very uiusc iu D?-uiu.
" "There's my hand on It, Drennle,"
?* he said. "We start back to New YorK
tomorrow, don't we? Well, when I get
er there I put on overalls and go to
n_ work." When I propose next I'll havt
something to show."
(TO BE CONTINUED.)
? Tho men on board'the ship got out
their rifles, to make sure that the beai
t did no harm to the men on the ice.
The gaunt Ice bear came to the lasv
hiimmnrk hat senarated him from the
field of play. One of the men was 1l
the act of "kicking the stuffing" ou)
of the ball when the bear suddenly
^ emerged into clear view. The ball felJ
'h' to the ice, the man's leg came hurried
^ ly down on the ice, and the man him
self broke for the ship like a deer
There was a succession of frightened
shouts, and the Ice became alive with
' t running men. Never was there a
I quicker change of scene. Men stumbled
and fell and yelled and fought
f for a grasp of the rope ladder.
io The men on deck were so convulsed
with iaughter that they made no er<
fort to shoot the bear. And after the
k i first whoop the bear became so thor*
oughly alarmed at the consternation
he had caused that he turned tail and
. fled in a clumsy gallop down the Ice
to floes'
P- . ' t
n-^ We All Know
MQMnONAL
SUWSGIOOL
Lesson
By E. O. SELLERS. Acting Director of
Sunday School Course Moody Bll^le Institute,
Chicago.) / t'
LESSON FOR FEBRUARY 28
SAMUEL, THE* VICTORIOUS
LEADER.
LESSON TEXT?I Samuel 7:3-17.
GOLDEN TEXT?Hitherto hath Jehorah
helped me.?I Samuel 7:12 R. V.
Having prepared a "guilt offering,"
6:4-9, the Philistines started the ark
back towards Shiloh. As a punishment
for their sacrilege and perhaps
for their boastful pride, God punishes
the men of Beth-Shemesh and finally
the ark finds rest in the house of
iibinadab, 6:10-21, 7:1, 2. For 20
years Israel was under discipline in
bondage, v. 2.
I. "And Samuel spake ..." saying,"
vv. 3-8. It is possible that at
imes Samuel was a fugitive, but that
le was praying, teaching and preaching
"the word of Jehovah" we are assured,
At last Israel was "drawn together,"
v. 2 R. V. margin. Undoubted
ly Samuel's pure life and his faithful
witnessing had as much to do with
this assembling as did the oppression
3f the Philistines. 'Samuel told the
people plainly that in order to be delivered
from the Philistines Israel
must "return unto Jehorah with all
your heart." The putting away (judging)
of sin and all idols if? the first
step of any real, genuine repentance
frtirro a Clsy/I Too Vi on Toi*eo1
bv *T Ol UO UVU| JlOOl UUi It *T il^U ADA OVA
adopted Ashtaroth and the "Btrange
gods" ^hey possibly did so with no
thought- of' forsaking Jehovah, but
rather with the Idea of "enrinching"
their worship. Such liberality, such a |
federation of religions Is weakening to i
the cause of faith, Matt. 6:24, I John j
2:15, James, 4:4. Samuel might be
called "narrow," but his exhortation to
Israel that they return to the love |
and worship of Jehovah, to the obedi- 1
ence of his laws with whole-souled de* J
votlon, was the first, and {he most es- I
sential requisite to their freedom. Is- ;
reel's response (v. 4) meant not alone
self-denial, but a revolt against the
Philistines. This meant also the giv- t
Ing up of amusements and profits which' j
might accompany such worship. The t
word "heart" includes the will, affections,
motives and powers of soul.
Not merely a surface emotion, but a
deep change of heart and character.
It is sad to recall that this was a i
reformation, not a regeneration (ch.
8:8), but such is the history of ah j
emotional reformation. One day, howeven
we shall see that one will last
last, Rojm. .11:26. Samuel is a type of
Christ as a prophet and also as an
intercessor, Heb. 7:26. Gathering the '
people at Mlzpah ("a lookout") he (
caused the ptople to look to God. -1
Such a gathering' was an evidence of !
that unity of the people of God which 1
must ever precede prevailing r?t^er, 1
see a fulfillment of Hannah's prophecy,
ch. 2:10. In our last lesson Israel was
defeated, 4:10, now they pursue the
Philistines as far as Beth-car and
Shen, an unknown place west of Mlzpeh.
Between the latter and Mizpeh,
Samuel erected a memorial pillar and
called it "Ebenezer," the Stone of
Help, where 20 years previous Is- .
rael had suffered defeat and the ark 1
of God was captured. So this stone
was a twofold monument of a vie- I
C
tory, and also of deliverance from 1
20 years of bondage. Ever and anon j
the church has cause to set up its '
Ebenezers for new deliverances. Per- [
secution and corruption have not yet *
prevailed against the true church of t
God, Matt. 16:18. j
The Heart of the Lesson. This les- ^
son is a great revelation of the power i
and effectiveness of intercessory
prayer. "Moses and Aaron among his J
priests, and Samuel among them that
call upon his^ame," Ps. 99:6, seems I
to place Samuel at the head of larselVinterceseors
even as Moses and
rs. yy:o, neo. IUUO. iiie wcvuug
began by a prayer by Samuel wfco <
was nearest to God. They than poured <
out water upon the ground, a symbol <
of their utter helplessness, also of <
the pouring out of their hearts before J
God, II Sam. 14:14; Ps. 62:8. Israel
also "fasted"?an expression of sorrow
for sin which was so deep that
they could not1 eat, and a sign of the .'
humiliation of self and an earnest de- I
sire to find God, Dan. 9:3, Acts 13:2, 3. 1
They made confession of sin, there (
was no boasting of virtue, Ps. 51:4.
li. "And 8amuel offered . . . (
a burnt offering," Ww. 9-1*2. Twenty "
years of bondage bred a spirit of feaf '
in the hearts of the Israelites and in
their extremity they turned to Samuel
to Intercede for them. Christians '
have a better one as their interces- J
sor, I John 2:1; Heb. 7:25; Rom.
8:34. Israel no longer places its
trust in "an outward symbol as when I
formerly they sent for the ark, ch. 4:3. '
All real prayer is preceded by sacrifice,
and the only ground we have upon
which to approach a holy God is to
shed blood, Heb. 10:19, John 14:6. This
is also a type of entire consecration.
The lamb of Samuel's sacrifice is a
type of our Christ who entered into
God's presence for us "by his own
blood,Heb. 9:11, 12. Having thus
properly approached God, Samuel
cried for Israel, and "the Lord heard
him," John 17:9. In the midst of this
the Philistines gave battle (v. 10)
even as Satan often makes his
fiercest assaults upon us in the midst
of our holiest exercises. God "thundered
with a great voice," v. 11, marg.,
bringing discomfiture and fear to the
enemy, I John 5:14. No voice of Israel
could have effected such results
but the voice of God in response to
the prayers of a godly man brought
victory, James 5:16. Both secular and
sacred history record instances where
God used the elements to deliver his
praying peopje. The storm which destroyed
the Spanish armada and
saved England; the unusual winds and
tides which saved Leyden came in connection
with the most earnest prayers,
see also III Kings 19:35. In this we
; ' y^-j ; 1
Chas* E. Geor^Edittw 1
and Publisher of the T*ench
and Bar Review/'825 Perdido
Si, New Orleans, La.
i '
Having for years been afflicted
with Catarrh of the
Head I was finally induced .
to try Peruna. It effected
a cure. IthinkPerunathe
best tonic ever put on sale, *
. . '
imsnnnnnni ? iMb
RHEUM AC IDE
The Old Reliable Remedy
v- for acute, otuonla or umte
RHEUMATISM
Bbeunatla Goat or Lumbago
pi ? on ] j tem pc rary re lie?, tint tt Is
eljnsed to restore the eaaee Ud OxlTtt tfte ,{n.
poLson Irom the -A.
I AtAiiDa6*gMa B JL
* I; 1
' ! ?: r*1 ' 1 ' ? . '..: m
Tuff's Pills 1
mable the dy?peptic to mi wtatwaf be
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nourish the body, give sppetlte, and* -
DEVELOP FLESH. *??
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Build Up With ~SS*8S
Sf.r.Wiotersmith's dj?
emedy lor malaria. cfalflr and TawI*>
ever, cold* and (dp. 60c- - . i'fWHS .
ji ' I
Gaining Weight
Church?They say that many of
the soldiers fighting in Europe are
fining In- weight notwithstanding
:he great hardships. v
Gotham?I can't understand that.
"You can't?"
"No, I can't"
"Why, lead will make 'em heavier,
m right
SKIN DISEASES QUICKLY
YIELD TO THIS TREATMENT
. If you have ecsema, ringworm or
UAKfnflr Kwiknlno n?e{?Kflw eMn.
rVUUA VIA* IUUQI uuoiguu/ utuu
eruption, try resinol ointment and resInol
soap and see how quickly the ,
Itching stops and the trouble disappears,
even in a severe, stubborn case.
Resinol ointment is also an excellent {
lousehold remedy for pimples, daniruff,
sores, burns, wounds, chaflngs,
md (or a score of other uses where -r!
i soothing, healing application isnefe&<
3d. Every druggist sells resinol ointment
and resinol soap. Adv.
u:
Dangerous Doctrine.
The well-meaning woman who was
risking the school addressed the pupils
after the dismissal hour on tbe {
subject of "The Doctrine of Juvenile
Chastisement in the American Home."
When she finished she noticed that '
>ne little boy was crying.
"What's the matter, little boy?" she \ : v'
isked. .
"Please, ma'air," said the little boy, % 'my
dad will pound foe all up for
being kept after schooL"?Cleveland
Plain Dealer.
A wise man is known by the company
he avoids. '
.
5 Y'i
9 young men. I&timaCiga- I
B rettes are selected by three I
out of four smokers of 15?
?: '
ll/IIITCn Men to learn barber trad*
|D AH I ?11 Few weeks required.
* steady position for com*
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i rrc u.
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Jlack, tan, navy and gray. W. W. HALL, factory
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Writ* for prices. J. R. DAVIS. Bartowi KAV"
W. N. U, CHARLOTTE, NO. 8-Wfc'