The Sauk Centre Herald (Sauk Centre, Minnesota), 1867-11-28

              VOLUME I.
SAUK CENTRE, MINNESOTA, THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 28, 1867.
NUMBER 26-.
©iW'.toilt €mtxt WimU.
PUBLISHED   EVERY   THUKSDAV  MORNING,
At   Sauk Oentre,   Minn.,
BY J. H. A a. SIMONTON.
466" Office corner Third and Seventh streets,
one block west of the Sauk Centre House.
Subscription:
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Rates of Advertising:
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Legal advertisements 75ce]itsper square foi-|
' the fii'st.msertlon.,-aud- -SiA cents per square
for each subsequent Insertion.
Special place advertisements Inserted at
rates agreed upon.
Yearly advertisers to pay quarterly.
Strangers must pay in advance, or give satisfactory reference". ">
JOB PRINTING
of all kinds executed on short notice In the
%est style.
PR 0FESSI0NAL CARDS.
3T. H. "HISTHB. H. WKBN.
Miner  &|Wrcn,
-Attorneys and  Counselors at Law, Notaries
—-Public and Conveyancers,
Special attention given to proceedings ln
Bankruptcy in the Bill ted States Courts'.
•Sauk Centre, -        - Minnesota.
Office over the Post Office:' ,
Edward O. Hamlin
—HAS ^ESITIIBD—
The Practice of Law
•IN ST, CWUD, MINN.
Special attention given "to ETo'^eeqXrigs In
Bankruptcy in United States Courts.
"Office in Alden's brick buildtog, ap stairs
'Oct. 1,1867. '  «ctl0-6m
R. B. R, PALMER,
PHYSICIAN de SURGEON.
■SGS- Residence near the Mill, Sauk Centre. "SE8
H. Ii. GORDON. I.. W. COLLINS.
Gordon  «& Collins,
Attorneys   at   Law,
-5£t, Cloud, Stearns County,.Minnesota
£SB~ Particular attention glveSui to business
in adjoining counties. •
^/S/ILLIAM J- PABSdNTSp:
ATTORNEY AT LA W,
Germalne street, over Burbank Bros.,
St. Cloud, Minnesota.'■■
.CHAS. WALICER,
Attorney at Law.
Ii, P. Ti'DSOST,   .
Attorney at Law'ahd'
NoUiry Public.
Edson <& 'Wtillcei.*,
REAL ESTATE AGENTS,
Office over Philadelphia Store on Third street,
Saute1 Centre, Stearns County, Minnesota. .
Business Property,Houses and Lots,-Fa-rais,
Farming Lands, etc., etc, bought and sold on
commission.
ATTENTION!
. Is called to the fact that pur facilities for ma-
kIng out Pre-emption papers and for locating
^afia^nKjeriftg »over*meirt--La&(J--wiirf Qsush,
Scrip or Land Warrants, are unsurpassed by
any office west of St. Cloud. A large assortment of Town Plots for the use of seekers of
Claims on hand and kept constantly corrected try correspondence with the Land Offioq.
We have'In our hands fori sale: some of the
finest Farms and. Fi.rm.ing Lands in this
upper 8<^uitjy.
BUSINESS   CARDS.
H. MINER,
Insurance Agent,
■ Sauk Centre,        -        -        Minnesota.
'Represents the soundest and 'most reliable
Fire, Eife and Accident Insurance Companies of the Eastern and Western   ,
States.   Office over the Post Office.
DWARD DREBLOW,
OaTtdnet Maker,
Main street, Sauk Centre, Minnesota.
Keeps constantly on hand a complete stoc
of Furniture, Coffins, ifec.
All orders will receive prompt attention.
B
ILIflARD SALOON,
A. DE GROAT, Proctor,
Third street, Sauk Centre, Minnesota.
Has first class Phelan & Collender Billiard
Tables.
Choice Wines,  LiquorB, Ale, Porter and
Cigars.
J. WHITEFIELD,
House &* Sign Painter,
aahiing, Glazing, Paper Hanging/, &a, done
with neatness and on reasonable terms.
Work warranted equal in quality- to that
•s {reed upon or no eharges made.   «S* Palpt
r£\hop next doer to Thomas & Co's.
" Sank Centre, Minn., June 5,1JS67.
BUSINESS  CARDS.
SAUK CENTRE HOUSE,
(General Stage Office,)
SAUK CENTRE,       -      -      MINN,
E. P. BARNUM, Prbprifctor,
Has been thoroughly refitted and furnished
throughout, under its new management.
TneftOHifortof' guests Will At all times be
made the special care of the proprietor, and
no expense or pains will be spared to give
entire satisfaction to boarders and travelers.
Excellent * t ubl Ing attached to the premises. E. T. BARNUM.
s
ATJ'lt CENTRE
Lirery, Sale and I'eed
■ STABLE.
Office on Third street, one .door west of the
Printing. Office.
' Having our Stable completed   and well
stocked   we are now prepared to furnish
those who wish, with good
Horses, and Carriages or Sleighs at all times
on reasonable terms, so that
AW can   Take a Bide.
H. DOTY A E. L. WRIGHT,
Oct. 28,1867. ' Proprietors.
. F. FERGUSON,
Watchmaker
AND
JEWELER,
Third street, SauftOntre, Minn.
Watches, Clocks <md Jewelry carefully repaired -and warranted.
DPS- All work from a distance promptly attended to and safely returned.
Photograph Gallery,
Sixth-street,  opposite -the Americun House,
SAUK CENTRE,  MINN.
The undersigned would respectfully announce to the public that he is now prepared
to accommodate all who may desire anything
in the liiie of Photography at reduced prices.
Carte de Visiles, per    dozen $4 60
44 "   14   " 2 50
14 size Gems, per dozen 3 00
1-is   "        " "       " 2 00
A size Photographs ln Oval Guilt Frames 5 00
resize ■" r   guttapercha do S 50
-: Frames and cases of all descriptions constantly on hand and for sale.
Specimens of our work may be seen by
calling at the Gallery,
A. J. JELLIS, Proprietor.
4 MERICAN HOUSE,
Corner 2d and 6th Sts., Sauk Senlre, Min.
DAVID   FRANKHAUSE, PropiSetor.
The proprietor, having just completed this
large and commodious building, is now prepared to accommodate the traveling public;
«g* A good barn connected with the building; jyl8-3m
TOB PRINTING..
FOR
job wookxs:
Of all kinds,
Come to the Hebi.ad Office. Having a good
stock of material, we fee) confident that we
can give satisfaction.
■     SA.XISTT PA.XJX.
Fire & Marine
INSURANCE CO.,
ST. PAUL, MINN.
,M.
Be Not the First.
TOHN CHRISTGAU,
Soot &*  Shoe Maker,
Main Street, Sauk Centre, Minn.,
A complete stock of Boots ajid Shoes kept
constantly on hand, and made to order on
short notice.   Good fits warranted.
Repairing promptly  done, at reasonable
priees.   All kinds of Shoemaker's Tools for
Kale.
LAND OFFICE & REAL ESTATE
: AGENCY.
IV. H.  Miner,
Lands sold on commission. Farms composed of Prairie, Meadow and Timber Land
for; sale. ,
Persons desiring to enter Land, with Cash,
•Scrip or Land Warrants, or to file Pre-
Emption claims, can do so at my office
and avoid the time and expense of -
a trip to St. Cloud.
ffiOffiee over the Post Office, Sauk Centre,
Minnesota.
Assets oyer       $530,000.
Insures Buildings, Merpharidlse and other
Property, against Loss or Damage by FERE,
at Rates as low as other first class Stock
Companies.
Particular attention given to Insurance of
Faxm Property,   isolated Dwellings
and their Furniture,
FOR ONE, THREE OR FIVE YEAR .
Also Inland Navigation Risks on Cargoes or
Freight,
BOARD OF DIRECTOBS,
J. C. Burbank,
John L. Merrlam,
W. W. Eastman,
John S. Prince,
Horace Thompson,
Wm. Lee,
John Nichols,
Theo. Borup,
Peter Berkey,
W. F, Davidson,
W. P. Murray »
Geo. L, Farwell,
E. F. Drake.
Oh.! be not the first to discover
-.-. A blot on the name of a friend,
A flaw in the faith of a lover,
Whose heart may prove true to the end.
We none of us know one another,
And oft Into error we fall;
Then let us speak well of each brother,
Or speak not about him at all.
-A smile or a sigh may awaken
Suspicion most false and undue;
And thus our belief may be shaken
In hearts that are honest and true.
How often the light smile of gladness
Is .worn by the friends that we meet,
To cover a soul full of sadness.
Too proud to acknowledge defeat.
How often the sigh of dejection  I
.    Is heaved from .the hypocrite's breast,
TO parody truth and affection,
. - Or lull a suspicion to rest.   .
How often the friend we hold dearest
i Their noblest emotions conceal.
And bosoms, the purest, sincerest, '
- Have secrets they cannot reveal.
Leave base minds to harbor suspicion,
And small ones to trace out delects—
Let ours be a noble ambition,
For base ia the mind that suspects-.
We none of us know one another,
And oft into error may fall;
Then let us speak well of our brother,
Or speak not about him at all.
gpwtfltottjj.
TOMMY'S   EIDDLE,
POWER OF MUSIC.
|^ITY RESTAURANT,
JOSEPH GOYETTE, Pr-oprfetor,
Washington Avenue,  St. Cloud, Minnesota. ■
-Aladies' and gentlemen's Ice Cream Saloon has been fitted up in first class style on
the second floor. Ice cold Lemonade, and
Soda Water flavored with all kinds of syrups.
| Fresh and Canned Fruits, Confectionery,
and Nuts of all kinds. - '
I   Hot Meals, Lunch, Coffee, Tea and Pastry
furnished to order.
J. C. BURBANK, Pres't.
JOHN NICOLS, Vice Pres't.
S. S. EATON, Sec'y.
W. A. WE1<LS, Gen'l Agent.
N.H. MINER, Local Ag't.
SAUK CENTRE, MINN.
1 > P. EDSON
Is Agent for sound and reliable
FIBE,    LIFE,    ACIDENTAL   LIFE AND
LIVE STOCK INSURANE COMPANIES.
He insures Live Stock against Death and
Theft, in the Hartford Live Stock Insurance
Company—the. soundest and only reliable
Live Stock Company on this continent.
There were but three persons in the
car ; a merchant, deep in the income
list of the Traveler, an» old -lady, with
two bandboxes, and a man in the corner with his hat pulled over his eyes.
Tommy opened the door, peeped in,
hesitated, t looked   into   another   car,
came back, gave his little fiddle a shove
on his shoulder, and walked in.
" Hi, little Tommy Tucker,
Plays for his supper."
shouted a young exquisite lounging on
the platform in tan colored coat and
lavender kid gloves.
"O, kids,' you're there, are you ?
Well, I'd rather play for it than loaf
for it, I had,"-.said Tommy, stoutly.
. The merchant shot a careless glance
over the top -of his paper, at the sound:
bf this petit dialogue, and the old lady
smiled, benignly ; the man in the corner neither looked nor smiled.
Nobody would have thought, to look
at that man in the corner, that he was
at that very moment deserting a wife
and five children* Yet that is precisely what he "was doing.
A villain ? 0, no, that is not the
word. A brute ? Not by any means.
Weak, unfortunate, discouraged, and
selfish—as weak, unfortunate, and discouraged people are apt to be 5 that
was the amount of it. His panoramas
never paid him for the use of his halls.
His traveling tintype saloon had trundled him into the. sheriff's hands. - His
petroleum speculations had crashed
like a bubble. His black ahd gold
sign, " J. Harmon, Photographer," had
swung now for nearly a year over the
dentist's rooms, and he hod had the
'patronage of. precisely six old women
'and throe babies. He had drifted to
the theatre in the evening—he did not
care now to remember how many times
—the fellows asked him, and it made
him forget his troubles; the next
morning his empty purse would gape
at him and Annie's mouth would quiver. A man must have his glaes, too, on
Sundays, and—well-r~perhaps a little
oftener. He had not always been fit to
work after it, and Annie's mouth would,
quiver. It will be seen at once that it
was exceedingly hard on a man that
his wife's mouth should quiver. "Confound it! why couldn't she scold, or
cry? These women aggravate a fellow
beyond reason."   .
Well, then, the children had been
sick, measles, whooping cough, scarle*
tina, mumps, he was sure he did not
know what not; for every one of them
there were doctor's bills, and there
was sitting up with them at night—
their mother usually did that. Then
she must need pale down herself like
a poorly finished photograph ; all her
color, and romrrdness and sparkling
gone; and if ever a man likecKto have
a pretty wife about it . was he. Moreover she had a cough, and her shoulders had grown round, stooping so
much over the heavy baby, and her
breath came short, and she had a way
of being tired. Then she never stirred
out of the house—he found out about
that one day; she had no bonnet, and
her shawl had been cut up into blankets for the crib. The children had
stopped going to school ; " they could
not buy the new arithmetic," their
mother said, half under her breath.
Yesterday there was nothing for dinner but johnnycake, and not a large
one at that. To-morrow the saloon
rents were , due. Annie .talked about
pawning toe of her bureaus. Annie
had had great purple rings tinder the
eyes for six? weeks.
He weuld not bear the purple rings
and quivering mouth any longer. He
hated the sight of her, for the sight
stung him. He hated the corncake
and the naughty children. He hated
the whole dreary, dragging, needy
home. The ruin of it dogged him like
a ghost, and he should be in the ruin
of it as long as he stayed. Once fairly
rid of him, his scolding and drinking,
his wasting and failing, Annie would
send the children to work, and find a
way to live.   She had energy and in
vention, a plenty of it, in her young,
fresh days, before he came across her
life to drag her. down-. Perhaps ho
should make a golden, fortune and
come back to her some summer day
with a silk dress and servants, and
make it all up; in theory this .was
about what he expected to do. But if
his luck went Westward with him, and
the silk dress never turned up, why,
she would forget him, • and be better
off and that would be the last of it.
So here he was, tioketed and started,
fairly bound for Colorado,' sitting with
his hat over his * eyes, and thinking
about it. .
"Hem'-m. Asleep," pronounced Tommy, with his keen glance into the corner.    "Guess I'll wake him up."
He laid his cheek down  on his little
fiddle—you don't know how Tommy
loved that little fiddle—and struck up
a gay, rollicking tune :
* I care for nobody and nobody cares fowne."
The man in the corner sat quite still.
When it was over he shrugged his
shoulders.
"When folks are asleep they don't
h'ist their shoulders—not fjs a general
thing," observed Tommy. "We'll try
another." Tommy tried another. Nobody knows what possessed- the little
fellow, the little fellow himself least of
all; but he tried this :
. "We've lived and loved together,
. Through many a changing yean"
It was a new tune, and he wanted
practice, perhaps.
The train jarred and started slowly ;
the gloved exquisite, Waiting hackmen,
baggage masters* coffee counters' and
station walls slid back; engine house
and prison towers, and labarynths of
tracks slipped by; lumber and shipping
took their place, with clear places between, where seaand sky shone through.
The speed of the train increased with
sickening sway; old wharves shot past,
.With the green water sucking at their
piers; the city shifted by and out of
sight.
"We've lived and loved together,"
played Tommy, in a plaintive wail.
"Confound the boy!" Harmon
pushed up his hat with a jerk, and
looked out of the window. The night
was coming on. A dull sunset lay on
the water, burning like a ball of fire
through the snaky trail of smoke that
went writhing past the car windows.
Against lonely signal houses and little
deserted beaches the water was plashing drearilj','and playing monotonous
bases to Tommy' wail.
"Through many a changing year."
It was a nuisance, this music in the
cars. Why didn't somebody stop it?
What did the child mean by playing
that? They had left the city far behind now, He wondered how far. He
pushed up the window fiercely, venting
the. passion of the music on the first
thing that came in his way, as men will,
and thrust his head out to look back.
Through the undulating smoke, out in
the pale glimmer from the sky he could
see a low, red tongue of land, covered
with the twinkle of lighted homes.-
Somewhere there, in among the quivering warmth was our—
What was that boy about now? : Not
" Home, Sweet Home ?" But that was
what Tommy was about.
They were lighting the lamps now in
the car. Harmon looked at the conductor 's face, as the sickly yellow flare
struck on it, with a curious sensation.
He wondered if he had a wife and five-
children ; if he ever thought of running
away from them; what most people
would think. She—ah, she had it all
to find out yet> -~%ii
"There's no place like home,"
said Tommy's little fiddle.
Now this fiddle of Tommy's may have
had a crack or so in it, and I cannot
assert that Tommy never struck a false
note ; but the man in the corner was
not fastidious as a musical critic ; the
sickly light was flickering through the
oar, the quiire* on the red flats was quite
out of sight; the train was shrieking
away into the West—the baneful, lon'%.
ly West—which was dying fast now out
there upon the sea; and iMs a fact that
his hat went slowly down over his face
again, and that his face went -slowly
down upon his arm.
There, in the lighted home not
up on the flats, that had drifted by forever, she sat waiting now. It was about
time for him to be into supper ; she
was begining to wonder a little where
he was 5 she was keeping the tea hot,
■and telling the children not to touch
their father's pickles ; she had sat the
table and drawn the chairs ; his pipe
lay filled on the shelf over the stove.
The baby was fretting—the baby always fretted towards night—and she
was walking about with him ; walking
very slowly and weakly ; singing now
and then, tier face in the light was
worn and white, the dark rings very
dark. She was trying to hush the boys,
teasing for their supper; begging them*
to wait a few minutes, only a few minutes, he would surely be there then.
She would put the baby down presently, and stand at the window, with her
hands—Annie's hands were not once
so thin—raided to shut out the light,
watching, watching.
The children would eat their supper,
the table would stand untouched, with
his chair in it* place ; still she would go
to the window, and stand watching,
watching. Ot the long night that she
must stand watching, and the days, and
the years 1
" Home, sweet Home,"
played Tommy.
By and by there was no more of
"Sweet Home."
" How about that cove with his head
lopped down upon his arms ?" speculated Tommy, with a business-lik air.
He had only stirred once,  and then
man
years
that
his
put his face down again ; but he was
awake, awake in every nerve, and listening, to the very curve in his fingers.
Tommy knew that, it being part of his
trade to learn how to use his eyes.
The sWeet, loyal passion of the music
—it would take worse .playing than
Tommy's to drive the sweet, loyal passion out of Annie La ura—grew above the
din of the train-.
" Twas there that Annie Laura
Gave me her promise true."
She used to sing - that, thought the
man—this other Annie of his own.
Why, she had been his own, and he
had loved her once. How he bad loved
her I Yes, and used to sing, that when
he went to see her on Sunday, nights
before they were married, in her pink,
plump, pretty days Annie used to be
very pretty.
"Gave me her promise true."
hummed the little fiddle.
" That's a fact,", said poor Annie's
husband, jerking the words out   under
his hat, " and kept it, too, she did."
Ah 1 how Annie had kept- it I The]
whole dark picture . of her married
years—the days of work and pain, the
nights of watching, the patient voice,
quivering mouth, the tact and planning-,
amd the trust for to-morrow; the ■ love
that had borne all things, believed all
things, hoped all things,- uncomplaining—rose into outline to tell'him how
she had kept it,
," Her face is as the fairest
That ere the sun shone on,"
suggested the little fiddler-.
That it should be darkened forever-,
the sweet face ? and that he should do
it—he, setting here with his ticket for
Colorado. .•"' *
" Ahd ne'er forget will I,"
murmured the little fiddler.
He would   have knocked   the
down who had told him   twenty
ago that he eter  should  forget ]|
he should be here   to-night,   with
ticket bought, bound for Colorado
But it was better to. be . free from
him. He and his cursed ill luck were
a-drug on her and the children and
would always be. What was that she
had;said once ?—" Never mind Jack,. I
can bear any thing as long as I have
you."
And here he was, with his fcicKet bo't
bound for Colorado.
He wondered if it were ever too late
in ffhe day for a fellow to maKe a man of
himself.
And she's a' the world to me,
And for bonnle Annie Laura
I'd lay j ne down and dee,
rang the little fiddle, triumphant.
Harmon shooK himself, and stood up.
The train was slackening ; the lights of
a way station bright ahead. It was
about time for supper and his mother,
so Tommy put down his fiddle and
handed around his faded cap.
The merchant threw him a penny,
and returned to his tax list. The old
lady was fast asleep with her mouth
open.   •
" Come here," growled Harmon, with
his eyes very bright. Tommy shram*.
bacK, almost afraid of him.
"Come here," softenings'UT-won't
hurt you. I tell you, -Jftoy, you don't
Know what you've done to-night."
"Done sir?" Tommy couldn't help
laughing, though there was a twinge of
pain at his stout little heart, as he fingered the solitary penny in the faded
cap. " Done ? Well, I gues I've waxed
you Up sir; which was about what I
meant to do."
" Yes that is it," said Harmon-, very
distinctly, pushing up his hat; " you've
waKed me up.   Here hold your cap."
They had puffed into the station
now and stopped. He emptied his
purse into the little cap, shooK it clear
of paper and copper aline, was out of
the car and off the train before Tommy could have said JacK Robinson.
" My eyes ?" gasped Tommy, " that
chap had a ticKet for New Yorx sure I
Methuselah I Look a here! One, two,
three 1—must have been crazy; that's
it, crazy."
" He'll never find out,** muttered
Harmon', turning away from the station
lights, and striKing bacK through the"
night for the red flats and home. "He'll
never find out what he has done, nor,
please God, shall she."
It was late when he came in sight of
the house 5 it had been a long tramp
across the tracKs, . and hard; being
stung by a bitter wind from the east
all'the way, tired with the monotonous
treading of "the sleepers, and with
crouching in perilous niches to let the
trains go by.
She stood watching at the windows,
as he had Known that she Would stand
—her hands raised to her face—her
figure cutout against her warm light.of
the room.
He stood still a moment and looked
at her, hidden in the shadow of the
street, thiniinor his own thoughts. The
publican, in the old story, hardly
entered the beautiful temple with more
humble step than he is home that
night.
She sprang to meet him, paler with
her watching and fear, and he felt her
arms about his neck.
" Worried, Annie, were you 1 I
haven't been drinMng ; don't be frightened—no, not to the theatre either,
this time. Some business, dear—business that delayed me. I'm sorry you
were worried, I am Annie. I've had a
long wali. It is pleasant here. I believe I am tired, Annie."
He faltered and 'turned aw ay. his
face.
"Dear me," said Annie; "why, you
poor fellow, you are all tired out. Sit
right up here by the fire, and I will
bring the tea. I've tried so hard not
to let it boil away, you don't Know,
JacK; and I was so afraid something
had happened to you."
Her face, her voice, her touch, seemed more than he could bear for a minute, perhaps. • HeguLped down his tea^
choKing.
"Annie, Iook here'! " He pat down
his cup, trying to smile, and mat*e a
jest of the words. "Suppose a fellow
had it in him to be a. ra-scal, - and nobody ever knew it, eh ? "
" I should rather not Know it, if I
were his wife," said Annie, simply.
JacK coughed', t'ooK up his tea cup,
sat it down hard, strode once or twice
across the room, Kissed the baby in the
crib, -Kissed his wife, and sat down
again, win King at the fire.
" I wonder if He had anythiog to do"
with sending him," he said, presently,-'
under his breath.
" Sending whom ?" asKed puzzled
Annie.
■' Business, dear; just business. I
was thinKing of a boy Who did a little
job for me to-night- that's all."
And that is all*she Knows to this day
about the man sitting in the corner,
with his hat over his eyes^ bound for
Colorado.
TAKXHfGA MAN'S MKASCBE.
BT J. N.   THOMAS
From the Advance.
David Strict-man was a country grocer
by occupation, and unfortunately only
a moralist in religious belief. While
he had no faith in the Christain plan of
salvation—regarding it as unneccessary
—he was a strict observer ef the Bible,
and believed that man's whole duty
consisted in keeping the laws of the
land and exercising perfect honesty in
dealing with hie fellow-men.
David found an unpleasant task before him one day. In his lifetime he
had dealings with a number of 'church
members, and in more than one instance he had been wronged by professed Christians. This tended still
more to weaken his faith in religion.
A hypocrite was always an unwelcome
person for him to meet; and when once
he to'ok the measure of one, he shunned him ever afterwards as he would
a viper. David, for some time had
been trading with Bemas Goodman, a
wholesale dealer in the city, who was a
church member and whom he now
found to-be not strictly honest 5 and
the unpleasant task to Which we have
just referred was to go and settle with
that man, tell him of his faults and announce to him that he should, in future, trade eisewhere-. - So with a repetition of his favorite proverb," Honesty
is- the best policy," and a wish that all
men. were strictly upright he reluctantly started for the depot-.
Reaching the city, he met the nier-
chant at his door, and announced that
he had come to settle his account.
" Glad to see you," replied Bemas
Goodman, clasping his hand warmly,
" but I cannot attend to it just now—
have got to take charge of the business
men's prayer meeting held just across
the street—only last half an hour—walk
over; may do you some good—all the
principal business men in the city will
be present."
David assented, and the two were
soon in the hall—Bemas standing be*-
hind the little desk on which lay a
hymn book and Bible; his customer
seated in the promiscuous crowd of
attendants.
Bemas gave out a hymn, which was
sung with spirit; then ho read a few
versos from the Scriptures,- the principal precept of. which was, " Prepare
to meet Good," then he engaged in
brief but fervent supplication, in which
he'prayed earnestly for the conversion
of souls; then jvith a hurried exhortation of two minutes, which David could
not help interpreting as intended
chiefly for himself, the -leader tooK his
seat, and left the meeting in the hands
of the congregationj.according to the usual custom. During these' opening exer*-
cises David was continually saying to
himself, " Honesty is the best policy—
honesty is the best policy."
Then followed brief prayers and exhortations. Among those present and
taking part our oountry grocer recognized several who had "driven sharp
bargains with him in former times (so
sharp that he had considered it to his
interest to trade elsewhere since), and
who had long been regarded as pillars
in their respective churches; but be1
side them there were many whom he
believed to be good men and true, and
he respected them. The half hour
soon closed. As Bemas and his eus-
tomer reached the counting-room the
former said, with evident joy—-
"We had a lovely meeting, friend
Striotman 1"
" I suppose so ; but you know I don't
take muoh stock in such things," returned the other, evasively. "Two articles that I ordered, and which must
have been included in your bill (I regret
that you did not give the items), were
not sent in that last lot of goods. I to=-
fer to' pens and pencils,"
"I begyour pardon sir; there could
have been no mistake, for I had the
oversight of putting up the goods my1
self; but the memorandum has been
destroyed and I cannot prove it. Not?
withstanding, I am satisfied that every
article was sent and .charged at the
then market priee," and the merchant
put on a very decided look.
The elderly Strictman read the lie in
the young man's sinister expression t
but ih the absence of all decisive proof
he determined to have no dispute with
him, David had now, in the course of
a year's trading, seen enough ef Bemas
to know that he was a hypocrite ; but
the latter had been so cunning in all
his movements that he had the advantage of his country customer. This was
fComeluded on   Fourth P*g«0