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diff --git a/old/12512-h.zip b/old/12512-h.zip Binary files differnew file mode 100644 index 0000000..84ea018 --- /dev/null +++ b/old/12512-h.zip diff --git a/old/12512-h/12512-h.htm b/old/12512-h/12512-h.htm new file mode 100644 index 0000000..530947f --- /dev/null +++ b/old/12512-h/12512-h.htm @@ -0,0 +1,2708 @@ +<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" +"http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"> +<html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" lang="en"> +<head> +<meta name="generator" content= +"HTML Tidy for Windows (vers 1st March 2004), see www.w3.org" /> +<meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content= +"text/html; charset=us-ascii" /> +<title>The Deacon of Dobbinsville</title> +<style type="text/css"> +/*<![CDATA[*/ + <!-- +body +{ + background-color: white; + color: black; + font-family: "Times New Roman"; + font-size: 1em; +} + +hr +{ + color: black; + width: 50%; +} + --> +/*]]>*/ +</style> +</head> +<body> + + +<pre> + +Project Gutenberg's The Deacon of Dobbinsville, by John A. Morrison + +This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with +almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + + +Title: The Deacon of Dobbinsville + A Story Based on Actual Happenings + +Author: John A. Morrison + +Release Date: June 4, 2004 [EBook #12512] + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: US-ASCII + +*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE DEACON OF DOBBINSVILLE *** + + + + +Produced by Joel Erickson, Christine Gehring, Michel Boto and the +Online Distributed Proofreading Team. + + + + + + +</pre> + +<div align="center"> +<h2>The Deacon of Dobbinsville</h2> + +<h5>A Story Based on Actual Happenings</h5> + +<h4><i>By John A. Morrison</i></h4> + +<hr /> +<h3>Publisher's Preface</h3> +</div> + +<p>This narrative, written and first printed some 45 or 50 years +ago, depicts the contrast in that day between the nominal religious +professors on the one hand, and on the other the individuals who +had been soundly converted, made new creatures in Christ, filled +with the Holy Spirit and rejoicing on the "highway of holiness." +There is a distinct line of demarcation "between him that serveth +God and him that serveth him not."</p> + +<p>The Apostle Paul warned: "For the time will come when they will +not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they +heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; and <b>they shall +turn away their ears from the truth,</b> and shall be turned unto +fables." 2 Tim. 4:4, 5. The religious world has apostatized much +more since Paul's day, even to the extent in this modern age that +professors of Christianity are proclaiming the blasphemous "God is +dead" philosophy.</p> + +<p>The author, John Arch Morrison, kindly granted this publisher +his permission to reprint this book. Here are his words in his own +handwriting dated October 26, 1965: "Dear Bro. in Christ, I have no +objection to you printing any number of 'The Deacon of +Dobbinsville.' Cordially, John A. Morrison."</p> + +<p>Then hardly two months later, on December 23, 1965, and before +this book was printed, the author was taken suddenly from this life +by a heart attack at Anderson, Indiana in his 73rd year.</p> + +<p>Time is rapidly bearing us all on to eternity. How all-important +it is that we remember constantly the words of the Psalmist: "So +teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto +wisdom." The Wise Man writes: "Let us hear the conclusion of the +whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the +whole duty of man." Eccl. 12:13.</p> + +<p>March, 1966 --Lawrence D. Pruitt, Publisher</p> + +<div align="center"> +<hr /> +<h3>CHAPTER I</h3> +</div> + +<p>Mount Olivet church at the time of which I am about to write had +received the zenith of her glory. She was possessed of a full +measure of the denominational pride and prejudice common to the day +and the community in which she existed. Since Mount Olivet church +is to occupy so conspicuous a place in my narrative, it is fitting +that I should take time and space right here to describe her. I +must also give my readers an idea of the community of which Mount +Olivet church formed the hub and center.</p> + +<p>Well, to begin with, Mount Olivet church was old. And like, all +other things old she had a history, partly respectable and partly +otherwise. The date of her organization reached back into the +fifties, before the days of the Civil War. Some great notables had +lived and died in this church. Tradition had it that one of the +charter members of this church was a candidate for president of the +United States against James Buchanan. Of course he was not elected, +as you know, and I suppose you have noticed nothing in our national +history about this particular man running for president, but you +recall that the history of a nation and the history of a local +country district have a way of reading differently.</p> + +<p>But this aspirant to the presidential office was not the only +great man who had been a member of Mount Olivet church. The older +citizens told of a certain Preacher Crookshank who was pastor of +this church during and prior to the Civil War and was also a member +of the State Legislature; and, according to these biographers, he +was the sole cause of the State remaining in the Union. It seems +from all reports that Preacher Crookshank was not only a statesman +of renown, but also a masterful theologian of Mount Olivet's +particular faith. It is reported how he defended his theology with +his splendid oratory, and how when this failed he resorted to his +fists. His oratory was said to be simply overwhelming. They +recounted how, in his oratorical frenzies, he used to fling his +homespun coat in the air and crack the heels of his red-topped +boots together with an emphasis that would stop the mouth of the +most impudent gainsayer. They told how by this masterful eloquence +opposers were silenced, heretics were brought to orthodoxy, and +infidels were converted. Preacher Crookshank flourished +contemporaneously with John Barleycorn. To be frank, he and John +were bosom friends. In fact, it was reported that Crookshank was +never at his best in preaching except when he had an infilling of +the "spirit" of the Barleycorn type. He had a certain long-tailed +coat, said to have been given to him by a fellow member of the +Legislature. This coat had large pockets in the tail wherein was +carried a bottle of whiskey. This was a source of much inspiration +to Crookshank throughout his long and eventful career.</p> + +<p>But I must leave off any further description of this notable. +Those who are further interested I refer to the blue-grass cemetery +just back of Mount Olivet church, where a tombstone is to be found +bearing this inscription: "Rev. John Crookshank--Statesman, +Preacher, Orator. Died June 6, 1867."</p> + +<p>As before stated, Mount Olivet church flourished. She was +nestled among the picturesque Ozark Hills, about midway between +Ridgetown and Dobbinsville. Everybody in the community, almost, who +had any religious inclination, and some who had none, belonged to +Mount Olivet. She boasted in being the largest church in all +Randolph County--the churches at Ridgetown and Dobbinsville not +excepted. When I say that Mount Olivet church flourished, I do not +mean that she flourished in spiritual things. Indeed, her candle of +vital religion had well-nigh flickered out. Scarcely a member could +be found who would testify to a real experience of salvation from +sin. There were three things for which the members of this +particular church were remarkable, namely, they were great +sticklers for the faith of their church, they were all +holiness-fighters, they all used tobacco in some form.</p> + +<div align="center"> +<hr /> +<h3>CHAPTER II</h3> +</div> + +<p>Deacon Gramps sat on his plow-handles. The sultry August day was +drawing to a close. The sun was just ready to roll its bright red +disk behind the western horizon. The Deacon seemed to be in a deep +meditation. He cast a glance at his beautiful farm as it stretched +itself out for a mile toward the river on the one side and nestled +snugly against the foot of the limestone hill on the other side. +The large white farmhouse with green trimming cozily planted on a +blue-grass knoll across the brook seemed to bid him be at rest. The +large red barn just back of the house stood out in sharp contrast +against the green-foliaged mountain. The gold-colored balls on the +lightning rods glistened in the farewell rays of the receding sun. +Mount Olivet Church reared her white walls modestly from the brow +of the blue-grass knoll a quarter of a mile eastward. Deacon Gramps +was, at the close of this peaceful summer day, indulging in a +mental congratulation of himself on being so favorably situated in +life. Everybody recognized Farmer Gramps as being the wealthiest +man in all Spruce Township. He owned the finest and fattest horses +that were driven to Mount Olivet Church. His cattle roamed the +forests for miles around, and his hogs cracked acorns on every +hillside.</p> + +<p>Apart from his worldly wealth he was the most distinguished +member of Mount Olivet church. For years he had been deacon in said +church, and was president of the official board. In fact, he was as +truly a part of the Church as was the pulpit on the platform or the +bell in the steeple. No meeting was complete without him. He was an +indispensable part of the service. He always sat in the same pew, +and none coming into the Church previously to Deacon Gramps ever +dared sit in his pew any more than they dared to monopolize the +preacher's chair in the pulpit. He always enjoyed the double +pleasure of chewing his tobacco and hearing the sermon +simultaneously, and this necessitated his occupying a pew near the +window, as you may well suppose. This window was known to roguish +boys as "Deacon Window" and not even the bravest of these boys +dared peep through this window during services as was their custom +in the case of the other windows.</p> + +<p>Perhaps it is needless to say that the uninterrupted presence of +Gramps had a profound influence upon the service. No preacher dared +to fail to recognize his dignity. As well as being an officer in +the church he was the heaviest contributor to its collections. He +had a very curious habit of twitching his right ear when the +preacher said something that did not just set well with him, and it +naturally followed that every pastor who ever served Mount Olivet +fell into the habit of watching Gramp's ear, and of course the +sermon was governed accordingly. Thus "According to the deacon's +ear," came to be a by-word through the community.</p> + +<p>Well, as I have already said, Deacon Gramps sat on his +plow-handles. Just as he turned to unfasten the trace-chains from +the plow to drive his horses to the barn, he saw two men climbing +over the whitewashed fence that led from the barn toward the Church +on the hill. Seeing these men were coming towards him, he resumed +his position on the plow-handles and waited for them. As the two +men drew near, he recognized in them the familiar features of +Deacon Brown and Deacon Jones.</p> + +<div align="center"> +<hr /> +<h3>CHAPTER III</h3> +</div> + +<p>Jake Benton was a member of Mount Olivet Church and had been for +twenty-seven years. Jake was a man of ordinary natural +intelligence, but like most of his neighbors was utterly ignorant +as far as literary training is concerned. He naturally had deep +religious sentiments. Under proper teaching he doubtless would have +pressed his way into a genuine experience of salvation and would +have lived a consistent Christian life, but under the unwholesome +teachings of Mount Olivet he had given himself over to a mighty +religious drift and had drifted far away from God and was +completely destitute of redeeming grace. Oh, to be sure, he +testified regularly at the church services and gave of his limited +means toward the church's support, but he was a man of +uncontrollable temper and was well versed in the art of +old-fashioned fist-fighting. But his profession had become a burden +to him, and he had often wondered if there were no possibility of +extracting some joy out of the juiceless lemon of his +profession.</p> + +<p>Now, it so happened one summer that Deacon Cramps had a large +drove of cattle ranging on the hills about thirty miles to the +southeast of Mount Olivet community. This drove of cattle consisted +of a thousand head, and it became necessary that the Deacon employ +some trustworthy person to herd the cattle and prevent them from +scattering, or being stolen by cattle-thieves who sometimes visited +that section. Since Jake Benton was known as an upright man and was +a brother in the church, Deacon Cramps offered him the position. +Out of pure financial necessity Jake accepted.</p> + +<p>This was some years before the rubber-tired automobile had +invaded the flint hills of this section and thirty miles meant +hours of toilsome travel. Thus it was necessary that Jake take +along a camping outfit and remain all summer. This he decided to +do. Many and long were the hours that Jake spent in this lonely +mountain retreat. For miles around there was little sign of human +activity. No sound of woodman's ax was heard. The stillness of the +long summer afternoons was broken only by the tinkling of the bells +on the hillsides. A lone log cabin lifted its mud-chinked walls +from the brow of a hill from under which flowed a babbling stream +of clear water. In the attic of this lone cabin Jake Benton was +regularly lulled to sleep by the evening lullabies of the katydids +as they sang in the tops of the postoak trees with which the cabin +was surrounded.</p> + +<p>One August afternoon when Jake returned from his regular roundup +of the cattle, he found, seated on a log near the spring, two men. +At the sight of the men Jake's heart leaped into his mouth. For two +months he had not laid his eyes on a human form. He had heard no +human voice save his own. Needless to say, he was as much pleased +as surprised to find companions in his lonely abode. Jake neared +the log where the men sat. One of them arose and advanced toward +him. "I trust," he remarked, "that you will not think we are +trespassing on your premises. We have been traveling all day; our +horses were tired and we were thirsty, and the spring invited us to +be refreshed." For a moment Jake stood speechless, and then in +almost forgotten terms he made his unexpected visitors feel +welcome.</p> + +<p>The three men conversed for some time, and in the course of the +conversation Jake explained to them the reason for his lonely life +and the circumstances that caused him to be thus engaged. The +strangers explained that they were driving across the State, and +that, in order to make their journey fifty miles shorter, they had +been instructed to take this untraveled road through this expanse +of wooded hills.</p> + +<p>"I should think," remarked one of the men, "that this would be a +splendid place to meditate on the goodness of God. Loneliness often +begets meditation, and God loves to be the companion of the +companionless. Then, too, there is all this nature with which you +are surrounded. These flowers and trees and birds all speak of the +goodness of God. I was remarking to my fellow traveler of how these +beautiful scenes remind us of God's goodness. Pardon a frank +question, but may I ask, Are you saved?"</p> + +<p>This was all new language to Jake and he scarcely knew how to +answer this rather blunt question. "Wu-wu-well, ye-yes," he +answered. "I try to be a Christian. I belong to the church and have +belonged for twenty-seven years and accordin' to the preachin' we +have I think I'll get to heaven. I s'pose you fellers must be +preachers."</p> + +<p>"Yes, we are preachers," remarked the other. "We have +consecrated our lives to the blessed service of Christ and our +greatest delight is in preaching his gospel and telling others of +the wonders of his grace. There can be no higher calling than that +of telling of the saving grace of God. For fifteen years I was a +cold professor of religion, but I lacked vital salvation. I +belonged to the church and paid the preacher, and somehow I thought +I would get through all right. I sinned more or less every day and +did not know that I could be saved from sin. In fact, I never had +been converted. I tried to live a Christian life, but I was +powerless. After fifteen years of this miserable existence I got a +new vision of things. God removed the scales from my eyes and I saw +my lost condition. I saw myself in an entirely new light. I wept +before God because of my sins. I was made very conscious that +unless I was saved from my sins they would damn me in hell forever. +My churchianity and my self-righteousness and my morality looked +ridiculous when I saw myself a sinner in the sight of God. I came +to God and poured out my soul in bitter repentance, and said, 'Save +me, or I perish.' I promised him that I would forsake my sins, make +my wrongs right, and walk in the light. I read in 1 John 1:9, 'If +we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our +sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.' Well, I +confessed my sins and forsook them, and God for Christ's sake +pardoned all my sins. Praise His name. The joy and peace that +filled my soul were unspeakable. I was a new man. I loved +everybody, even my bitter enemies. Christ, in all his blessed +reality, came into my heart as an abiding companion. Some time +after my conversion, through a holiness paper, which fell into my +hands, and through reading the Bible, which had become a new book +to me, I learned that it was possible for me to be wholly +sanctified and to have the Holy Spirit as an abiding comforter. Oh, +the joy of this blessed life. Its glories are untold."</p> + +<p>Poor Jake stood amazed. He had never heard anything like this +before. He burst out, "If that's religion, I confess I hain't got +none; and to be plain, I ain't much inclined to believe such stuff +as that. I have been a member of Mount Olivet Church for +twenty-seven years and I never heard such preaching as that. That +must be some new religion that's goin' around. Talk about bein' +saved from sin, why there's our dear old Brother Simms, who was our +last pastor at Mount Olivet. He died last March and since then we +ain't had no pastor--why I heard him say more'n once from the +pulpit that folks can't be saved from sin till they get to +heaven."</p> + +<p>All this Jake said and a great deal more. He talked himself +hoarse and used up all his choicest terms in extolling the name of +Mount Olivet Church and all the pastors she had had since he had +been a member. All his arguments were quietly and lovingly answered +by the ministers, who read to him many passages of Scripture.</p> + +<p>By this time the large elm cast a lengthy shadow eastward. The +sun was well-nigh set, and it was evident to the ministers that +they should have to prevail on their new acquaintance to lodge them +overnight.</p> + +<p>"Well, my dear brother," remarked one of the ministers, "we are +far apart in faith, but I trust we are all honest in our views and +I pray that God may lead us all in the way we should go. The day is +gone, and to get out of these hills tonight is unthinkable. I +wonder if you could arrange to keep us overnight, Mr. Benton--I +believe that's the name? If you will, we shall be a hundred times +obliged and shall be glad to pay you whatever you suggest."</p> + +<p>Jake was big hearted, if he was a sinner. "Sure, I'll keep ye, +think I'd turn anybody out in these woods at night? Not me. I've +kept preachers all my life, but I confess I never kept sanctified +ones before."</p> + +<p>The three men went up the hill to Jake's cabin, and the two +ministers busied themselves writing letters while Jake prepared the +evening meal from his scant pantry. When they had gathered around +the large goods-box that served as a dining-table, one of the +preachers thanked God for the food and asked his blessings upon it. +When the evening meal was finished, the three men sat in front of +Jake's cabin until a late hour. The preachers expounded the +Scriptures to poor, ignorant Jake and told him of the wonders of +God's grace. Finally, when the big silvery moon stood in mid-heaven +and the sound of cow-bells on the hill had died away, Jake +suggested that they retire for the night. By the light of the moon +one of the ministers read his Bible. It so happened that he opened +it at the 12th chapter of Hebrews. These words as they fell from +this man's pious lips affected Jake deeply. He surely had read that +same chapter himself many times, and doubtless during the +twenty-seven years he had been a member of Mount Olivet Church he +had heard his pastor read it. But there was one verse that sank +right to the center of Jake's heart. It was the 14th: "Follow peace +with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the +Lord." Jake had always had a hope in his breast that he should some +day see the Lord. He had had more than his allotted share of +troubles in life, and deep in his heart he had a longing to go +where "the wicked cease from troubling and the weary be at +rest."</p> + +<p>Soon all was silence in the cabin attic, where the three men +lay. The restless surgings of man's inner soul are invisible to all +eyes, save God's, and silence is not always a proof that everyone +is asleep. Jake lay on a bag of dried leaves, having given his own +bunk to his guests. But his eyes refused to sleep. The music of the +katydids had lost its power to soothe his troubled breast and bring +him sweet repose. His mind took a voyage over the past. Memory, +according to her wonted ways carried him again to his mother's +knee. He recalled the sound of her voice as she sang, "When I shall +see Him face to face and tell the story saved by grace." But that +scripture, "Without holiness no man shall see the Lord," took the +sweetness out of that long-remembered song. Jake knew he was not +holy. His heart was defiled by sin. His lips were unclean with +blaspheming God's name. He remembered all the good resolutions he +had made and broken the past quarter of a century. And during these +midnight musings he seemed to see two lily-white hands beckoning +him to come somewhere; he knew not where. These hands he readily +recognized as the hands of his own baby Rose, who had gone from him +one day near the close of her fifth summer. Mentally he found +himself again at the bedside of his darling Rose. He saw again her +ruddy cheeks glow with fever and heard the tremble of her voice as +she said, "Daddy's Rose is going to heaven. Daddy come some day." +Again he saw the death-glare in the sky-blue eyes when the little +soul flitted away. He saw himself again as he sat and looked into +the sweet and lifeless face of his darling girl, and he remembered +how he resolved on that day to live in such a way as to be reunited +with his child. But his resolves had all been unfilled, and he saw +the path of his past strewn with broken vows. In reality, God was +speaking to the man's soul. Jake saw himself in his true condition, +a lost sinner. His sins seemed like horrid black mountains rearing +themselves eternally between him and his child. His profession of +religion and his church-membership seemed to mock him rather than +to comfort him.</p> + +<p>But Jake was silent. He said not a word with his lips; but how +his bleeding heart did talk to God. Hot tears flowed from his +sleepless eyes and dampened the dry leaves that formed his pillow. +He supposed the two ministers asleep. Their opinion of him was the +same. Finally Jake was astonished to see, in the glimmering light +of the moon that stole through the cracks in the clapboard roof, +the two preachers slip from their bed, and kneel on the floor. His +ear caught their whispering prayers that were heard in heaven. As +nearly as he could hear, the prayers ran something like this: "O +Lord, thou didst have a purpose in sending us through these wooded +hills. May we be instrumental in bringing light and salvation to +this lonely cabin. Lord, talk to the heart of this Mr. Benton, who +sleeps on his bag of leaves. Bring something before his mind that +will break up his heart; disturb him even in his sleep, Lord."</p> + +<p>Jake's emotions overwhelmed him and he could keep silent no +longer. He bounded from his bed, crying, "O my God, save me, save +me, save me! Oh, do pray for me now! I am lost! lost! lost!"</p> + +<p>Needless to say, the preachers were somewhat shocked, as people +often are when their prayers are answered sooner than they expect. +The convicted herdsman prostrated himself on the floor before the +preachers and poured out bitter tears of repentance. He wept and +groaned, and begged God to save him. But he seemed slow to grasp +God's promises. He prayed till the morning dawned. The preachers +prayed with him. Finally, just as the first grey streaks of the new +day began to creep between the logs, Jake's faith was anchored in +God's promises, and the glory of heaven flooded his soul. In the +twinkling of an eye he was made a new man. His joy knew no bounds. +He leaped and shouted, sang and whistled, and laughed and cried, +all for the joy of his new-found treasure.</p> + +<p>When breakfast was over and the two ministers had bidden their +new convert a happy farewell, Jake sat down to read his Bible, +which the preachers had given him. His eyes fell upon these words, +"Weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning." +(Psa. 30:5).</p> + +<div align="center"> +<hr /> +<h3>CHAPTER IV</h3> +</div> + +<p>The anteroom of the post office in a little Ohio town was +crowded. The train had arrived from the west, but it went as soon +as it came, for it did not stop. A scream of the whistle, the +rumble of the wheels, and the mighty monster dashed through the +peaceful town at fifty miles an hour. But the inhabitants were not +so interested in the train, for they had seen it pass in just this +fashion year after year. But from the baggage coach there came each +evening a bag of mail, and this was the cause of the gathering at +the post office. While the postmaster and his assistant were +opening and distributing the mail behind the closed window in the +post office, the restless townspeople occupied themselves in social +chat discussing the local happenings of the day, or in reading the +notices on the bulletin board.</p> + +<p>Everybody was at the post office at this hour. School children, +happy at the close of an irksome day of school, shouted +boisterously at each other in the street. Laboring men, with empty +dinner pails in hand, sat restfully on the curbstone just outside +the post office door, and talked of the happenings of the day. The +village blacksmith wiped the honest sweat from his brow, closed the +shop door, and came down to the post office, where he was met by +his flaxen-haired girl of three summers. She clasped her pink arms +about the smith's grimy neck and told him Mama was looking for a +letter from Grandma, who had gone to California for her health, and +that she had come down to see how many kisses Grandma had sent her. +The town doctor, with a dignified air, leaned against the side of +the post office door and read the Chicago paper that a previous +mail had brought to him. The schoolmaster had finished grading some +test papers and had come down to the post office just in time to be +the third party to an interesting fist fight in which two sixth +grade boys were engaged with great zest, in the street. Two +out-of-town strangers, who were guests at the hotel just across the +way, came over and, seating themselves on a bench in front of the +post office engaged in conversation.</p> + +<p>Finally the task behind the window was done. The mail was sorted +and placed alphabetically in the proper boxes. The postmaster +flipped up the window, and there was a mighty rush and a +scramble--for who is not eager to get a letter? Some received +several letters and papers; some only one letter; some only a +paper; some only a catalogue. Some were disappointed altogether, +judging from facial expressions; some received glad messages, some +sad messages, some indifferent.</p> + +<p>When the crowd was dispersed, the two strangers who had been +seated on the bench appeared at the window and called for their +mail. The postmaster handed to one of them a letter addressed, +Evangelist Blank. The address was written in almost an unreadable +hand. The evangelist opened the letter. It ran thus:</p> + +<p>Dobbinsville, ----, Aug. 29----</p> + +<p>My dear Evangelist brother:</p> + +<p>i am saved and sanctified praise God O how i rejoice in this +wonderful salvashun i was a member of Mt. Olivet church fer 27 yrs. +but i never knowed what it was to be saved from sin this summer i +was herdin cattle down in the hills about 30 mi. from here and a +most wonderful thing happened. To preachers came along and told me +that Christ could save and sanctify me i fought them at first but +God would not let me rest until i gave him my heart, then he +sanctified me holy o how i rejoice my wife and oldest son is also +saved now but say bruther how the people of my own church persecute +me they say I am crazy and that a man cant be saved from sin in +this life o if i had only found this salvashun when i was a young +man but now i am middle aged but by god's grace i aim to do all i +can to save my neighbors, i see in the holiness paper that you are +a evangelist and that you go about preachin this wonderful +salvashun so i want to now if you will come down here and preach to +the people we can't get Mt. Olivet church but we can build a brush +arber. i am sending you $20. this part of the money i urned herdin +cattle for deacon gramps i promised the Lord when he saved me that +i would give him part of this money so here it is so i hope you can +cum your brother saved sanctified and happy</p> + +<p>Jake Benton</p> + +<div align="center"> +<hr /> +<h3>CHAPTER V</h3> +</div> + +<p>As I have said before, Deacon Gramps sat on his plow handles at +the close of an August day. He fairly rejoiced when he saw Deacon +Brown and Deacon Jones coming toward him.</p> + +<p>"Good evening, Brother Gramps," shouted Jones and Brown +simultaneously.</p> + +<p>"Good evening, my good brethering," responded Gramps, "I am so +glad to see you. I have a great burden on my mind and I was just +planning to go to your house, Brother Brown, as soon as I had +unharnessed my team and eaten supper."</p> + +<p>Brown and Jones looked at Gramps with an expectant gaze, and +continued silent. Gramps went on, "It's high time we was doin' +somethin' to protect our church. I have been a deacon in this +church fer many a year, but to my mind this is the most dangerous +time Mount Olivet has ever seen."</p> + +<p>Brown and Jones nodded a candid assent to what was being said. +Gramps continued, "For many years our church has been the strongest +church in this county and everybody has counted it an honor to +belong to this church, but you know, brethering, ever since our +pastor died last spring, and we have been without a pastor we have +been gettin' weaker and weaker. And since old Jake Benton has gone +crazy over this new religion of hisen he is trien to get everybody +else to go crazy. You brethering knows how I sent him down in the +hills this summer to mind cattle. Well he seemed to kinder git +overbalanced in his mind down there and he's found a new religion. +You know how he testified in meetin' tother night. He said he was +saved from sin and he said he was sanctified, and whole lot of +other stuff like that. And I believe he said, didn't he, that he +was just as good as Jesus Christ and gettin' better ever' day, or +something like that."</p> + +<p>"Yes, something like that," added Brown.</p> + +<p>"Yes," said Jones, "I was there myself and heard him. I have +always thought Jake Benton was a pretty good man; but when a feller +gets so good as all that, then he's too good for this world. You +know the Bible says there's nobody good but God."</p> + +<p>"Yes, I've heard the best preachers that was ever pastor of +Mount Olivet Church and they all say we sin a thousand times every +day," remarked Gramps.</p> + +<p>Jones spoke next: "I knew a bunch of them holiness people back +in South Caroliner where I come from. They was the most outrageous +bunch of people I ever saw. Why, they claimed that they couldn't +sin, and that they was just as good as Jesus Christ and that nobody +would get to heaven but them. I'll tell you brethering we must not +let them get the start here. If they do, Mount Olivet Church is +ruined. They tear down churches just as fast as they come to 'em. +Old Jake Benton ought to be run out of the country or else sent to +the asylum. He ain't fit to run at large. Why, he told Aunt Sally +Perkins that he was wholly sanctified and that his heart was just +as pure as that of his little baby that died years ago when Jake +lived over on Persimmon Ridge. He talks a whole lot now about goin' +to meet his baby and his mother and he seems to get so happy every +time he talks about it." Jones's voice trembled slightly as he went +on to say, "But brethering, it makes me feel most wonderfully queer +when I hear Jake talk about meetin' his little girl. He seems to +have no doubt at all about meetin' her, and say, you remember my +little boy died the same fall as Jake's little girl, and to tell +the truth I'm just a little fearful at times about bein' ready to +meet little George."</p> + +<p>Deacon Gramps listened to all of this from Jones rather +restlessly. He spoke next with great gravity. "Brethering, since I +am president of this Board of Deacons I feel it my duty to take +steps to see that this new religion is stopped and that Mount +Olivet Church is not torn to pieces. As I said, I have been deacon +here for many years and I have never seen the church so in danger. +Something must be done. I'll tell you what we need, we need a +preacher--one of our very best ones to come here and fight this +devilish holiness stuff."</p> + +<p>"That's what we need, we must wipe holiness out," responded +Brown, as he let go a sluice of tobacco juice.</p> + +<p>Gramps continued, "Just today I had a letter from a cousin of +mine back in Kentucky. He says they have a wonderful preacher back +there by the name of Preacher Bonds. He says this Preacher Bonds +feels a special call to fight holiness. I tell you, brethering, if +we could get him here we would make it hot for old Benton and his +bunch."</p> + +<p>"We would that," Jones chimed in.</p> + +<p>"Brother Gramps, why don't you write and ask Preacher Bonds to +come?" suggested Brown. "Although the other two members of the +Board are not here, I think we just as well go ahead."</p> + +<p>"Better bring it before the church," said Gramps, "because we've +got to raise some money to get him."</p> + +<p>Brown and Jones both agreed that Gramps was right in this +respect. With the understanding that Deacon Gramps was to call a +meeting of the church at the earliest possible date, the three men +separated.</p> + +<p>Gramps spent the entire following day riding about the community +giving every member of Mount Olivet a personal notification that a +special meeting of the church would be held on the following +Wednesday evening for the purpose of considering grave problems +concerning the church. Wednesday evening came; practically the +whole church responded. When the appointed hour arrived, Gramps was +on the spot. On every face was written expectancy. Deacon Gramps +presided of course. He arose from his seat, flung his quid of +tobacco out of the window, squared himself against the pulpit, +adjusted his eyeglasses near the point of his nose, and looking +over them he addressed the assembly thus: "My brethering and +sistern, we have met as members of the grand old Mount Olivet +Church. Here in this church our fathers met. Here in this church +our mothers met. Here in this church our grandfathers met. Here in +this church our grandmothers met. Here in this church, my +brethering, we have met. And let me say to you, my dear people, +that we have met here tonight in this church for a purpose. There +are certain people in this community whose aim is to tear up this +church; certain people, I say, whose aim is to tear down this +church. There is a certain doctring--the doctring of +holiness--getting into this community. This holiness doctring, my +friends, is a devilish doctring, my brethering, and must be wiped +out." (Amens all over the house.)</p> + +<p>All this the Deacon said, and much more. He began his speech +with considerable warmth of utterance, but as he progressed in +praises of Mount Olivet and her faith he waxed hotter and hotter +until his spellbound hearers were fairly deluged in a mighty +avalanche of his rustic oratory, and he wound up with the sweeping +statement that the doctrine of holiness must be abolished from the +face of the earth.</p> + +<p>When the Deacon had finished, and regained breath enough to put +the matter to a vote, it was unanimously voted that Preacher Bonds +should be secured at the earliest date possible.</p> + +<div align="center"> +<hr /> +<h3>CHAPTER VI</h3> +</div> + +<p>A year had rolled around since Jake Benton had been converted +down in the hills. By this time it was plain to all unbiased minds +that Benton was indeed earnest. Even his most bitter enemies were +obliged to admit that a mighty change had come over him. His life +had undergone a real transformation. His life was an entirely new +life. He had unshaken faith in the God of his salvation. In his +home he established a family altar, where he worshipped God as +regularly as the sun rose and set. In his business relations he +literally followed the Golden Rule. At church he unflinchingly +declared what his new-found religion had done for him. He declared +that God had saved him from his sins and had subsequently +sanctified him wholly. He even waxed bold enough to tell in meeting +how God had healed him of physical ailments in answer to prayer. +All this greatly incensed his fellow church-members. They insisted +that he had gone crazy and was no longer fit to belong to the +church. Accordingly he was put out. Jake took it all in good part +and rejoiced that he was counted worthy to suffer for Jesus' +sake.</p> + +<p>But Jake was not long obliged to stand alone in defense of his +profession. His simple life of trust soon began to have its effect +in the community; during the year his faithfulness had been +rewarded by the salvation of a number of persons in the +neighborhood. Old Grandma Gray had come out boldly on Benton's +side. She said that for fifty years she had been living as best she +could, but that she had all this time had a longing for the fulness +of the blessing, such as Jake Benton testified to, and she arose +right in the public meeting and declared herself a seeker for just +such a blessing. This set Mount Olivet church all in a storm. +Deacon Gramps was furious. He said Jake Benton had a legion of +devils and that Grandma Gray was bewitched.</p> + +<p>But when Grandma Gray took her stand for full salvation, the +cause for which Mount Olivet stood suffered a mighty blow. Nolan +Gray, a son with whom Grandma Gray had made her home for years, had +been a stanch member of the church since he was a child. In fact, +he had always said he had grown up in the church. Nolan Gray was a +very upright man of undoubted integrity, and he stood for high +moral ideals, but under the type of preaching to which he was +accustomed he had never experienced a change of heart. When he saw +what a change had come over his mother, he refused to be comforted +with his religious profession. Jake Benton was a tenant on Gray's +farm, and from daily contact with Benton, Mr. Gray was convinced +beyond a doubt that Benton's religion was real. One night at a +prayer meeting held at Jake Benton's humble home, Mr. Gray became +so convicted that resistance was impossible. He fully surrendered +himself to Jesus and obtained an experience that was marvelous even +in the eyes of Grandma Gray.</p> + +<p>The news of Gray's conversion spread like fire on a dry prairie. +He was a heavy contributor to the finances of Mount Olivet. On this +account it became a matter of conjecture as to whether or not he +would be excommunicated. However, Mr. Gray relieved all minds of +any anxiety when on the following week he quietly withdrew his +membership from the church.</p> + +<p>The day following the night of Nolan Gray's conversion there +occurred an incident that meant much to Jake Benton, as well as to +Deacon Gramps. Benton was walking along the road that led around +the fence from his own home to the large, white house occupied by +Nolan Gray and his family. He was on his way to milk Mr. Gray's +cow. He commonly went through the field on such occasions, as it +was much the shorter route, but on this particular morning he had a +mysterious disposition to take the long route around the road. When +he had reached a point about a quarter of a mile from his home, to +his astonishment he met Deacon Gramps, accompanied by Gramps' hired +hand. He saw at once that the Deacon was in a most surly mood. So +in a pleasant tone of voice Benton said, "Good morning, gentlemen, +nice mornin'," aiming with salutation to pass on.</p> + +<p>Gramps was not in any sense a brave man, as you may have guessed +by this time, but he always manifested great boldness where he was +sure there was no physical danger.</p> + +<p>"They say Gray got your kind of religion at the prayer meetin' +last night," he said.</p> + +<p>"Well, I guess it ain't my kind," answered Benton, "but he sure +did get Bible salvation."</p> + +<p>Then the Deacon let loose in all his fury. "Jake Benton," said +he, "this religion of yours has got to be stopped, it's got to be +wiped out, it's doin' more harm in this community than all the +saloons in the State. It's tearing up our church. Nolan Gray and +old Grandma Gray was good church-members and have been for years +and years and now they are taken in with this crazy holiness stuff, +and you are the hul cause of it. I tell you it's just got to be +stopped and I'm going' to stop it and I'll just begin right here." +With this he advanced toward Benton and struck him a terrific blow +on the side of the cheek with his open hand. At this Benton only +replied, "God bless you, Mr. Gramps." This served only to incense +the enraged Deacon all the more, and he literally flew at Benton +and easily pinned him to the ground and sat upon his chest and beat +him in the face most unmercifully. Poor Benton struggled and +groaned, but did not endeavor to hurt his antagonist. The Deacon's +hired hand was all his time a looker-on, but he finally mustered up +courage, and with great difficulty succeeded in pulling the enraged +Deacon off the poor man. When the hired man had finally persuaded +Gramps away from the scene, Benton, bruised and bleeding in body, +but victorious in soul, struggled to his feet and went home, glad +that he was counted worthy to suffer for Jesus' sake.</p> + +<div align="center"> +<hr /> +<h3>CHAPTER VII</h3> +</div> + +<p>The community was stirred, no doubt about that. These were +stirring days. Not since the days when Union and Southern marauding +parties scattered terror in these woods had public excitement run +so high as now. The gossip of Benton's beating was on everybody's +lips before the sun went down that day. Everybody talked about it. +Jake's friends were warmer friends and his enemies were hotter +enemies. Those who had been neutral were neutral no more. There +were just two parties now, those against and those for holiness as +taught and lived by Jake Benton. As for old Jake, he kept sweet in +his soul and talked little and prayed much. His victory was +complete.</p> + +<p>In the midst of this excitement Jake received a short but +significant letter from Evangelist Blank. It ran thus:</p> + +<p>Dear Brother Benton:</p> + +<p>In accordance with my promise to you nearly a year ago, I am now +in a position to hold your revival. I will arrive in Dobbinsville +August 2. Please meet me at the train.</p> + +<p>Your Brother in Christ,--Evangelist Blank.</p> + +<p>Jake read this scanty letter through tears of joy. He was +unspeakably happy. He had prayed for a year, and now his prayers +were on the verge of being answered. A holiness preacher, +mysterious being, was actually to set foot on Mount Olivet soil. +The doctrine of full salvation was to invade the precincts of +sin-you-must religion.</p> + +<p>But where was Evangelist Blank to preach? Not in Mount Olivet, +to be sure. About a quarter of a mile from Mount Olivet Church was +a section of land known in that country as Public Land. Here in the +center of an old, unused, unfenced field was a thick clump of post +oak sapplings, with heavy foliage. This spot was to be the scene of +many an interesting happening, a few of which shall be mentioned +before this story closes and many of which shall not. As soon as +Jake was sufficiently recovered from the beating administered by +the Deacon, he, in company with Nolan Gray and several others who +were either friends or embracers of the doctrine of full salvation, +went to this spot and worked for a number of days building a brush +arbor, which was to serve the purpose of a meeting-house. Long +poles were tied from tree to tree to make a framework. Then other +poles were laid across from the frame-poles to furnish a support +for the brush, which was thrown on top. A sort of tabernacle was +thus effected which served the purpose well. Oil torches were hung +on the upright poles to furnish light. Long boards were brought +from a sawmill near by and fastened on stakes driven into the +ground; these served for benches. The arbor would seat about five +hundred people.</p> + +<p>Everything was in readiness for the long-expected meetings. All +there was to do was to wait for the 2nd of August to come, and that +was hard to do. Finally it came. That afternoon when the +two-coached train rolled up to the little red station at +Dobbinsville, Jake Benton stood on the depot platform. His heart +beat a rat-a-tat-tat against his chest. As the train slowed up and +Jake saw through its window the face of a man corresponding to the +picture he had seen in his holiness paper, his emotions refused to +yield to control. He jumped high in the air, and shouted at the top +of his voice, "Hallelujah!"</p> + +<p>The train being a few hours late, the afternoon was far spent. +On the road from the station, Jake told Evangelist Blank as best he +could of the happenings of the year just preceding--how he had been +converted in the woods and subsequently sanctified, of his +persecution and excommunication by the church, and of his recent +beating at the hands of Deacon Gramps. Evangelist Blank had had +many long years of experience in the field of evangelistic +endeavor, yet when Jake Benton poured all these startling things +into his ears, there came a feeling over him that he was entering +into an entirely new experience. This feeling was verified before +he left the neighborhood a few weeks later.</p> + +<p>When the old-fashioned wagon rattled up to the front gate of the +humble home, Evangelist Blank expressed to Jake the belief that in +coming to this place he was in the center of the will of God. This +made poor Jake's heart leap for joy. He sprang from the wagon to +the ground and, bidding his good wife see to the comfort of the +Evangelist and the corps of singers who accompanied him, set +himself diligently to doing the evening chores in order that +everything might be in readiness for the evening meeting.</p> + +<div align="center"> +<hr /> +<h3>CHAPTER VIII</h3> +</div> + +<p>When the afternoon shadows began to lengthen there began to +gather around the new-made brush arbor on Post Oak Ridge a number +of men and boys. These were mostly idlers of the community, who had +nothing in particular to do, so had come early to the arbor. But +when the last faint streaks of the dying day were fading, the more +substantial citizens of the community began to gather at this spot +of interest. They came from every direction. Every path seemed to +lead to the arbor ridge. Some came in wagons, some in buggies, some +on horseback, others walked.</p> + +<p>Everybody, almost, was there. Grandma Gray was there. She sat +serenely in her big willow rocker, which Nolan had placed just in +front and to the left of the speaker's stand. Her age-wrinkled face +was all aglow with the joy of full salvation. Aunt Sally Perkins +was there. Poor old Aunt Sally. She was notorious as a shouter and +a hypocrite. Nobody had any confidence in her as a Christian, but +she was much given to sitting in the "amen" corner, and on this +particular night she came into the big arbor and deposited her +scanty self right on a front bench. And there she sat, wrapped in +her old grey shawl, peeping out from beneath her old black bonnet. +Old Brother Bunk was there. For a quarter of a century he had been +a true and tried member of Mount Olivet Church, but of late he had +been much wrought upon by the holiness agitation. "Spooky" Crane +was there. Crane was a harmless half-wit who lived alone in a +shanty at the back of Deacon Gramps' field. He always made it a +point to attend every religious service far and near, of whatever +faith, and he had the capacity for adjusting himself to his +surroundings to such an extent that he joined every religious +movement with which he came in contact. Roguish boys found great +amusement in giving him pennies to sing for them. Jim Peabody was +there. But that was to be taken only as a matter of course, for Jim +always went to church. He went, not because he was religious, but +because he was otherwise. He made loud boast of his infidelity. He +had given himself extensively to the reading of Bob Ingersoll and +other authors notorious for things other than goodness, so in his +own vain imaginations he was a masterful scholar. He said there was +no God, and that any man who prayed was a fool. But the cause of +infidelity had suffered a terrific blow when one time Nolan Gray, +as he was going to Dobbinsville, saw a huge wagon-box turned bottom +side up, with the wagon on top, in a ditch by the side of the road. +As he drew near he heard coming from under the box the low +muttering tones of a man's voice. As he stood near the box and +listened he heard a most eloquent prayer. He took a long pole from +a fence near by and pried one edge of the box up, and who should +emerge from beneath but Jim Peabody.</p> + +<p>When the hour of service arrived, Jake Benton and the +evangelistic party did not arrive with it. Owing to the lateness of +the train, Jake had been unable to get around at the appointed +hour. Finally the familiar rattle of Jake's wagon was heard, and +now all was breathless expectancy. When the party arrived at the +arbor, all eyes were fastened upon the Evangelist. If he had been a +ghost moving about in the twilight of that summer evening, he would +have been regarded with no more superstition by that rustic people. +There was nothing whatsoever extraordinary in the physical +appearance of Evangelist Blank. He was a man of average height and +scant weight. His rather pallid face was covered with a scanty +well-trimmed beard. His deep-set blue eyes sparkled with a pleasant +earnestness. Any lack of physical attractiveness was amply atoned +for by the splendid qualities of the man's soul. He was a mighty +man of God. He had an unusual grip on the upper world. He had large +capacities for moving God on his throne. A heavenly atmosphere +pervaded the realm of his personality.</p> + +<p>When this man stepped onto the platform of the large brush arbor +that summer evening, and took his seat and faced that audience, +there was a stillness that was painful. The awful stillness was +broken when the Evangelist arose and said, "Praise God for his +matchless salvation." He made a few preliminary remarks and the +corp of singers began to sing. And such music seldom issues from +human lips. It was not overwhelming in point of its artistic +qualities. The compositions were of the simplest sort. But the +singers sang from out of the abundance of redeemed souls, and there +was a heavenly inspiration accompanying the songs that simply +overwhelmed the hearts of sinners and overjoyed the hearts of +saints. One song that especially gripped the audience ran thus:</p> + +<p>"Do you triumph, O my brother, over all this world of sin?<br /> + In each storm of tribulation, does your Jesus reign within?"<br /> +<br /> + CHORUS:<br /> +<br /> + "I am reigning, sweetly reigning, far above this world of +strife;<br /> + In my blessed, loving Savior, I am reigning in this life."</p> + +<p>When this and several other hymns equally inspiring had been +sung, Evangelist Blank arose and said, "Let us pray." At this the +audience began to make arrangements to stand, for it was the custom +in Mount Olivet Church in those days to stand while the preacher +"made" his prayer, as Deacon Gramps expressed it. But the +Evangelist had the notion that when the heart is humbled before God +the body should be in a like position, so he reverently and +unpretentiously knelt beside the rough board pulpit. The four +singers on the platform knelt simultaneously with the Evangelist. +This placed the members of Mount Olivet in a rather embarrassing +position. They disliked the idea of being so unreligious as to sit +erect during prayer, and they could not bear the humiliation of +kneeling at a holiness meeting. A few of them under the press of +the circumstance did kneel. A few stood up. Most of them sat with +bowed heads. "Spooky" Crane easily adjusted himself to the +situation and promptly knelt in the straw, and with his face in his +hands peeped between his fingers at the Evangelist. Jim Peabody, +the infidel, sat arrogantly erect with an impish snarl on his lip. +To him the whole business of praying was a huge piece of +foolishness--except, of course, when under the wagon-box. Aunt +Sally Perkins knelt beside the front bench and clapped her hands +hysterically during the prayer. And Deacon Gramps had slipped under +the outer edge of the arbor, where he sat on a low bench with his +elbows on his knees and chewed his tobacco most vigorously.</p> + +<p>Evangelist Blank, himself, led in prayer. His prayer, like +himself, was simple, but mighty. It ran something like this:</p> + +<p>"O Lord of heaven and earth, we thank thee for this hour. We +have come here in thy name; we plead no worthiness and no +efficiency of our own. Thy blood and thy grace is all our plea. We +would not thrust ourselves into thy holy presence on any human +merits. But in thy name and through the blood of Christ our Saviour +we come boldly before thee. We praise thee, Lord, for thy great +salvation, by which thou dost save us and sanctify us. O Lord, make +thyself mighty in the salvation of this people among whom we have +come to labor. Let thy matchless power be manifested and thy +righteous name be exalted. Be thou lifted up before the people. +Lord, we rededicate ourselves at this hour to be used of thee in +the salvation of men. Come into these temples of clay afresh at +this hour, O Lord, and let the fire of thy holy presence consume +all the dross that may be in us. Anoint our feeble lips to speak +the unsearchable riches of Christ ... Hear us, Lord, we ask in +Jesus' name. Amen."</p> + +<p>This prayer made a profound impression on the audience. When it +was finished, a few other songs were sung, and then Evangelist +Blank arose to address the audience. There was something about the +preaching and personality of this man that made him a unique figure +in the field of preacherdom. In the first place, he was masterful +in his knowledge and use of the Holy Scriptures. He knew God's +Book. By patient study and long practice he had brought himself to +the place where he could readily bring to his defence an +impregnable line of Scriptural proof to sustain the propositions +that he held. He was not only proficient in the Scriptures, but he +had a thorough training covering the whole range of ministerial and +theological thought. He had the happy and unusual combination of +those qualities of mind that make for forceful oratory and +clearness in theological thought. And last, and far from least, he +walked with God. He had a yearning for the lost of earth's +millions.</p> + +<p>On that evening when he faced for the first time his brush-arbor +audience, it was plainly to be seen that he did not lack for +something to say. He did not let his sermon get in the way of his +message. He went right to the heart of his subject, which he +announced as Salvation. He took for his text Titus 2:11, 12: "For +the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, +teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should +live soberly, righteously, and godly in this present world."</p> + +<p>His sermon ran partly thus: "My friends and brethren, we are +here this evening to conduct this service in the fear of God. +Almost a year ago I received a letter from Brother Benton urging me +to come to his place to hold a revival. Owing to my many calls, I +was unable to come until the present time, and now at last we are +here in the name of God. We expect him to give us a gracious +out-pouring of his Holy Spirit. The text that I have read in your +hearing introduces my subject, the subject of Salvation. I feel the +burden of this message pressing upon my heart. Since Jesus saved me +from a life of sin I have had a consuming desire to get others to +press their way into this grand experience. I shall not promise to +keep within the bounds of homiletical order tonight, but I do +promise to keep within the bounds of God's Holy Word and the +leadings of his Spirit." These introductory remarks were stated +with a simple earnestness born of a desire to see men saved.</p> + +<p>The Evangelist first proceeded to show what salvation is. He +said it is a divine work of grace in the heart, wrought by the +blood of Jesus Christ. He explained that it means deliverance from +sin. He said that if the Bible teaches anything at all, it teaches +that the individual must have a vital connection with Jesus +Christ.</p> + +<p>Next the Evangelist set forth the conditions of salvation. +"First," he said, "a man must be sorry for his sins; secondly, he +must repent of his sins; and, thirdly, he must forsake his +sins."</p> + +<p>He dwelt at great length on the effects of salvation in the +heart. He said that if a man's religion did not have any effect on +him, it was worthless. A man's religion must make him a new +creature, he argued. He declared that salvation makes a man love +even his enemies. He said salvation cleanses a man from inward and +outward filth.</p> + +<p>By the time Evangelist Blank had illustrated and amplified all +his points he had consumed the major portion of an hour and a half +of time. During this time the entire audience was held spellbound +by his simple and earnest eloquence.</p> + +<p>All this was strange theology to the members of Mount Olivet +Church. It was a stinging rebuke to their crooked and hypocritical +lives.</p> + +<div align="center"> +<hr /> +<h3>CHAPTER IX</h3> +</div> + +<p>It was about the fifth night of the big holiness meeting at the +arbor on Post Oak Ridge. The country was stirred for miles around. +People from Dobbinsville and Ridgetown and neighboring villages +were in regular attendance. Scores of people had been converted. +Many had been sanctified. Numbers had been healed. The forces of +sin were enraged. Wicked men, grim with age, had melted like frost +at noonday under the mighty preaching of the Spirit-filled +Evangelist. Old women with lying hearts and gossiping lips had been +stricken down in mighty and pungent conviction for their sins. +Young men, roguish and rough and stout-hearted, had come to the old +split-log altar and on penitent knees had sobbed out before God the +awful sins of their hearts and had gone away happy with the +new-found treasure of full salvation. Young ladies, vain and +haughty, had melted under the gospel messages and had come to the +feet of Jesus. Sweet children not yet in their teens had wept their +childish transgressions away and in their simple faith had accepted +Jesus as their Savior. Oh, grand and glorious gospel! How matchless +is its power.</p> + +<p>Well, as I said, it was about the fifth night of the meeting. +Preacher Bonds was there, and had been the two nights preceding. He +had regarded all the manifestations of God's power in the meetings +with affected indifference. He said he hated holiness and would +hate it as long as he lived. On being asked what he thought of the +miraculous conversions that had taken place in the meeting, he +remarked that he would not believe in holiness even if Beelzebub +himself were converted in the meetings.</p> + +<p>Evangelist Blank said he thought this would be a splendid time +to have a testimony-meeting. So they had one, and he conducted it +himself. Grandma Gray was the first to testify. She stood +trembling, and balanced herself against the back of the old willow +rocker. Around her saintly face there seemed to circle a halo of +glory. At first she only stood and wept. When she had gained +control of her emotions sufficiently to speak, she said, "Oh, the +love of God is unspeakable. How can I praise him for what he has +done for me? He saves me and sanctifies me and heals me. I praise +him for sending Evangelist Blank here. I would not say a word +against the people of Mount Olivet church, but for thirty-some +years I lived in that church an up-and-down life. God knows I +wanted to live for him all that time but my experience was not +sufficient to keep me. But since I have learned of the more perfect +way, how my heart rejoices in this full salvation. Since this +meeting began, the good Lord has been showing me great light on the +church question. I see the one body of Christ, which is the church. +I have just learned that I was born into the real, true church +thirty-some years ago. O brethren, the day is dawning, the light is +shining. How glad I am that I have lived to see this day."</p> + +<p>When Grandma Gray had well-nigh exhausted her feeble strength in +exhorting the people to come to Jesus and accept his truth, she +sank into her big willow chair and silently prayed. For a brief +period there was a deathlike stillness over the audience.</p> + +<p>For years Grandma Gray had lived a life that could not be +gainsaid. True, she spoke in her testimony about her up-and-down +life, but when compared with the average professed Christian's life +in that community, hers was above reproach. In her extreme age she +spoke as one from the border-lands of eternity, and her words +naturally had a profound effect.</p> + +<p>Jake Benton was next to testify. He was simply overwhelmed with +joy, and spoke at some length of his hope of someday being reunited +with his darling girl in the skies. Jake's testimony scattered +enthusiasm all through the congregation of the saints and there was +rejoicing and praising God that was doubtless participated in by +the angels around the throne.</p> + +<p>Little flaxen-haired Eva Gray, eleven-year-old daughter of Nolan +Gray, arose and said that Jesus had saved her and that she aimed to +spend her life for him, as had Grandma Gray. Thus we see a godly +life is fruitful of influence even on the lives of little +children.</p> + +<p>Probably the most remarkable testimony given was that of Squire +Branson. Branson spoke thus: "Friends and brothers: I stand before +you a redeemed man. I am washed and made white in the blood of +Jesus. I am as a brand snatched from the burning. I am now in my +eighty-third year. You know the manner of my life up until this +meeting. I have had absolutely nothing to do with religion. As you +know I have lived a life of great wickedness. I have been a +drunkard, a gambler--a mighty sinner. For fifty-three years I had +not gone near a church service until this meeting began. I have +been thoroughly put out with the type of Christianity exhibited in +this community these past years. But when through sheer curiosity I +came into this arbor, I was made as conscious of the presence of +the Holy Ghost as if I could have seen him with my natural eyes. +There at that altar night before last I unburdened my heart of the +sins of nearly eighty years, and I stand tonight a witness of the +redeeming grace and love of Christ my Saviour. Oh, how can I praise +him enough? Here I stand right at the threshold of death with a +long and wasted life behind me and an eternity of bliss before me. +What but the mercy of an infinite God could bring about this +wonderful change?"</p> + +<p>"Spooky" Crane said in his testimony that of all the churches he +had ever belonged to this one was the best. Aunt Sally Perkins +shouted.</p> + +<p>Evangelist Blank was just ready to close the meeting when he was +interrupted by Preacher Bonds. Bonds' face was red with rage and +his eyes gleaming with anger when he burst forth in this +unceremonious manner; "I thank God for a sensible and reasonable +religion. I have been a Christian for thirty years and a minister +for twenty years and I have never experienced any of this wonderful +joy that these people speak of. This sanctified holiness doctrine +is the most damnable doctrine that ever struck this country, or any +other country. I knew a group of these holiness people back in +Kentucky where I came from. They said they could not sin and that +they were just as good as Jesus Christ himself. They were given to +all sorts of fanatical projects. They claimed to have great faith +and went so far as to say they were healed, as some of these people +have said tonight. One of them even said that by faith he had +caused an iron wedge to float on the water. Talk about living free +from sin. There never could be a more crooked doctrine preached. +The Bible plainly says, 'There is none good, no not one.' It also +says that 'If a man liveth and saith he sinneth not, he is a liar +and the truth is not in him.' I believe the Bible. When I was in +college old Professor Thorndike used to give us an occasional +lecture on the Hellish Heresy of Holiness. He knew all about the +doctrine and the harm it is doing these days. I am bold to say +right here that God has called me and raised me up to fight +holiness, and I have dedicated my life to this cause. I aim to use +every means, fair and foul, to stamp this doctrine out of this +community (Deacon Gramps, "Amen."). I want to warn Preacher Blank +and every one of his dupes right here that if he continues to +preach in this community he does so at his own peril. You people +have no right, legal or moral, to come here and disturb the peace +and tranquility of Mount Olivet church, a church that has stood +standpat for nearly half a century in defence of the truth. I here +and now call upon every loyal member to come to the defence of the +faith of your fathers. Those who will pledge their united support +to the cause of stamping out holiness rise to your feet."</p> + +<p>At this a score and a half of rustic mountaineers boldly stood +up. "Let those who have made this solemn pledge meet me at the back +door of the arbor," said Bonds as he sat down.</p> + +<div align="center"> +<hr /> +<h3>CHAPTER 10</h3> +</div> + +<p>During the time that Bonds was on the floor, Evangelist Blank +leaned against the pulpit with his face in his hands as if in +prayer. When Bonds sat down the Evangelist calmly faced the +audience. Just at this time he seemed to possess the meekness of a +lamb and the boldness of a lion. He seemed perfectly composed, as +he remarked, "Well, brethren and friends, I am indeed sorry to see +this splendid testimony meeting end in this way. I am sorry the +ministerial brother feels as he does toward the truth we have +preached, and I hope after prayer and reflection he will see his +way clear not to hinder the progress of the meeting. However, if +God sees fit to allow the hand of persecution to fall upon us, we +bow submissively to his will. But we will not, we dare not +compromise God's truth. We will preach the Bible regardless of +consequences." With these remarks Evangelist Blank closed the +service.</p> + +<p>After the service was closed everything seemed to be as usual +except for a few whisperings around in regard to what Preacher +Bonds had said. As was usually the case at the close of such +meetings, the saints gathered in little groups about the front end +of the arbor and talked freely of their common faith and love. +Mothers began to arouse sleepy-eyed children from their dreams and +break to them the sad news that they were not at home in bed. +Bushy-headed, bearded farmers and woodsmen began ramming their +grimy hands into the hip pockets of their "blue drillin' +overhauls," in which sequestered quarters were prone to hide their +"long twist" and homemade cob pipes. After injecting an ample +amount of "long twist" into the cob pipe's empty stomach and +lighting a match thereto and sending a few initiatory puffs into +the air, these mountaineers made off in the darkness toward their +homes in different directions. Some went in groups, some by twos, +some singly. Seen from a distance in the blackness of the night +these companies resembled a regiment of glow-worms in a potato +patch. From over the flint hills in the distance came the familiar +rattle and rumble of old-fashioned lumber wagons whose occupants +had come far to hear the much-discussed preacher from "over east." +Now and then the night air was pierced by hideous yells and +whistles from roguish boys dashing along on horseback, whose +popularity depended on the amount of noise they made.</p> + +<p>Is the offense of the cross ceased? Nay, verily; they that "live +godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution." So say the +Scriptures, and so thought Evangelist Blank as he lay down to rest +that night after he had closed the testimony-meeting. Evangelist +Blank slept in a tent, which had been pitched near the brush arbor. +Several such tents had been pitched by Jake Benton and other +neighbors, who, finding it ill convenient to go to and from the +meeting each night, had decided to run it somewhat on the +camp-meeting plan.</p> + +<p>On the particular night of which we have been speaking, +Evangelist Blank from some cause unknown to him was awakened +shortly after midnight. Not being able to resume sleep, he thought +to improve even the midnight time by musing on the goodness of God. +As he lay thus gazing through the thin canvas of his tent at the +moon, which was now a two hour's journey in the sky, he was +startled by the sight of a man's shadow on the side of the tent. He +lay still and listened. Soon he heard low muttering voices a few +rods from his tent. Still he listened. They drew nearer and nearer. +Finally the mutterings became whisperings. Still he listened, and +prayed. They came nearer. Soon several shadows were cast on the +canvas. He saw the winding shadow of a rope as it dangled from the +arms of one of the men. Still he listened. Still they +whispered.</p> + +<p>"No difference about Benton, we want the preacher," he heard one +say.</p> + +<p>"Are you sure this is his tent?" whispered another.</p> + +<p>"Yes, I saw him sitting in this tent's door reading this +afternoon," whispered a third.</p> + +<p>"We must get the rope on him and make away with him before the +camp is aroused," someone said.</p> + +<p>"What shall I do?" thought the pious man. "Does it mean that I +must suffer death at the hands of this mob, simply because I have +preached the truth? Will they hang me? Will they choke me? Will +they stone me? Will they drag me over these awful rocks until life +is dashed out? What meant the gleam in Bonds' eyes last night in +the service? What will become of my dear wife and boy in Ohio? Will +I recant? Will I deny my Lord? Will I shun to declare the whole +counsel of God?" All these questions and many others flashed across +the Evangelist's mind like angry streaks of lightning across a +black cloud.</p> + +<p>Through the thin canvas he saw in the moonlight half a dozen +husky men seize hold of one end of a rope, the other end of which +was arranged in a slip-loop.</p> + +<p>"Now when I get the rope on him, make for the hills," said one +man as he began to untie the strings that held the door of the +tent. Just at this instant Evangelist Blank slipped under the edge +of the tent on the opposite side from where the men were planning +their diabolical feat, and under the edge of Jake Benton's tent, +which stood just about two feet from his own. With a quickness of +mind that was almost miraculous, he donned a dress and shawl and +bonnet belonging to Sister Benton, and stole out of the tent and +across the ground toward the arbor in full view of the enraged men +as they came out of the tent that he had just vacated.</p> + +<p>The men were as much astonished as enraged at not finding their +prey. They ransacked Jake Benton's tent and demanded that he reveal +the whereabouts of the preacher. Jake flatly refused. Except for +his trembling, he stood like a stone wall and faced that score of +masked men, thirsty for righteous blood. Really they appeared as so +many thoroughbred devils right from the pit. They were masked in a +way, not only to conceal their identity, but in a way to make them +appear as hideous as possible. The leader of the mob shouted, "Jake +Benton, you sanctified hypocrite, if you don't tell us where that +preacher is we'll hang your carcass up for the crows to pick."</p> + +<p>"Maybe you will, but I'll hang there, before I'll tell," shouted +poor Jake in a trembling voice.</p> + +<p>"Who was that ole lady left your tent and went across the ground +a while ago with a bonnet on?" shouted one of the mob.</p> + +<p>"I never saw an ole lady going across the ground," replied Jake. +(In this he was telling the truth, you know.)</p> + +<p>"Hang him up to a tree boys, hang him up, if he won't tell," +shouted one of the gang. "Bring the rope," shouted another as he +took hold of Benton's arms.</p> + +<p>Just at this juncture the leader of the mob suggested to Jake +that if he and his comrades would break up camp and leave the +ground immediately, they would not hang him, but would continue +their search for the Evangelist. To this Jake and the whole party +of campers readily agreed. In the light of the moon, the whole +ground of campers, consisting of more than a dozen families, +hitched their teams to their wagons and made their way over the +hills homeward. Before any wagon was allowed to leave the ground, +it was carefully searched by the mob to ascertain whether or not +Evangelist Blank were there. He could not be found.</p> + +<p>When old Brother Bunk and his family arrived at their home, +which was two miles from the campground. Sister Bunk and the Bunk +children were afraid to go into the house until Brother Bunk should +unharness the team and go with them. When the Bunk family came to +the yard, they were astonished to see in the moonlight somebody +sitting under the old silver poplar-tree. They were scared to say +the least. Sister Bunk and the Bunk children hovered closer and +closer to Brother Bunk, while fear increased as the distance to the +poplar-tree decreased. Imagine their surprise and relief when the +person under the tree shouted, "Praise God, Brother Bunk, many are +the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivereth them out +of them all." It was Evangelist Blank. He explained to them that he +had walked the whole two miles from the camp through the woods, +guided by the sound of the wagon, thus avoiding the possibility of +being apprehended by the mob in case they should attack the wagon. +He had arrived at the Bunk farm about the same time as the wagon +had, but not having the inconvenience of a team to attend to, had +sat down under the tree to rest.</p> + +<p>The mob naturally supposed that Evangelist Blank would somehow +make his way from the campground to Jake Benton's. Benton and his +family arrived home from the camp about three o'clock in the +morning. They had been there only half an hour when they were +aroused by the shout of the mob, who demanded that the preacher +should be yielded up to them. Not until they had thoroughly +searched Benton's home would they believe Jake's contention that +Evangelist Blank was not on the premises. Finally, when they were +convinced that Benton could not or would not tell them where the +preacher was they withdrew to a clump of woods a short distance +from Benton's home and, the morning air being chilly, built a +fire.</p> + +<p>It was here that their identity became known. As they chatted +around the fire they removed the masks from their faces. Of course, +Jake Benton was curious to know who they were, and when he saw +their fire in the woods he resolved to find out, even at the +expense of much trembling. He thought he had recognized some of +them by their voices when they talked to him at the camp, but now +he determined to make sure. He crawled on his hands and knees for +nearly a quarter of a mile along an old rail fence until he came +within a distance of twenty rods from where the men were gathered, +Indian fashion, around the fire. He was not at all surprised when +he saw in the group the familiar face of Deacon Cramps and Reverend +Bonds. And he observed from certain parts of their masks which they +still had on that these two men were the fellows who took the +leading part in the affair at the camp. Jake recognized that the +group was made up mostly of men who were prominent members of Mount +Olivet church. A few non-church-members and young men of the baser +sort were also in the group. Benton watched them until nearly +daybreak, when they disbanded and started for home. Jake lay +quietly in his clump of buck-brush until he was sure that they were +at a safe distance, then he crawled out and went home, informed +much and scared more.</p> + +<p>Shortly after sunrise, old Brother Bunk came over to tell Benton +that Evangelist Blank was at his house safe, and happy in the Lord. +This news greatly relieved Benton and his good wife, for they had +not seen the Evangelist since he left their tent during the night, +and they did not know just how he was faring. Evangelist Blank had +suggested that it be announced that as this was Sunday there would +be services held that day at Old Brother Bunk's. This idea pleased +Benton, and he joined Brother Bunk in scattering the news among the +saints. Accordingly at eleven o'clock the saints gathered at the +Bunk home, where a blessed meeting was held. Great power and +victory prevailed. The awful persecution had driven the saints to +their knees in prayer. The very atmosphere round about seemed to be +charged with the Holy Spirit's power. Evangelist Blank started to +preach, but found it impossible. The saints shouted him down. A +number of sinners who were present melted under the influence of +the Holy Spirit and yielded their hearts to God. "Great grace was +upon them all."</p> + +<p>That night the meeting at the arbor was resumed, and it +continued for two weeks with greater victory and power than before +the molestation. The mob never bothered again, and the reason was +this: A dozen or more men in the community who were sinners, and +professed to be sinners, but who believed that men should be +allowed to serve God according to the dictates of their own +consciences, simply made it plain that the first fellows masked or +unmasked who should disturb the meeting would be dealt with in a +most uncomplimentary manner. The mob saw the situation in its true +light and decided that for their own safety they would stay +away.</p> + +<p>When the meeting finally ran its natural course and came to a +close, Evangelist Blank bade the band of saints a loving and +tearful farewell and betook himself to other fields to suffer and +rejoice in the great work with which God had entrusted him.</p> + +<div align="center"> +<hr /> +<h3>CHAPTER XI</h3> +</div> + +<p>Five years had flitted by since Jake Benton was converted down +in the hills. The battle between holiness and sin-you-must religion +had waxed hotter and hotter. Masked mobs had scoured the country at +different times, threatening the very lives of enemies. The +sin-you-must group had decreased in number, but had increased in +wickedness. It could truthfully be said that every member of Mount +Olivet church was at this time a positive force for evil. The +membership had dwindled to one-fourth its former size. Somebody is +responsible for the statement that the blackest deeds known to the +world have been done in the name of religion, love, and liberty. +Mount Olivet Church did her blackest deeds in the name of religion. +She was determined to crush her adversaries, and she was not +particular as to the means she used. Every member who had even the +tiniest spark of God's love in his heart had either cast his lot +with the holiness movement or given up his religious profession +altogether. Preacher Bonds had grown more and more zealous in his +fight against holiness.</p> + +<p>Deacon Gramps had preached his doctrine everywhere, in his home +as well as in the church, and he had already seen its fruits +manifested right in his home. One of his sons who had now become of +age had built a sort of philosophy of life on his father's +teaching. He had reasoned something like this: "Since Father sins, +and Mother sins, and the preacher sins, and everybody else sins, +and nobody can keep from sinning, then it follows that one is not +responsible for the sins he commits whether they be large or small, +few or many. Then why not have a good time in this life? Why not go +the full length into sinful pleasure?" And go the full length he +did. He had become involved in one criminal scrape after another, +and he would have landed in the penitentiary before this time had +it not been for Deacon Cramps' financial backing. And by this time +it had come to be common knowledge in the community that the son's +profligacy was almost certain to involve the Deacon in financial +ruin. It was a fact much discussed in inner business circles at +Dobbinsville that Mr. Gramps' farm was heavily mortgaged, and that +unless some crook or turn unforeseen favored him he would soon face +bankruptcy. He had been unable to pay the interest on the notes he +had been obliged to obtain in order to keep his son from going +where he really belonged.</p> + +<p>As for Jake Benton, during these five years since his +conversion, his poverty had stuck closer to him than a brother; but +thanks be to his persecutions, he had grown immensely rich in +spiritual resources. He had become a mighty man in prayer. The sick +were healed in answer to his prayer of simple faith. And it seemed +only a natural thing for him to pray for his enemies. And as for +love, Jake loved everybody and everybody had found it out. If +anybody in the community wanted a favor done them, all that was +necessary was to mistreat Benton and he would do them a favor. He +had also developed into quite a preacher. Ever since the meeting +closed in the brush arbor he regularly gathered the saints together +on Sunday in the school house, and encouraged them in the things of +the Lord. His life was simply exemplary, and even his bitterest +enemies were compelled to acknowledge that God was with him.</p> + +<p>One Sunday morning when Preacher Bonds stood before his meager +audience, the familiar face of Deacon Gramps was absent. His +unusual absence from the Church was very noticeable, and Preacher +Bonds suggested in the introductory remarks of his sermon that +unquestionably Brother Gramps was sick, and that it would be an act +of brotherly kindness if when the service was over a number of the +members would call at the Gramps' home and see the sick +brother.</p> + +<p>When Preacher Bonds had finished his sermon, a song had been +sung, and the benediction had been invoked, a dozen or more of the +members with Bonds in the lead started for the Gramps' home, which, +as will be remembered, was plainly visible from the church.</p> + +<p>"I believe," said Bonds, "that Brother Gramps' barn is on fire." +At this the whole group began to rush toward the beautiful red barn +that stood a quarter of a mile away. By the time they reached the +spot, black clouds of smoke and angry flames were shooting from +doors and cracks in the barn. Mrs. Gramps and the three children +who were still at home were in the barnyard wringing their hands +and crying in a heart-rending manner. It was plainly to be seen +that the visitors could do nothing to save the barn, and all that +remained to do was to stand and watch the flames devour the +building.</p> + +<p>"Where is Brother Gramps?" said Preacher Bonds to Mrs. +Gramps.</p> + +<p>"Wasn't he at church? No? Well, I don't know where he can be. He +left the house just at church-time and I hadn't noticed but what he +was in the crowd that came from the church," she replied.</p> + +<p>Preacher Bonds looked serious as he said, "He could not have +been in the barn, I suppose."</p> + +<p>"Oh, certainly not. I suppose he must be at some of the +neighbors', perhaps Deacon Brown's--was Deacon Brown at church?" +"No, Deacon Brown was not at church," replied Bonds. "Possibly he +remained at home and Brother Gramps went to see him on some +business pertaining to the church. But I don't understand why they +did not meet at the church to transact their business. Brother +Jones, will you run over to Deacon Brown's and tell Brother Gramps +about his awful accident?"</p> + +<p>"Certainly," responded Jones, who stood near the barnyard gate +talking with Gramps' hired hand, from whom he was endeavoring to +learn the details as to how the fire started.</p> + +<p>"Try to tell him," remarked Bonds, "in a way that will not be +too much of a shock to him."</p> + +<p>Jones mounted a horse and hurried off to Deacon Brown's and was +soon back with the news that Gramps had not been seen at Brown's, +and that Brown was sick in bed, which fact accounted for his being +absent from the service that morning.</p> + +<p>When it was learned that Gramps was not at Deacon Brown's, +considerable anxiety began to be manifested on the part of +neighbors. Some suggested that it was possible that Gramps could +have been in the barn when it burned. Of course, care was exercised +that such remarks should not reach the ears of Mrs. Gramps. +Messages were sent to all the neighbors in search of Gramps. +Someone had the idea that possibly he had gone to Dobbinsville or +Ridgetown, but searchers sent to these places reported that he had +not been seen at either place for several days. Preacher Bonds +consoled Mrs. Gramps with the suggestion that doubtless he would +show up before night. However, when night came with no signs of +Deacon Gramps the whole community took an attitude of real alarm as +to the likelihood that he had been burned to death. It was +announced that there would be no meeting services at Mount Olivet +Church, and Jake Benton dismissed his services and joined heartily +in the search for the Deacon, who had dealt him so many grievous +blows while Mrs. Benton did everything in her power to console Mrs. +Gramps.</p> + +<p>The search continued all through the night with no results. By +early Monday morning there was general excitement for miles around. +Scores of people came that morning from Dobbinsville and Ridgetown, +and gazed on the mysterious scene of the former beautiful barn, now +an ash heap. Officers came down from the county-seat and joined in +the search for the lost Deacon. About the middle of the afternoon +on Monday it was decided that the ash-heap should be searched for +any evidence that the man had burned with the barn This search had +not gone far when the county sheriff found in the ashes the steel +back-springs and blades of a pocket-knife. Near by were found some +pieces of enamel resembling a man's teeth. Next was found a small +melted mass of something which seemed to have been a suspender +buckle. Preacher Bonds picked up three pieces of silver which +proved to have been so many silver dollars. Several pieces of bones +were found, but these were so nearly charred to dust that it was +impossible to determine whether they were bones of a man or bones +of some of the many animals that perished with the building. +However, all these articles mentioned were found within a very +close proximity to each other, and in the minds of most people +present there was now no doubt as to the fate of Deacon Gramps. On +Monday night the coroner rendered a verdict that the Deacon met his +death by being accidentally burned to death. Mrs. Gramps swooned +away and had to have the attention of old Doctor Greenwich from +Dobbinsville. In the event of the illness of Mrs. Gramps, it +devolved upon Preacher Bonds to make full arrangements for the +funeral, in which affair Jake Benton and his good wife showed every +disposition to help where help was possible.</p> + +<p>Preacher Bonds went to Dobbinsville and sent a telegram to each +of the Deacon's five sons, two of whom lived in St. Louis, and +three in Chicago. He also sent a telegram to a minister in St. +Louis to come to preach the funeral, as, he said, he did not feel +that he could officiate at the funeral of such a worthy brother as +the departed. This St. Louis preacher had been a college chum of +Preacher Bonds, and was full of the Mount Olivet persuasion.</p> + +<p>Those were in the days before undertakers and other such modern +conveniences had been introduced into that country. Jake Benton, +good soul, went to Dobbinsville after the coffin and hauled it back +in the same old lumber wagon he had hauled Evangelist Blank in five +years before.</p> + +<p>The funeral was arranged for Wednesday afternoon at two o'clock. +A handful of ashes, together with the pocket-knife and other +articles found in the ash-heap, was taken and wrapped in a napkin +and placed in the big new coffin.</p> + +<p>On Wednesday afternoon, when two o'clock arrived, the two front +rooms of the Gramps farmhouse were crammed full of people. The yard +was full, too. The St. Louis preacher began and spoke thus: "My +friends and brethren, we have met on this sad occasion to pay our +last respects to the honored dead. Within the narrow confines of +this casket lie the earthly remains of a man whose spirit yet +lives. It was not my happy privilege to know this excellent man, +but I am informed by his pastor, Preacher Bonds here, of his +manifold excellencies. When a great man dies, the people mourn. I +am informed that our departed brother was a great man. First, he +was a great man in business. When I behold this beautiful well-kept +farm, I see its wide, extending fields, its running brooks, its +whitewashed fences, its excellent buildings, in the burning of one +of which our brother met his death--when I behold these things, I +say, I am made to exclaim that God hath blessed him in basket and +store. Yes, a great man in business.</p> + +<p>"Secondly, he was a great man in his home, and by the way, there +is where the true greatness of a man is tested. In the death of our +esteemed brother the home is the loser. It loses a loving husband. +It loses a considerate father and an efficient bread-winner.</p> + +<p>"Thirdly, our brother was a great man in the community. I am +told that he was a public-spirited man. He believed in schools, in +good roads, and in all other things that make for the welfare of a +community. In his death the community is a heavy loser.</p> + +<p>"Fourthly, he was a great man in the church. (Preacher Bonds, +"Amen".) I am told that for upwards of thirty years our brother has +been a consistent member of Mount Olivet Church and a regular +attendant at its service and a heavy contributor to its funds. I +understand that he was a mighty defender of the church's faith. He +fought bravely on. He stood like a rock. He weathered the storm. He +finished the course. He conquered.</p> + +<p>"But, my friends, our finite minds cannot fathom the profound +mysteries of the infinite. We cannot understand. Why would a just +God permit such a noble man to meet such a tragic death? It is not +ours to reason why. We simply bow our hearts to the will of the +divine."</p> + +<p>"And now, to the bereaved I would say, Weep not as those who +have no hope. (Mrs. Gramps weeps aloud.) Brother Gramps is just +gone on before. He has crossed over Jordan, where he waits on the +sunny banks of sweet deliverance. Just a few more days and we shall +join him. He has gone where the wicked cease from troubling and the +weary be at rest. Let us pray. Brother Bonds, lead us."</p> + +<div align="center"> +<hr /> +<h3>CHAPTER XII</h3> +</div> + +<p>Twelve moons had rolled by since the Gramps funeral. The +blue-grass sod had already grown quite snugly over the year-old +mound in the cemetery back of the white church on the hill. The +rose-bush at the head of the mound had bloomed once and the June +breeze had sprinkled its pink petals over the green carpet. A more +or less expensive tombstone stood modestly at the head of the mound +and silently announced to the passer-by what any tombstone is +supposed to announce, namely that somebody sleeps beneath this +mound. During the year many persons had stood with bared heads and +read through tears this inscription: J.D. Gramps, Born April 21, +1856--Died June 13, 18--. "They rest from their labors; and their +works do follow them."</p> + +<p>The Gramps premises began to show signs of decay. The fences +were in need of repair and the hillside portions of the farm had +been washed in gullies by the spring freshets. A large ash-heap +surrounded by jimsonweed and burdock marked the sight of the once +beautiful red barn. The front-yard gate had been torn from its +hinges, and it lay upon the ground.</p> + +<p>It was well known that Widow Gramps had received ten thousand +dollars from an insurance company in New York City, but what she +had done with the amount was only a matter of opinion. Along about +this time it became known in the community that the Widow had +leased the farm and was planning to go to a Western State as she +said, for the sake of her health, which had been declining since +the day of the Deacon's funeral.</p> + +<p>One day when Mrs. Gramps was in Dobbinsville making preparations +for the trip West, she called at the People's State Bank and +presented a check drawn on a Western bank and signed by James +Duncan. When the cashier had cashed her check and she had left the +bank, he turned to his assistant and said, "Jim, do you know what +Deacon Gramps' name was?"</p> + +<p>"J.D. Gramps," responded the assistant.</p> + +<p>"I know J.D. were his initials," said the cashier, "but what +does J.D. stand for?"</p> + +<p>"Oh, I don't remember," answered the assistant. "I suppose we +could find out by looking up some of his old papers that we still +have in the vault."</p> + +<p>"Look up that old mortgage that Gramps had on the Widow Smith's +little farm," ordered the cashier.</p> + +<p>A ponderous file was pulled from a shelf in the vault and the +two men began to search the musty and dusty old documents of bygone +days. At last they found the mortgage. There they found the +Deacon's name written out in full--James Duncan Gramps. The cashier +of the People's State Bank had a curious twinkle in his eye as he +looked at his assistant. "Jim, do you know, I have a suspicious +feeling about this here Gramps proposition," he remarked. The +assistant looked astonished. He had supposed all this time that the +cashier was interested in the Deacon's full name from some official +standpoint. The cashier went on: "Widow Gramps was just in here a +few minutes ago and cashed a check drawn by a man by the name of +James Duncan. I have a suspicion that Deacon Gramps is still living +and that this James Duncan is no other than James Duncan Gramps, +and he is checking out of a Western bank money which Mrs. Gramps +received from the insurance company in New York."</p> + +<p>"Surely that could not be," responded the assistant. "Suppose we +compare the handwriting on the check that you just cashed with the +handwriting on these old papers." After a close comparison of the +two specimens of handwriting, the men decided that their +resemblance was not sufficient to prove anything.</p> + +<p>"At any rate it will do no harm to investigate," remarked the +cashier as he closed the heavy door of the vault. "I shall turn the +evidence over to the insurance company in New York." That evening +at sundown when train Number 29 pulled out from the station at +Dobbinsville and sped eastward, it carried in its mailcoach a +letter of much significance addressed to the president of a large +insurance company in New York City.</p> + +<p>The following week one day when the west-bound noon train +stopped at Dobbinsville, a well-dressed stranger stepped from the +platform of the coach and made inquiry as to the location of a +hotel. A lanky-looking lad who leaned against a pole directed the +stranger to the Dobbinsville Inn, across the street. A person of +this man's evident rank and importance was not a familiar sight in +the streets of Dobbinsville. His mysterious presence set a peaceful +town all agog. He became the subject of much exaggerated +conjecture. Every fellow was overly eager to tell precisely what he +did not know; namely, where this stranger came from and what his +business was. Uncle Hezekiah Evans, the sixty-year-old newsboy who +peddled the Post around over the village, said this stranger was +evidently a rich man from the East who had come to buy the whole +town out. "Fatty" Jones, whose chief employment was that of sitting +on a baggage truck at the depot, had the opinion that this stranger +was the son of a St. Louis millionaire who, having much time and +money, had come out to an up-to-date country to spend both. It was +the candid opinion of old "Doc" Greenwich that this stranger had +committed a crime somewhere and was lounging around in this +secluded nook to evade the officers of the law. "Dad" Brunt, the +honored proprietor of the Dobbinsville Inn, had an advantage over +his fellows, as the stranger was staying with him. He was sure that +this man was interested in timberlands in the Mount Olivet +neighborhood, as he had known the man to make two trips out here +during his stay at the Inn.</p> + +<p>The stranger spent a week in Dobbinsville, during which time he +made frequent calls at the People's State Bank. When he had gone, +the cashier, to the great relief and surprise of his fellow +townsmen, explained to them that he was an officer of the law whose +business was to investigate the circumstances connected with the +burning of Deacon Gramps' barn.</p> + +<p>Just about one month from this time Uncle Hezekiah Evans did a +flourishing business selling papers. The Post came out with this +startling headline: "DEACON HEARS OWN FUNERAL PREACHED." Great +excitement prevailed. Everybody in Dobbinsville who could read and +some who could not bought a paper from Uncle Hezekiah. He sold all +he had, and wished for more to sell. Not only were the people of +Dobbinsville interested in this remarkable newspaper headline, but +in every town and city that fell within the limits of the Post's +rather metropolitan circulation, people were startled at the +unusual thought of a man hearing his own funeral. The article in +the Post read like this:</p> + +<p>The little town of Dobbinsville, snugly tucked away in the +peaceful folds of the far-famed Ozark hills, is coming into its +share of publicity. There has lived for many years in the vicinity +of this village a substantial farmer by the name of Gramps. Until a +couple of days ago Gramps was supposed to have been dead and +buried. In fact, a tombstone in the churchyard near the Gramps +homestead plainly states that Gramps is dead. Though tombstones +sometimes say, "They have gone to rest," the truth is otherwise and +Gramps has turned up very much alive. According to an officer +interviewed by a Post correspondent yesterday, Gramp's story is +somewhat on this wise:</p> + +<p>A little over a year ago it became known in the neighborhood of +Dobbinsville that Gramps, who for years had been a well-to-do +farmer and a diligent deacon in a local church, was becoming +involved in financial embarrassment. In order to save himself from +bankruptcy, the Deacon, according to his own confession, resorted +to very unusual means. Gramps carried heavy life insurance. About +thirteen months ago he burned his barn and feigned to have burned +with it. While his neighbors were at the church one Sunday he went +into his big barn and after depositing in a pasteboard box his +false teeth, his watch, his pocket-knife, and some pieces of silver +coin, he placed the box in the manger and lighted the hay in the +mow with a match. After making sure that the fire was in good way, +he jumped from a window in the barn and ran, without detection, to +his house and hid himself in the attic. Neighbors, missing Gramps, +made a diligent search for him which resulted only in finding the +molten remains of the pocket knife and other articles in the +ash-heap where the barn was burned. Amid much mourning loving hands +gathered ashes from the tragical spot and tenderly laid them in an +expensive casket. The next day at the funeral in the parlor of the +Gramps home, a minister from St. Louis delivered an empassioned +eulogy, extolling the manifold excellencies of the honored dead +(?). Through an open stairway door Gramps heard the eloquent words +of the clergyman and the heart-rending sobs of his own wife and +children.</p> + +<p>After seeing his funeral done up in proper style, Gramps went to +Colorado, where for a year, going under an assumed name, he +conducted a Sunday School and took active part in other religious +enterprises. Through the cooperation of his wife, who remained on +the homestead at Dobbinsville, he came into possession of $10,000 +from an insurance company in New York City. At the end of a year he +planned for his wife to join him in Colorado, where, according to +his statement, they were to begin life anew. But their plans were +upset when the Deacon sent his wife a check signed with his assumed +name, which name consisted of the first two words of his real name. +Gramps and his wife are both in jail, where they await the action +of the court and where they have a splendid opportunity to meditate +upon the interesting happenings of the past year. Whether or not +Mrs. Gramps was an accomplice has not yet developed.</p> + +<div align="center"> +<hr /> +<h3>CHAPTER XIII</h3> +</div> + +<p>"Twenty years ago I came to this country. During these twenty +years I have done my utmost to preserve and defend the faith of +Mount Olivet church." The person who spoke was Preacher Bonds. The +place where he spoke was in his own pulpit. The persons to whom he +spoke were his twenty members, who were the fragments of the once +thriving and powerful rural church. Bonds was at his best on this +particular Sunday morning in April, and he had planned to give his +hearers a sort of history of the events during his twenty-years +pastorate at Mount Olivet.</p> + +<p>The morning was a most beautiful one. All nature wore a smile. +Only those who have experienced the rare joy of taking a stroll +through the wooded dell in the famous Ozarks on a spring morning +can fully appreciate the scene. Spring had made her long-delayed +journey from the southland and by the strength of her warm and +winning ways had forced grim old winter to a hasty retreat +northward, and now exulted in her unchallenged sway. All the birds +on this morning seemed to have come out to help her in her +celebration. A red-bird, perched on the tip-top twig of the +venerable oak which stood near the church, bathing his crimson +feathers in the morning sun, warbled his sweetest notes to his mate +in a hawthorn thicket across the field. Rollicking robins were +vying with each other in their quest of worms in the meadow east of +the church. A gray squirrel chattered in a hickory-tree near by and +scattered particles of bark all around. A red-headed woodpecker sat +in the round door of his cozy house in an old snag and seemed +perfectly content in his utter inability to sing. Frolicsome spring +lambs amused themselves by butting each other off a low stump down +in the old Gramps cow pasture.</p> + +<p>The Church itself showed signs of dilapidation. The belfry on +the roof had been torn away and the old rusty bell, silent for many +years, stood exposed to the ravages of summer and winter. Its only +purpose now seemed to be to afford a shelter for the wasps which +from year to year built their nests in its dome. The brick chimney, +which projected from the roof near the rear of the building, had +lost its crowning bricks and presented a very jagged aspect. For +the accommodation of the squirrels who were accustomed to take up +winter quarters in the attic of the church, the wood-peckers had +pecked numerous holes in the paintless walls. The eaves were daubed +with mud carried by the pewees in the building of their yearly +nests. Bats, at their own good pleasure, came in and out through +the paneless windowsashes and found daytime repose on top of the +sagging beam which, just above the windows, spanned the room.</p> + +<p>The physical condition of this Church house formed a fitting +counterpart to the spiritual condition of the people who worshipped +(?) there. Physical, spiritual, and moral spelled the trinity of +its decay.</p> + +<p>Preacher Bonds' sermon that morning ran something like this: +"Twenty years ago I came to this country. Well do I remember the +first few months after landing here. Some of the older members will +recall the mighty religious fight that was just beginning in those +days between the holiness heresy and the doctrines of the Bible as +believed in by this church. Those few who are here this morning who +have known me and have been my co-workers throughout these years, I +am sure, testify to the steadfastness with which I have stood by +the work. I said when I came here that God had sent me here to +fight the doctrine of holiness. I still hold to my mission. I have +stood four-square against that doctrine and all its advocates, and +I still stand. I have used every means to put it down. But strange +as it seems, this heresy appears to have grown fat upon our +opposition, and the more we have fought the more it has flourished. +Even at this very hour not a mile from here, in the schoolhouse, +there is a group of people five times as large as this audience +worshipping the Lord in what they call the "beauty of holiness." +They have for a preacher, as you know, old man Benton, who twenty +years ago was cast out of this church for teaching crooked +doctrine. He has had no preparation whatever for ministerial work, +but in some way he has been able to keep his bunch together for +nearly twenty years; and now since he is an old man, it seems that +they still persist in following him.</p> + +<p>"In the early days of my pastorate here my strongest supporter +and co-laborer was Deacon Gramps. This name will sound familiar to +some of the older members. Gramps owned the beautiful farm just to +the west of this Church. A good many years ago through some play, +fair or foul, Gramps was charged with a criminal act and was +convicted and sent to the penitentiary, where three years ago he +died. His wife went to St. Louis to live with her son, and departed +this life shortly after moving there. You are all more or less +familiar with the Gramps story, so I shall leave it, as it is not +at all a pleasant topic to discuss.</p> + +<p>It may be of interest to some of you to know just how the +doctrine of holiness ever got started in this community. Well, this +old man Benton whom you all know as the leader of the holiness +movement used to be a member of this church. For many years he +lived a consistent Christian life in this church, so they tell me. +About twenty years ago he spent a whole summer herding cattle down +in the hills about thirty miles from here. While he was down there +in the woods all alone with nothing to occupy his mind, he fell to +musing on the death of his little girl who died a good many years +previously to that time and it seems that he became mentally +unbalanced, at least on religious matters. According to the +information given me, he came in contact at this time with a +religious paper teaching strange doctrines, and he embraced these +doctrines and began advocating them with great zeal. As I said +before, he was excommunicated from this church for teaching such +doctrines, but in leaving the church he took a number of our most +trusted and tried members, for instance, the Gray family. Those +were the days of great excitement in this community. It was about +this time that I was called to the pastorate of this church. A few +months after my coming Benton and his bunch got an evangelist from +over east, somewhere, to come here, and he made a mighty stir along +heretical lines and many of the best citizens of our community were +drawn into the delusive net. Some of us, in those days, stood firm +in the faith and employed every thinkable means to stamp out the +nefarious cult; and allow me to humbly say that had it not been for +Deacon Gramps and me and a few other faithful ones, our cause at +that time would have been completely lost.</p> + +<p>"But I stand today, my brethren, as I have always +stood--unalterably opposed to the program of the holiness movement. +First, I oppose holiness itself--the doctrine that a man can live +free from sin in this life. How foolish, how utterly ridiculous, +the idea. We all sin. Our fathers sinned, we sin, and our posterity +will sin. Do you see that streak of sunshine that comes in at the +window and falls upon the floor? See in the sunlighted atmosphere a +million dust particles. Let the air represent our lives and let the +dust particles represent our sins, and you will have an idea as to +how many sins we commit. Away with the holiness doctrine.</p> + +<p>"Secondly, I stand opposed to the doctrine of divine healing as +taught by Benton's outfit. The days of miracles are past. They +ceased with the apostles. Jesus Christ has no more power to heal me +of sickness today than has the horse which I rode to church this +morning. In these days of great learning, when men are able to cure +diseases by medicine and surgery, there is no need of divine +healing, and every man who claims to be healed by divine power +makes himself an ignoramus and a liar. Away with this doctrine.</p> + +<p>"Thirdly, I stand opposed to the doctrine of oneness, or unity, +as taught by Benton and his disciples. They lay great stress on +this doctrine. They say there is but one church and that when a man +is converted he becomes a member of this one church. Brethren, I do +not believe this new doctrine. I still hold to the faith of our +fathers. I believe that according to the Scriptures we become +members of the church by water baptism and by no other method.</p> + +<p>"Brethren, let us stand by the faith of those who have gone +before. We may be few in number, but let us be unmoveable. Let us +refresh our faith with thoughts of those whose lives have left +sacred spots on the field of memory. Let us think on such men as +Preacher Crookshank and Deacon Gramps, who were noted for their +courage in defending the faith.</p> + +<p>"As the noon hour is drawing near, I must bring my sermon to a +close. Tonight at seven-thirty I shall preach on a favorite subject +of mine--the Hellish Heresy of Holiness. But, in conclusion, let me +say that I still feel heavily the burden of fighting old man Benton +and his group. I am growing somewhat gray, but I'm still in the +fight. I aim to push the battle. I believe that in defending his +faith a man is justifiable in using almost any means imaginable. +Let us pray: Lord, we thank thee for this hour in which we have +defended thy cause. Lord, bless this church and curse those who +seek its harm. Smite any person or persons in this community who +seek to propagate false religion. And now may the grace of Jesus +Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Ghost +rest and abide with us now and forever, amen."</p> + +<p>So closed a service a picture of which today still hangs on the +walls of the memory of those present.</p> + +<p>How hidden is the path of one's future. When Preacher Bonds +mounted his sorrel horse at the church that noon-day, just as he +had done for many, many years, little did he think that the same +sun which afforded him a chance to illustrate in his morning sermon +the multiplicity of his own sins would, before setting that day, +shine upon his lifeless form.</p> + +<p>It so happened that day that Preacher Bonds invited one of his +brethren home with him to dinner. As he and this member, who was a +pillar in the church, rode along the country road to Bonds' home, +Bonds gave the member a full outline of his intended sermon on the +Hellish Heresy of Holiness. When the two men had reached the barn +of the Bonds' premises and had fed their horses they started for +the house. They were just passing in at the yard gate when Preacher +Bonds staggered and fell to the ground. He was carried into his +house and placed on a cot, and a doctor was called; but within a +half-hour from the time he fell at the gate his breath ceased and +he began his eternity. The doctor pronounced his death due to heart +trouble. There was no sermon at the church that night on the +Hellish Heresy of Holiness. The following day Bonds' remains were +started on the journey to Kentucky, where burial took place at the +old boyhood home.</p> + +<p>With the passing of Bonds the last candlestick was removed from +Mount Olivet church. Bonds' sermon was the last one of the +sin-you-must type preached there. The church was entirely disbanded +and the dilapidated building finally fell into the hands of those +who came after Jake Benton. In recent years the old church has been +torn away and replaced by a beautiful white building surpassing +even the former beauty of the old one. Over its door were written +these words: The Church of God--the Pillar and Ground of the Truth. +Over the pulpit this motto hangs: "Behold how good and how pleasant +for brethren to dwell together in unity." To the left on the wall +are these words: "Who forgiveth all our iniquities and healeth all +our diseases."</p> + +<div align="center"> +<hr /> +<h3>CHAPTER XIV</h3> +</div> + +<p>Harry Benton was a successful business man, there was no +question about that. He was not known in the commercial world as a +"big" man, and he could not write out a check for a million dollars +and give it to some charitable institution as some of the +multi-millionaires can do, but he was regarded by all who knew him +as a successful business man. He had a business in Chicago that was +thriving if not colossal. From the income from this business he was +able to own and maintain a beautiful and comfortable home in one of +the residential districts of the great city. It was his pleasure +and privilege to give each year a few thousand dollars to the cause +of the gospel of Jesus Christ.</p> + +<p>Harry was the second son of Jake Benton, the backwoods holiness +preacher of the Ozarks. At the age of twenty-one he had become the +husband of Eva Gray, who was two years younger than he. This union +had been a blessed happy one. If all of Chicago's homes were like +that of Harry Benton, it might well be nicknamed the Paradise of +America. Thrice the angel of blessings had visited this home, +decorating it each time with one of heaven's jewels in the form of +a baby. Nolan Benton, the twelve-year-old boy, had the name of his +Grandfather Gray, and he also had all the religious indications of +his Grandfather Benton. Blanche was two years younger than Nolan. +She fell heir to the blue eyes, the ruddy cheeks, the flaxen hair +of her mother. Little Jake, the baby, was five years old. He +inherited his Grandfather Benton's name and his Grandfather Gray's +red hair.</p> + +<p>One Sunday morning when this happy family gathered around the +breakfast table, Harry Benton's appetite was absent. He could not +eat. He steadfastly gazed through the east window of the beautiful +dining room into the park which spread itself over several acres of +ground just across the street from his home.</p> + +<p>"Harry, dear, why do you not eat?" remarked his wife. Harry +Benton smiled, but as he did so a tear glistened on his cheek.</p> + +<p>"For some reason," he answered, "I awoke an hour before day this +morning and memory insisted on taking me on a journey over the past +and carrying me on a ramble through the scenes of my childhood, and +as I sit here the sight of those trees in the park remind me of old +Ozark's grand forests. I like to think of those old scenes, and by +the way, wife, come to think about it, it is three years this month +since we were down home on a visit. It doesn't seem possible that +it is so long. We get so absorbed with our business here in this +big wicked city that the years flit by like dreams and we do not +realize how long we have been away. I should like to take a stroll +this morning along the old creek where we boys used to swim. I'd +like to visit the old schoolhouse in the walnut grove where we used +to spend so many idle hours. Three years ago when we were down +there I visited that old schoolhouse. It looked just about like it +did twenty-five or thirty years ago, when you and I were there. I +sat on the old limestone rock beneath the old locust-tree where we +used to play dare base. The old play ground is just the same. There +was the ballground where we used to play 'town ball.' The same old +stone was there that we used for second base."</p> + +<p>As Harry Benton thus spoke his wife and children listened +intently, and when the meal was finished and the Bible was brought +for the morning worship, the whole family was in a serious frame of +mind. Benton went on to say, "And when we talk of home scenes, I +always think of father and his godly influence upon my life. As I +look across the years, I see myself an ignorant awkward country +boy; but there is one thing for which I shall always thank my God, +and that is that I was blessed with a Christian father. Throughout +the years his saintly life has been a benediction to me. The most +sacred picture that hangs on the wall of my memory is that of my +father with the big family Bible on his lap and all the children +gathered around him and Mother for the worship of his God. Well do +I remember when he used to pray for us, naming us out one by one +and asking God to make us useful men and women. And oh, how he used +to be persecuted by the Mount Olivet people. Well do I remember how +one morning when Father was on his way to milk your father's cows +he was met by Deacon Gramps, who beat him so shamefully. That night +in family worship Father prayed so fervently and asked God to +forgive Gramps and save him from his wicked ways. The impressions I +received during those stirring days never will leave me. I tell +you, Eva, it meant something for Father to stand true as he did, +and I think heaven will be especially sweet to those who have +suffered as he has suffered."</p> + +<p>When he had left off speaking and the family knelt in prayer, +Harry Benton's voice trembled with emotion as he prayed for all +those back home whom he remembered, and especially for his +father.</p> + +<p>When the morning chores were done and Harry Benton started to +the Full Salvation Mission, which mission he had superintended and +supported for a number of years, he was met on his front porch by a +Western Union messenger boy, who took from beneath his blue cap a +slip of yellow paper and handed it to him. This is how it read: +"Come, Father very low."</p> + +<p>Benton telephoned one of his brethren to take charge of the +Mission, and after earnestly beseeching the Lord to spare his +father until his bedside could be reached, he and his wife made +hasty arrangements to start, and were soon speeding across the +fertile fields of Illinois. They crossed the mighty Mississippi, +changed trains in St. Louis' big Union Depot, and after a few +hours' ride their train was gliding past old familiar scenes of +bygone days.</p> + +<p>"Dobbinsville, Dobbinsville," shouted the porter as he thrust +his face in at the door of the coach. Three short jerks at the +signal cord--swish, swish, swish--back from the +engine--t-oot-oot-oot--a sudden let-up in speed, a screech of the +airbrakes, a bang of the door, and the Texas Canon-Ball made one of +its seldom stops at Dobbinsville and Harry Benton and his family +stepped to the platform.</p> + +<p>A thirty-minute ride through the country in a neighbor's +automobile and once more in life Harry Benton stepped foot upon the +premises of his childhood. His prayer had been answered. His father +seemed to be dying during the night, but with the coming of morning +he revived and regained consciousness. When Harry and Eva entered +the room where his father lay, the old saint seemed as happy as a +child and much rejoiced at seeing Harry and Eva and their babies, +who were the last of a great flock of sons and sons-in-law and +daughters and daughters-in-law and grandchildren and +great-grandchildren to arrive.</p> + +<p>"Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints." +Since Jake Benton's conversion, more than a quarter of a century +previously to this time, his life had been one continuous sermon--a +sermon more eloquent than any ever preached from a pulpit. But if +the sermon of his life was eloquent, that of his death was more so. +According to his simple philosophy, life was just a sort of +lodging-place beside the long road to eternity, and death, to him, +was not a leaving home, but rather a starting for home.</p> + +<p>When he gathered his loved ones about his bedside on the day +following the arrival of Harry and his family, to say goodbye, it +was not the goodbye of one who was entering upon a dark and +perilous journey to parts unknown, but that of one sustained by an +unfailing faith that he was entering upon an abode in the eternal +mansion, where he should wait but a brief period for the coming of +those he loved.</p> + +<p>Just as the purple shadows of the October evening were +lengthening, the end was drawing near. The hoary patriarch called +his children all by name--Harry and Eva, Joe and his wife, Albert +and his wife, Nancy and her husband, Hannah and her husband, and +Hattie, the unmarried daughter yet at home--and they all gathered +in the room where death was to be a guest. The grandchildren, happy +and care-free, unconscious of what life is and of what death means, +were called in from their places of play, and told that Grandpa was +leaving them. The little tots, bless them, came in and stood around +the old-fashioned bedstead all unmindful of the significance of a +meeting of time and eternity. They gathered around and gazed into +the old saint's face, where death and life alternately wrote their +names. As they passed around one by one by the head of the bed, the +old man laid his withered hands upon each little head and +pronounced his blessing. Then he began to talk.</p> + +<p>"If this is death," he said, "it is a blessed thing to die. The +way has been long and the road rough, at times, but now it is all +over. I have suffered a few things for Jesus' sake, but how +unworthy I have been of all the love He has shown me. I have only +one dying request to make of my loved ones, and it is the same as +my living request has been, that you all live for God and meet me +over there. Oh, I am so happy. How I love Jesus, and on His bosom I +shall rest forever." His voice grew fainter. "Just one more step +and I am there." The loved ones hovered nearer. A soft white hand +was laid upon his brow. It was the hand of Hattie. Subdued sobs +were heard about the room. "Don't weep, dear children," he faintly +murmured: "I am just passing into--I see the darling's hands--no +pale cheeks--how sweet--about my neck--this Rose--Rose's Savior +Papa's Savior too. Let's go--." He was dead--and blessed are the +dead which die in the Lord.</p> + +<p>THE END.</p> + + + + + + + +<pre> + + + + + +End of Project Gutenberg's The Deacon of Dobbinsville, by John A. Morrison + +*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE DEACON OF DOBBINSVILLE *** + +***** This file should be named 12512-h.htm or 12512-h.zip ***** +This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: + https://www.gutenberg.org/1/2/5/1/12512/ + +Produced by Joel Erickson, Christine Gehring, Michel Boto and the +Online Distributed Proofreading Team. + + +Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions +will be renamed. + +Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no +one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation +(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without +permission and without paying copyright royalties. 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Morrison + +Release Date: June 4, 2004 [EBook #12512] + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ASCII + +*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE DEACON OF DOBBINSVILLE *** + + + + +Produced by Joel Erickson, Christine Gehring, Michel Boto and the +Online Distributed Proofreading Team. + + + + + +THE DEACON OF DOBBINSVILLE + +A Story Based on Actual Happenings + +_By John A. Morrison_ + + + + +Publisher's Preface + + +This narrative, written and first printed some 45 or 50 years ago, +depicts the contrast in that day between the nominal religious +professors on the one hand, and on the other the individuals who had +been soundly converted, made new creatures in Christ, filled with the +Holy Spirit and rejoicing on the "highway of holiness." There is a +distinct line of demarcation "between him that serveth God and him that +serveth him not." + +The Apostle Paul warned: "For the time will come when they will not +endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to +themselves teachers, having itching ears; and THEY SHALL TURN AWAY +THEIR EARS FROM THE TRUTH, and shall be turned unto fables." 2 Tim. +4:4, 5. The religious world has apostatized much more since Paul's day, +even to the extent in this modern age that professors of Christianity +are proclaiming the blasphemous "God is dead" philosophy. + +The author, John Arch Morrison, kindly granted this publisher his +permission to reprint this book. Here are his words in his own +handwriting dated October 26, 1965: "Dear Bro. in Christ, I have no +objection to you printing any number of 'The Deacon of Dobbinsville.' +Cordially, John A. Morrison." + +Then hardly two months later, on December 23, 1965, and before this book +was printed, the author was taken suddenly from this life by a heart +attack at Anderson, Indiana in his 73rd year. + +Time is rapidly bearing us all on to eternity. How all-important it is +that we remember constantly the words of the Psalmist: "So teach us to +number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom." The Wise Man +writes: "Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and +keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man." Eccl. 12:13. + +March, 1966--Lawrence D. Pruitt, Publisher + + + + +The Deacon of Dobbinsville + +By John A. Morrison + + + + +CHAPTER I + + +Mount Olivet church at the time of which I am about to write had +received the zenith of her glory. She was possessed of a full measure of +the denominational pride and prejudice common to the day and the +community in which she existed. Since Mount Olivet church is to occupy +so conspicuous a place in my narrative, it is fitting that I should take +time and space right here to describe her. I must also give my readers +an idea of the community of which Mount Olivet church formed the hub and +center. + +Well, to begin with, Mount Olivet church was old. And like, all other +things old she had a history, partly respectable and partly otherwise. +The date of her organization reached back into the fifties, before the +days of the Civil War. Some great notables had lived and died in this +church. Tradition had it that one of the charter members of this church +was a candidate for president of the United States against James +Buchanan. Of course he was not elected, as you know, and I suppose you +have noticed nothing in our national history about this particular man +running for president, but you recall that the history of a nation and +the history of a local country district have a way of reading +differently. + +But this aspirant to the presidential office was not the only great man +who had been a member of Mount Olivet church. The older citizens told of +a certain Preacher Crookshank who was pastor of this church during and +prior to the Civil War and was also a member of the State Legislature; +and, according to these biographers, he was the sole cause of the State +remaining in the Union. It seems from all reports that Preacher +Crookshank was not only a statesman of renown, but also a masterful +theologian of Mount Olivet's particular faith. It is reported how he +defended his theology with his splendid oratory, and how when this +failed he resorted to his fists. His oratory was said to be simply +overwhelming. They recounted how, in his oratorical frenzies, he used to +fling his homespun coat in the air and crack the heels of his red-topped +boots together with an emphasis that would stop the mouth of the most +impudent gainsayer. They told how by this masterful eloquence opposers +were silenced, heretics were brought to orthodoxy, and infidels were +converted. Preacher Crookshank flourished contemporaneously with John +Barleycorn. To be frank, he and John were bosom friends. In fact, it was +reported that Crookshank was never at his best in preaching except when +he had an infilling of the "spirit" of the Barleycorn type. He had a +certain long-tailed coat, said to have been given to him by a fellow +member of the Legislature. This coat had large pockets in the tail +wherein was carried a bottle of whiskey. This was a source of much +inspiration to Crookshank throughout his long and eventful career. + +But I must leave off any further description of this notable. Those who +are further interested I refer to the blue-grass cemetery just back of +Mount Olivet church, where a tombstone is to be found bearing this +inscription: "Rev. John Crookshank--Statesman, Preacher, Orator. Died +June 6, 1867." + +As before stated, Mount Olivet church flourished. She was nestled among +the picturesque Ozark Hills, about midway between Ridgetown and +Dobbinsville. Everybody in the community, almost, who had any religious +inclination, and some who had none, belonged to Mount Olivet. She +boasted in being the largest church in all Randolph County--the churches +at Ridgetown and Dobbinsville not excepted. When I say that Mount Olivet +church flourished, I do not mean that she flourished in spiritual +things. Indeed, her candle of vital religion had well-nigh flickered +out. Scarcely a member could be found who would testify to a real +experience of salvation from sin. There were three things for which the +members of this particular church were remarkable, namely, they were +great sticklers for the faith of their church, they were all +holiness-fighters, they all used tobacco in some form. + + + + +CHAPTER II + + +Deacon Gramps sat on his plow-handles. The sultry August day was drawing +to a close. The sun was just ready to roll its bright red disk behind +the western horizon. The Deacon seemed to be in a deep meditation. He +cast a glance at his beautiful farm as it stretched itself out for a +mile toward the river on the one side and nestled snugly against the +foot of the limestone hill on the other side. The large white farmhouse +with green trimming cozily planted on a blue-grass knoll across the +brook seemed to bid him be at rest. The large red barn just back of the +house stood out in sharp contrast against the green-foliaged mountain. +The gold-colored balls on the lightning rods glistened in the farewell +rays of the receding sun. Mount Olivet Church reared her white walls +modestly from the brow of the blue-grass knoll a quarter of a mile +eastward. Deacon Gramps was, at the close of this peaceful summer day, +indulging in a mental congratulation of himself on being so favorably +situated in life. Everybody recognized Farmer Gramps as being the +wealthiest man in all Spruce Township. He owned the finest and fattest +horses that were driven to Mount Olivet Church. His cattle roamed the +forests for miles around, and his hogs cracked acorns on every hillside. + +Apart from his worldly wealth he was the most distinguished member of +Mount Olivet church. For years he had been deacon in said church, and +was president of the official board. In fact, he was as truly a part of +the Church as was the pulpit on the platform or the bell in the steeple. +No meeting was complete without him. He was an indispensable part of the +service. He always sat in the same pew, and none coming into the Church +previously to Deacon Gramps ever dared sit in his pew any more than they +dared to monopolize the preacher's chair in the pulpit. He always +enjoyed the double pleasure of chewing his tobacco and hearing the +sermon simultaneously, and this necessitated his occupying a pew near +the window, as you may well suppose. This window was known to roguish +boys as "Deacon Window" and not even the bravest of these boys dared +peep through this window during services as was their custom in the +case of the other windows. + +Perhaps it is needless to say that the uninterrupted presence of Gramps +had a profound influence upon the service. No preacher dared to fail to +recognize his dignity. As well as being an officer in the church he was +the heaviest contributor to its collections. He had a very curious habit +of twitching his right ear when the preacher said something that did not +just set well with him, and it naturally followed that every pastor who +ever served Mount Olivet fell into the habit of watching Gramp's ear, +and of course the sermon was governed accordingly. Thus "According to +the deacon's ear," came to be a by-word through the community. + +Well, as I have already said, Deacon Gramps sat on his plow-handles. +Just as he turned to unfasten the trace-chains from the plow to drive +his horses to the barn, he saw two men climbing over the whitewashed +fence that led from the barn toward the Church on the hill. Seeing these +men were coming towards him, he resumed his position on the plow-handles +and waited for them. As the two men drew near, he recognized in them the +familiar features of Deacon Brown and Deacon Jones. + + + + +CHAPTER III + + +Jake Benton was a member of Mount Olivet Church and had been for +twenty-seven years. Jake was a man of ordinary natural intelligence, but +like most of his neighbors was utterly ignorant as far as literary +training is concerned. He naturally had deep religious sentiments. Under +proper teaching he doubtless would have pressed his way into a genuine +experience of salvation and would have lived a consistent Christian +life, but under the unwholesome teachings of Mount Olivet he had given +himself over to a mighty religious drift and had drifted far away from +God and was completely destitute of redeeming grace. Oh, to be sure, he +testified regularly at the church services and gave of his limited means +toward the church's support, but he was a man of uncontrollable temper +and was well versed in the art of old-fashioned fist-fighting. But his +profession had become a burden to him, and he had often wondered if +there were no possibility of extracting some joy out of the juiceless +lemon of his profession. + +Now, it so happened one summer that Deacon Cramps had a large drove of +cattle ranging on the hills about thirty miles to the southeast of Mount +Olivet community. This drove of cattle consisted of a thousand head, and +it became necessary that the Deacon employ some trustworthy person to +herd the cattle and prevent them from scattering, or being stolen by +cattle-thieves who sometimes visited that section. Since Jake Benton was +known as an upright man and was a brother in the church, Deacon Cramps +offered him the position. Out of pure financial necessity Jake accepted. + +This was some years before the rubber-tired automobile had invaded the +flint hills of this section and thirty miles meant hours of toilsome +travel. Thus it was necessary that Jake take along a camping outfit and +remain all summer. This he decided to do. Many and long were the hours +that Jake spent in this lonely mountain retreat. For miles around there +was little sign of human activity. No sound of woodman's ax was heard. +The stillness of the long summer afternoons was broken only by the +tinkling of the bells on the hillsides. A lone log cabin lifted its +mud-chinked walls from the brow of a hill from under which flowed a +babbling stream of clear water. In the attic of this lone cabin Jake +Benton was regularly lulled to sleep by the evening lullabies of the +katydids as they sang in the tops of the postoak trees with which the +cabin was surrounded. + +One August afternoon when Jake returned from his regular roundup of the +cattle, he found, seated on a log near the spring, two men. At the sight +of the men Jake's heart leaped into his mouth. For two months he had not +laid his eyes on a human form. He had heard no human voice save his own. +Needless to say, he was as much pleased as surprised to find companions +in his lonely abode. Jake neared the log where the men sat. One of them +arose and advanced toward him. "I trust," he remarked, "that you will +not think we are trespassing on your premises. We have been traveling +all day; our horses were tired and we were thirsty, and the spring +invited us to be refreshed." For a moment Jake stood speechless, and +then in almost forgotten terms he made his unexpected visitors feel +welcome. + +The three men conversed for some time, and in the course of the +conversation Jake explained to them the reason for his lonely life and +the circumstances that caused him to be thus engaged. The strangers +explained that they were driving across the State, and that, in order to +make their journey fifty miles shorter, they had been instructed to take +this untraveled road through this expanse of wooded hills. + +"I should think," remarked one of the men, "that this would be a +splendid place to meditate on the goodness of God. Loneliness often +begets meditation, and God loves to be the companion of the +companionless. Then, too, there is all this nature with which you are +surrounded. These flowers and trees and birds all speak of the goodness +of God. I was remarking to my fellow traveler of how these beautiful +scenes remind us of God's goodness. Pardon a frank question, but may I +ask, Are you saved?" + +This was all new language to Jake and he scarcely knew how to answer +this rather blunt question. "Wu-wu-well, ye-yes," he answered. "I try to +be a Christian. I belong to the church and have belonged for +twenty-seven years and accordin' to the preachin' we have I think I'll +get to heaven. I s'pose you fellers must be preachers." + +"Yes, we are preachers," remarked the other. "We have consecrated our +lives to the blessed service of Christ and our greatest delight is in +preaching his gospel and telling others of the wonders of his grace. +There can be no higher calling than that of telling of the saving grace +of God. For fifteen years I was a cold professor of religion, but I +lacked vital salvation. I belonged to the church and paid the preacher, +and somehow I thought I would get through all right. I sinned more or +less every day and did not know that I could be saved from sin. In fact, +I never had been converted. I tried to live a Christian life, but I was +powerless. After fifteen years of this miserable existence I got a new +vision of things. God removed the scales from my eyes and I saw my lost +condition. I saw myself in an entirely new light. I wept before God +because of my sins. I was made very conscious that unless I was saved +from my sins they would damn me in hell forever. My churchianity and my +self-righteousness and my morality looked ridiculous when I saw myself a +sinner in the sight of God. I came to God and poured out my soul in +bitter repentance, and said, 'Save me, or I perish.' I promised him that +I would forsake my sins, make my wrongs right, and walk in the light. I +read in 1 John 1:9, 'If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to +forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.' Well, +I confessed my sins and forsook them, and God for Christ's sake pardoned +all my sins. Praise His name. The joy and peace that filled my soul were +unspeakable. I was a new man. I loved everybody, even my bitter enemies. +Christ, in all his blessed reality, came into my heart as an abiding +companion. Some time after my conversion, through a holiness paper, +which fell into my hands, and through reading the Bible, which had +become a new book to me, I learned that it was possible for me to be +wholly sanctified and to have the Holy Spirit as an abiding comforter. +Oh, the joy of this blessed life. Its glories are untold." + +Poor Jake stood amazed. He had never heard anything like this before. +He burst out, "If that's religion, I confess I hain't got none; and to +be plain, I ain't much inclined to believe such stuff as that. I have +been a member of Mount Olivet Church for twenty-seven years and I never +heard such preaching as that. That must be some new religion that's +goin' around. Talk about bein' saved from sin, why there's our dear old +Brother Simms, who was our last pastor at Mount Olivet. He died last +March and since then we ain't had no pastor--why I heard him say more'n +once from the pulpit that folks can't be saved from sin till they get to +heaven." + +All this Jake said and a great deal more. He talked himself hoarse and +used up all his choicest terms in extolling the name of Mount Olivet +Church and all the pastors she had had since he had been a member. All +his arguments were quietly and lovingly answered by the ministers, who +read to him many passages of Scripture. + +By this time the large elm cast a lengthy shadow eastward. The sun was +well-nigh set, and it was evident to the ministers that they should have +to prevail on their new acquaintance to lodge them overnight. + +"Well, my dear brother," remarked one of the ministers, "we are far +apart in faith, but I trust we are all honest in our views and I pray +that God may lead us all in the way we should go. The day is gone, and +to get out of these hills tonight is unthinkable. I wonder if you could +arrange to keep us overnight, Mr. Benton--I believe that's the name? If +you will, we shall be a hundred times obliged and shall be glad to pay +you whatever you suggest." + +Jake was big hearted, if he was a sinner. "Sure, I'll keep ye, think I'd +turn anybody out in these woods at night? Not me. I've kept preachers +all my life, but I confess I never kept sanctified ones before." + +The three men went up the hill to Jake's cabin, and the two ministers +busied themselves writing letters while Jake prepared the evening meal +from his scant pantry. When they had gathered around the large goods-box +that served as a dining-table, one of the preachers thanked God for the +food and asked his blessings upon it. When the evening meal was +finished, the three men sat in front of Jake's cabin until a late hour. +The preachers expounded the Scriptures to poor, ignorant Jake and told +him of the wonders of God's grace. Finally, when the big silvery moon +stood in mid-heaven and the sound of cow-bells on the hill had died +away, Jake suggested that they retire for the night. By the light of the +moon one of the ministers read his Bible. It so happened that he opened +it at the 12th chapter of Hebrews. These words as they fell from this +man's pious lips affected Jake deeply. He surely had read that same +chapter himself many times, and doubtless during the twenty-seven years +he had been a member of Mount Olivet Church he had heard his pastor read +it. But there was one verse that sank right to the center of Jake's +heart. It was the 14th: "Follow peace with all men, and holiness, +without which no man shall see the Lord." Jake had always had a hope in +his breast that he should some day see the Lord. He had had more than +his allotted share of troubles in life, and deep in his heart he had a +longing to go where "the wicked cease from troubling and the weary be at +rest." + +Soon all was silence in the cabin attic, where the three men lay. The +restless surgings of man's inner soul are invisible to all eyes, save +God's, and silence is not always a proof that everyone is asleep. Jake +lay on a bag of dried leaves, having given his own bunk to his guests. +But his eyes refused to sleep. The music of the katydids had lost its +power to soothe his troubled breast and bring him sweet repose. His mind +took a voyage over the past. Memory, according to her wonted ways +carried him again to his mother's knee. He recalled the sound of her +voice as she sang, "When I shall see Him face to face and tell the story +saved by grace." But that scripture, "Without holiness no man shall see +the Lord," took the sweetness out of that long-remembered song. Jake +knew he was not holy. His heart was defiled by sin. His lips were +unclean with blaspheming God's name. He remembered all the good +resolutions he had made and broken the past quarter of a century. And +during these midnight musings he seemed to see two lily-white hands +beckoning him to come somewhere; he knew not where. These hands he +readily recognized as the hands of his own baby Rose, who had gone from +him one day near the close of her fifth summer. Mentally he found +himself again at the bedside of his darling Rose. He saw again her ruddy +cheeks glow with fever and heard the tremble of her voice as she said, +"Daddy's Rose is going to heaven. Daddy come some day." Again he saw the +death-glare in the sky-blue eyes when the little soul flitted away. He +saw himself again as he sat and looked into the sweet and lifeless face +of his darling girl, and he remembered how he resolved on that day to +live in such a way as to be reunited with his child. But his resolves +had all been unfilled, and he saw the path of his past strewn with +broken vows. In reality, God was speaking to the man's soul. Jake saw +himself in his true condition, a lost sinner. His sins seemed like +horrid black mountains rearing themselves eternally between him and his +child. His profession of religion and his church-membership seemed to +mock him rather than to comfort him. + +But Jake was silent. He said not a word with his lips; but how his +bleeding heart did talk to God. Hot tears flowed from his sleepless eyes +and dampened the dry leaves that formed his pillow. He supposed the two +ministers asleep. Their opinion of him was the same. Finally Jake was +astonished to see, in the glimmering light of the moon that stole +through the cracks in the clapboard roof, the two preachers slip from +their bed, and kneel on the floor. His ear caught their whispering +prayers that were heard in heaven. As nearly as he could hear, the +prayers ran something like this: "O Lord, thou didst have a purpose in +sending us through these wooded hills. May we be instrumental in +bringing light and salvation to this lonely cabin. Lord, talk to the +heart of this Mr. Benton, who sleeps on his bag of leaves. Bring +something before his mind that will break up his heart; disturb him even +in his sleep, Lord." + +Jake's emotions overwhelmed him and he could keep silent no longer. He +bounded from his bed, crying, "O my God, save me, save me, save me! Oh, +do pray for me now! I am lost! lost! lost!" + +Needless to say, the preachers were somewhat shocked, as people often +are when their prayers are answered sooner than they expect. The +convicted herdsman prostrated himself on the floor before the preachers +and poured out bitter tears of repentance. He wept and groaned, and +begged God to save him. But he seemed slow to grasp God's promises. He +prayed till the morning dawned. The preachers prayed with him. Finally, +just as the first grey streaks of the new day began to creep between the +logs, Jake's faith was anchored in God's promises, and the glory of +heaven flooded his soul. In the twinkling of an eye he was made a new +man. His joy knew no bounds. He leaped and shouted, sang and whistled, +and laughed and cried, all for the joy of his new-found treasure. + +When breakfast was over and the two ministers had bidden their new +convert a happy farewell, Jake sat down to read his Bible, which the +preachers had given him. His eyes fell upon these words, "Weeping may +endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning." (Psa. 30:5). + + + + +CHAPTER IV + + +The anteroom of the post office in a little Ohio town was crowded. The +train had arrived from the west, but it went as soon as it came, for it +did not stop. A scream of the whistle, the rumble of the wheels, and the +mighty monster dashed through the peaceful town at fifty miles an hour. +But the inhabitants were not so interested in the train, for they had +seen it pass in just this fashion year after year. But from the baggage +coach there came each evening a bag of mail, and this was the cause of +the gathering at the post office. While the postmaster and his assistant +were opening and distributing the mail behind the closed window in the +post office, the restless townspeople occupied themselves in social chat +discussing the local happenings of the day, or in reading the notices on +the bulletin board. + +Everybody was at the post office at this hour. School children, happy at +the close of an irksome day of school, shouted boisterously at each +other in the street. Laboring men, with empty dinner pails in hand, sat +restfully on the curbstone just outside the post office door, and talked +of the happenings of the day. The village blacksmith wiped the honest +sweat from his brow, closed the shop door, and came down to the post +office, where he was met by his flaxen-haired girl of three summers. She +clasped her pink arms about the smith's grimy neck and told him Mama was +looking for a letter from Grandma, who had gone to California for her +health, and that she had come down to see how many kisses Grandma had +sent her. The town doctor, with a dignified air, leaned against the side +of the post office door and read the Chicago paper that a previous mail +had brought to him. The schoolmaster had finished grading some test +papers and had come down to the post office just in time to be the third +party to an interesting fist fight in which two sixth grade boys were +engaged with great zest, in the street. Two out-of-town strangers, who +were guests at the hotel just across the way, came over and, seating +themselves on a bench in front of the post office engaged in +conversation. + +Finally the task behind the window was done. The mail was sorted and +placed alphabetically in the proper boxes. The postmaster flipped up +the window, and there was a mighty rush and a scramble--for who is not +eager to get a letter? Some received several letters and papers; some +only one letter; some only a paper; some only a catalogue. Some were +disappointed altogether, judging from facial expressions; some received +glad messages, some sad messages, some indifferent. + +When the crowd was dispersed, the two strangers who had been seated on +the bench appeared at the window and called for their mail. The +postmaster handed to one of them a letter addressed, Evangelist Blank. +The address was written in almost an unreadable hand. The evangelist +opened the letter. It ran thus: + +Dobbinsville, ----, Aug. 29---- + +My dear Evangelist brother: + +i am saved and sanctified praise God O how i rejoice in this wonderful +salvashun i was a member of Mt. Olivet church fer 27 yrs. but i never +knowed what it was to be saved from sin this summer i was herdin cattle +down in the hills about 30 mi. from here and a most wonderful thing +happened. To preachers came along and told me that Christ could save and +sanctify me i fought them at first but God would not let me rest until i +gave him my heart, then he sanctified me holy o how i rejoice my wife +and oldest son is also saved now but say bruther how the people of my +own church persecute me they say I am crazy and that a man cant be saved +from sin in this life o if i had only found this salvashun when i was a +young man but now i am middle aged but by god's grace i aim to do all i +can to save my neighbors, i see in the holiness paper that you are a +evangelist and that you go about preachin this wonderful salvashun so i +want to now if you will come down here and preach to the people we can't +get Mt. Olivet church but we can build a brush arber. i am sending you +$20. this part of the money i urned herdin cattle for deacon gramps i +promised the Lord when he saved me that i would give him part of this +money so here it is so i hope you can cum your brother saved sanctified +and happy + +Jake Benton + + + + +CHAPTER V + + +As I have said before, Deacon Gramps sat on his plow handles at the +close of an August day. He fairly rejoiced when he saw Deacon Brown and +Deacon Jones coming toward him. + +"Good evening, Brother Gramps," shouted Jones and Brown simultaneously. + +"Good evening, my good brethering," responded Gramps, "I am so glad to +see you. I have a great burden on my mind and I was just planning to go +to your house, Brother Brown, as soon as I had unharnessed my team and +eaten supper." + +Brown and Jones looked at Gramps with an expectant gaze, and continued +silent. Gramps went on, "It's high time we was doin' somethin' to +protect our church. I have been a deacon in this church fer many a year, +but to my mind this is the most dangerous time Mount Olivet has ever +seen." + +Brown and Jones nodded a candid assent to what was being said. Gramps +continued, "For many years our church has been the strongest church in +this county and everybody has counted it an honor to belong to this +church, but you know, brethering, ever since our pastor died last +spring, and we have been without a pastor we have been gettin' weaker +and weaker. And since old Jake Benton has gone crazy over this new +religion of hisen he is trien to get everybody else to go crazy. You +brethering knows how I sent him down in the hills this summer to mind +cattle. Well he seemed to kinder git overbalanced in his mind down there +and he's found a new religion. You know how he testified in meetin' +tother night. He said he was saved from sin and he said he was +sanctified, and whole lot of other stuff like that. And I believe he +said, didn't he, that he was just as good as Jesus Christ and gettin' +better ever' day, or something like that." + +"Yes, something like that," added Brown. + +"Yes," said Jones, "I was there myself and heard him. I have always +thought Jake Benton was a pretty good man; but when a feller gets so +good as all that, then he's too good for this world. You know the Bible +says there's nobody good but God." + +"Yes, I've heard the best preachers that was ever pastor of Mount Olivet +Church and they all say we sin a thousand times every day," remarked +Gramps. + +Jones spoke next: "I knew a bunch of them holiness people back in South +Caroliner where I come from. They was the most outrageous bunch of +people I ever saw. Why, they claimed that they couldn't sin, and that +they was just as good as Jesus Christ and that nobody would get to +heaven but them. I'll tell you brethering we must not let them get the +start here. If they do, Mount Olivet Church is ruined. They tear down +churches just as fast as they come to 'em. Old Jake Benton ought to be +run out of the country or else sent to the asylum. He ain't fit to run +at large. Why, he told Aunt Sally Perkins that he was wholly sanctified +and that his heart was just as pure as that of his little baby that died +years ago when Jake lived over on Persimmon Ridge. He talks a whole lot +now about goin' to meet his baby and his mother and he seems to get so +happy every time he talks about it." Jones's voice trembled slightly as +he went on to say, "But brethering, it makes me feel most wonderfully +queer when I hear Jake talk about meetin' his little girl. He seems to +have no doubt at all about meetin' her, and say, you remember my little +boy died the same fall as Jake's little girl, and to tell the truth I'm +just a little fearful at times about bein' ready to meet little George." + +Deacon Gramps listened to all of this from Jones rather restlessly. He +spoke next with great gravity. "Brethering, since I am president of this +Board of Deacons I feel it my duty to take steps to see that this new +religion is stopped and that Mount Olivet Church is not torn to pieces. +As I said, I have been deacon here for many years and I have never seen +the church so in danger. Something must be done. I'll tell you what we +need, we need a preacher--one of our very best ones to come here and +fight this devilish holiness stuff." + +"That's what we need, we must wipe holiness out," responded Brown, as he +let go a sluice of tobacco juice. + +Gramps continued, "Just today I had a letter from a cousin of mine back +in Kentucky. He says they have a wonderful preacher back there by the +name of Preacher Bonds. He says this Preacher Bonds feels a special call +to fight holiness. I tell you, brethering, if we could get him here we +would make it hot for old Benton and his bunch." + +"We would that," Jones chimed in. + +"Brother Gramps, why don't you write and ask Preacher Bonds to come?" +suggested Brown. "Although the other two members of the Board are not +here, I think we just as well go ahead." + +"Better bring it before the church," said Gramps, "because we've got to +raise some money to get him." + +Brown and Jones both agreed that Gramps was right in this respect. With +the understanding that Deacon Gramps was to call a meeting of the church +at the earliest possible date, the three men separated. + +Gramps spent the entire following day riding about the community giving +every member of Mount Olivet a personal notification that a special +meeting of the church would be held on the following Wednesday evening +for the purpose of considering grave problems concerning the church. +Wednesday evening came; practically the whole church responded. When the +appointed hour arrived, Gramps was on the spot. On every face was +written expectancy. Deacon Gramps presided of course. He arose from his +seat, flung his quid of tobacco out of the window, squared himself +against the pulpit, adjusted his eyeglasses near the point of his nose, +and looking over them he addressed the assembly thus: "My brethering and +sistern, we have met as members of the grand old Mount Olivet Church. +Here in this church our fathers met. Here in this church our mothers +met. Here in this church our grandfathers met. Here in this church our +grandmothers met. Here in this church, my brethering, we have met. And +let me say to you, my dear people, that we have met here tonight in this +church for a purpose. There are certain people in this community whose +aim is to tear up this church; certain people, I say, whose aim is to +tear down this church. There is a certain doctring--the doctring of +holiness--getting into this community. This holiness doctring, my +friends, is a devilish doctring, my brethering, and must be wiped out." +(Amens all over the house.) + +All this the Deacon said, and much more. He began his speech with +considerable warmth of utterance, but as he progressed in praises of +Mount Olivet and her faith he waxed hotter and hotter until his +spellbound hearers were fairly deluged in a mighty avalanche of his +rustic oratory, and he wound up with the sweeping statement that the +doctrine of holiness must be abolished from the face of the earth. + +When the Deacon had finished, and regained breath enough to put the +matter to a vote, it was unanimously voted that Preacher Bonds should be +secured at the earliest date possible. + + + + +CHAPTER VI + + +A year had rolled around since Jake Benton had been converted down in +the hills. By this time it was plain to all unbiased minds that Benton +was indeed earnest. Even his most bitter enemies were obliged to admit +that a mighty change had come over him. His life had undergone a real +transformation. His life was an entirely new life. He had unshaken faith +in the God of his salvation. In his home he established a family altar, +where he worshipped God as regularly as the sun rose and set. In his +business relations he literally followed the Golden Rule. At church he +unflinchingly declared what his new-found religion had done for him. He +declared that God had saved him from his sins and had subsequently +sanctified him wholly. He even waxed bold enough to tell in meeting how +God had healed him of physical ailments in answer to prayer. All this +greatly incensed his fellow church-members. They insisted that he had +gone crazy and was no longer fit to belong to the church. Accordingly he +was put out. Jake took it all in good part and rejoiced that he was +counted worthy to suffer for Jesus' sake. + +But Jake was not long obliged to stand alone in defense of his +profession. His simple life of trust soon began to have its effect in +the community; during the year his faithfulness had been rewarded by the +salvation of a number of persons in the neighborhood. Old Grandma Gray +had come out boldly on Benton's side. She said that for fifty years she +had been living as best she could, but that she had all this time had a +longing for the fulness of the blessing, such as Jake Benton testified +to, and she arose right in the public meeting and declared herself a +seeker for just such a blessing. This set Mount Olivet church all in a +storm. Deacon Gramps was furious. He said Jake Benton had a legion of +devils and that Grandma Gray was bewitched. + +But when Grandma Gray took her stand for full salvation, the cause for +which Mount Olivet stood suffered a mighty blow. Nolan Gray, a son with +whom Grandma Gray had made her home for years, had been a stanch member +of the church since he was a child. In fact, he had always said he had +grown up in the church. Nolan Gray was a very upright man of undoubted +integrity, and he stood for high moral ideals, but under the type of +preaching to which he was accustomed he had never experienced a change +of heart. When he saw what a change had come over his mother, he refused +to be comforted with his religious profession. Jake Benton was a tenant +on Gray's farm, and from daily contact with Benton, Mr. Gray was +convinced beyond a doubt that Benton's religion was real. One night at a +prayer meeting held at Jake Benton's humble home, Mr. Gray became so +convicted that resistance was impossible. He fully surrendered himself +to Jesus and obtained an experience that was marvelous even in the eyes +of Grandma Gray. + +The news of Gray's conversion spread like fire on a dry prairie. He was +a heavy contributor to the finances of Mount Olivet. On this account it +became a matter of conjecture as to whether or not he would be +excommunicated. However, Mr. Gray relieved all minds of any anxiety when +on the following week he quietly withdrew his membership from the +church. + +The day following the night of Nolan Gray's conversion there occurred an +incident that meant much to Jake Benton, as well as to Deacon Gramps. +Benton was walking along the road that led around the fence from his own +home to the large, white house occupied by Nolan Gray and his family. He +was on his way to milk Mr. Gray's cow. He commonly went through the +field on such occasions, as it was much the shorter route, but on this +particular morning he had a mysterious disposition to take the long +route around the road. When he had reached a point about a quarter of a +mile from his home, to his astonishment he met Deacon Gramps, +accompanied by Gramps' hired hand. He saw at once that the Deacon was in +a most surly mood. So in a pleasant tone of voice Benton said, "Good +morning, gentlemen, nice mornin'," aiming with salutation to pass on. + +Gramps was not in any sense a brave man, as you may have guessed by this +time, but he always manifested great boldness where he was sure there +was no physical danger. + +"They say Gray got your kind of religion at the prayer meetin' last +night," he said. + +"Well, I guess it ain't my kind," answered Benton, "but he sure did get +Bible salvation." + +Then the Deacon let loose in all his fury. "Jake Benton," said he, "this +religion of yours has got to be stopped, it's got to be wiped out, it's +doin' more harm in this community than all the saloons in the State. +It's tearing up our church. Nolan Gray and old Grandma Gray was good +church-members and have been for years and years and now they are taken +in with this crazy holiness stuff, and you are the hul cause of it. I +tell you it's just got to be stopped and I'm going' to stop it and I'll +just begin right here." With this he advanced toward Benton and struck +him a terrific blow on the side of the cheek with his open hand. At this +Benton only replied, "God bless you, Mr. Gramps." This served only to +incense the enraged Deacon all the more, and he literally flew at Benton +and easily pinned him to the ground and sat upon his chest and beat him +in the face most unmercifully. Poor Benton struggled and groaned, but +did not endeavor to hurt his antagonist. The Deacon's hired hand was all +his time a looker-on, but he finally mustered up courage, and with great +difficulty succeeded in pulling the enraged Deacon off the poor man. +When the hired man had finally persuaded Gramps away from the scene, +Benton, bruised and bleeding in body, but victorious in soul, struggled +to his feet and went home, glad that he was counted worthy to suffer for +Jesus' sake. + + + + +CHAPTER VII + + +The community was stirred, no doubt about that. These were stirring +days. Not since the days when Union and Southern marauding parties +scattered terror in these woods had public excitement run so high as +now. The gossip of Benton's beating was on everybody's lips before the +sun went down that day. Everybody talked about it. Jake's friends were +warmer friends and his enemies were hotter enemies. Those who had been +neutral were neutral no more. There were just two parties now, those +against and those for holiness as taught and lived by Jake Benton. As +for old Jake, he kept sweet in his soul and talked little and prayed +much. His victory was complete. + +In the midst of this excitement Jake received a short but significant +letter from Evangelist Blank. It ran thus: + +Dear Brother Benton: + +In accordance with my promise to you nearly a year ago, I am now in a +position to hold your revival. I will arrive in Dobbinsville August 2. +Please meet me at the train. + +Your Brother in Christ,--Evangelist Blank. + +Jake read this scanty letter through tears of joy. He was unspeakably +happy. He had prayed for a year, and now his prayers were on the verge +of being answered. A holiness preacher, mysterious being, was actually +to set foot on Mount Olivet soil. The doctrine of full salvation was to +invade the precincts of sin-you-must religion. + +But where was Evangelist Blank to preach? Not in Mount Olivet, to be +sure. About a quarter of a mile from Mount Olivet Church was a section +of land known in that country as Public Land. Here in the center of an +old, unused, unfenced field was a thick clump of post oak sapplings, +with heavy foliage. This spot was to be the scene of many an interesting +happening, a few of which shall be mentioned before this story closes +and many of which shall not. As soon as Jake was sufficiently recovered +from the beating administered by the Deacon, he, in company with Nolan +Gray and several others who were either friends or embracers of the +doctrine of full salvation, went to this spot and worked for a number of +days building a brush arbor, which was to serve the purpose of a +meeting-house. Long poles were tied from tree to tree to make a +framework. Then other poles were laid across from the frame-poles to +furnish a support for the brush, which was thrown on top. A sort of +tabernacle was thus effected which served the purpose well. Oil torches +were hung on the upright poles to furnish light. Long boards were +brought from a sawmill near by and fastened on stakes driven into the +ground; these served for benches. The arbor would seat about five +hundred people. + +Everything was in readiness for the long-expected meetings. All there +was to do was to wait for the 2nd of August to come, and that was hard +to do. Finally it came. That afternoon when the two-coached train rolled +up to the little red station at Dobbinsville, Jake Benton stood on the +depot platform. His heart beat a rat-a-tat-tat against his chest. As the +train slowed up and Jake saw through its window the face of a man +corresponding to the picture he had seen in his holiness paper, his +emotions refused to yield to control. He jumped high in the air, and +shouted at the top of his voice, "Hallelujah!" + +The train being a few hours late, the afternoon was far spent. On the +road from the station, Jake told Evangelist Blank as best he could of +the happenings of the year just preceding--how he had been converted in +the woods and subsequently sanctified, of his persecution and +excommunication by the church, and of his recent beating at the hands of +Deacon Gramps. Evangelist Blank had had many long years of experience in +the field of evangelistic endeavor, yet when Jake Benton poured all +these startling things into his ears, there came a feeling over him that +he was entering into an entirely new experience. This feeling was +verified before he left the neighborhood a few weeks later. + +When the old-fashioned wagon rattled up to the front gate of the humble +home, Evangelist Blank expressed to Jake the belief that in coming to +this place he was in the center of the will of God. This made poor +Jake's heart leap for joy. He sprang from the wagon to the ground and, +bidding his good wife see to the comfort of the Evangelist and the +corps of singers who accompanied him, set himself diligently to doing +the evening chores in order that everything might be in readiness for +the evening meeting. + + + + +CHAPTER VIII + + +When the afternoon shadows began to lengthen there began to gather +around the new-made brush arbor on Post Oak Ridge a number of men and +boys. These were mostly idlers of the community, who had nothing in +particular to do, so had come early to the arbor. But when the last +faint streaks of the dying day were fading, the more substantial +citizens of the community began to gather at this spot of interest. They +came from every direction. Every path seemed to lead to the arbor ridge. +Some came in wagons, some in buggies, some on horseback, others walked. + +Everybody, almost, was there. Grandma Gray was there. She sat serenely +in her big willow rocker, which Nolan had placed just in front and to +the left of the speaker's stand. Her age-wrinkled face was all aglow +with the joy of full salvation. Aunt Sally Perkins was there. Poor old +Aunt Sally. She was notorious as a shouter and a hypocrite. Nobody had +any confidence in her as a Christian, but she was much given to sitting +in the "amen" corner, and on this particular night she came into the big +arbor and deposited her scanty self right on a front bench. And there +she sat, wrapped in her old grey shawl, peeping out from beneath her old +black bonnet. Old Brother Bunk was there. For a quarter of a century he +had been a true and tried member of Mount Olivet Church, but of late he +had been much wrought upon by the holiness agitation. "Spooky" Crane was +there. Crane was a harmless half-wit who lived alone in a shanty at the +back of Deacon Gramps' field. He always made it a point to attend every +religious service far and near, of whatever faith, and he had the +capacity for adjusting himself to his surroundings to such an extent +that he joined every religious movement with which he came in contact. +Roguish boys found great amusement in giving him pennies to sing for +them. Jim Peabody was there. But that was to be taken only as a matter +of course, for Jim always went to church. He went, not because he was +religious, but because he was otherwise. He made loud boast of his +infidelity. He had given himself extensively to the reading of Bob +Ingersoll and other authors notorious for things other than goodness, so +in his own vain imaginations he was a masterful scholar. He said there +was no God, and that any man who prayed was a fool. But the cause of +infidelity had suffered a terrific blow when one time Nolan Gray, as he +was going to Dobbinsville, saw a huge wagon-box turned bottom side up, +with the wagon on top, in a ditch by the side of the road. As he drew +near he heard coming from under the box the low muttering tones of a +man's voice. As he stood near the box and listened he heard a most +eloquent prayer. He took a long pole from a fence near by and pried one +edge of the box up, and who should emerge from beneath but Jim Peabody. + +When the hour of service arrived, Jake Benton and the evangelistic party +did not arrive with it. Owing to the lateness of the train, Jake had +been unable to get around at the appointed hour. Finally the familiar +rattle of Jake's wagon was heard, and now all was breathless expectancy. +When the party arrived at the arbor, all eyes were fastened upon the +Evangelist. If he had been a ghost moving about in the twilight of that +summer evening, he would have been regarded with no more superstition by +that rustic people. There was nothing whatsoever extraordinary in the +physical appearance of Evangelist Blank. He was a man of average height +and scant weight. His rather pallid face was covered with a scanty +well-trimmed beard. His deep-set blue eyes sparkled with a pleasant +earnestness. Any lack of physical attractiveness was amply atoned for by +the splendid qualities of the man's soul. He was a mighty man of God. He +had an unusual grip on the upper world. He had large capacities for +moving God on his throne. A heavenly atmosphere pervaded the realm of +his personality. + +When this man stepped onto the platform of the large brush arbor that +summer evening, and took his seat and faced that audience, there was a +stillness that was painful. The awful stillness was broken when the +Evangelist arose and said, "Praise God for his matchless salvation." He +made a few preliminary remarks and the corp of singers began to sing. +And such music seldom issues from human lips. It was not overwhelming in +point of its artistic qualities. The compositions were of the simplest +sort. But the singers sang from out of the abundance of redeemed souls, +and there was a heavenly inspiration accompanying the songs that simply +overwhelmed the hearts of sinners and overjoyed the hearts of saints. +One song that especially gripped the audience ran thus: + + +"Do you triumph, O my brother, over all this world of sin? +In each storm of tribulation, does your Jesus reign within?" + + CHORUS: + +"I am reigning, sweetly reigning, far above this world of strife; +In my blessed, loving Savior, I am reigning in this life." + + +When this and several other hymns equally inspiring had been sung, +Evangelist Blank arose and said, "Let us pray." At this the audience +began to make arrangements to stand, for it was the custom in Mount +Olivet Church in those days to stand while the preacher "made" his +prayer, as Deacon Gramps expressed it. But the Evangelist had the notion +that when the heart is humbled before God the body should be in a like +position, so he reverently and unpretentiously knelt beside the rough +board pulpit. The four singers on the platform knelt simultaneously with +the Evangelist. This placed the members of Mount Olivet in a rather +embarrassing position. They disliked the idea of being so unreligious as +to sit erect during prayer, and they could not bear the humiliation of +kneeling at a holiness meeting. A few of them under the press of the +circumstance did kneel. A few stood up. Most of them sat with bowed +heads. "Spooky" Crane easily adjusted himself to the situation and +promptly knelt in the straw, and with his face in his hands peeped +between his fingers at the Evangelist. Jim Peabody, the infidel, sat +arrogantly erect with an impish snarl on his lip. To him the whole +business of praying was a huge piece of foolishness--except, of course, +when under the wagon-box. Aunt Sally Perkins knelt beside the front +bench and clapped her hands hysterically during the prayer. And Deacon +Gramps had slipped under the outer edge of the arbor, where he sat on a +low bench with his elbows on his knees and chewed his tobacco most +vigorously. + +Evangelist Blank, himself, led in prayer. His prayer, like himself, was +simple, but mighty. It ran something like this: + +"O Lord of heaven and earth, we thank thee for this hour. We have come +here in thy name; we plead no worthiness and no efficiency of our own. +Thy blood and thy grace is all our plea. We would not thrust ourselves +into thy holy presence on any human merits. But in thy name and through +the blood of Christ our Saviour we come boldly before thee. We praise +thee, Lord, for thy great salvation, by which thou dost save us and +sanctify us. O Lord, make thyself mighty in the salvation of this people +among whom we have come to labor. Let thy matchless power be manifested +and thy righteous name be exalted. Be thou lifted up before the people. +Lord, we rededicate ourselves at this hour to be used of thee in the +salvation of men. Come into these temples of clay afresh at this hour, O +Lord, and let the fire of thy holy presence consume all the dross that +may be in us. Anoint our feeble lips to speak the unsearchable riches of +Christ ... Hear us, Lord, we ask in Jesus' name. Amen." + +This prayer made a profound impression on the audience. When it was +finished, a few other songs were sung, and then Evangelist Blank arose +to address the audience. There was something about the preaching and +personality of this man that made him a unique figure in the field of +preacherdom. In the first place, he was masterful in his knowledge and +use of the Holy Scriptures. He knew God's Book. By patient study and +long practice he had brought himself to the place where he could readily +bring to his defence an impregnable line of Scriptural proof to sustain +the propositions that he held. He was not only proficient in the +Scriptures, but he had a thorough training covering the whole range of +ministerial and theological thought. He had the happy and unusual +combination of those qualities of mind that make for forceful oratory +and clearness in theological thought. And last, and far from least, he +walked with God. He had a yearning for the lost of earth's millions. + +On that evening when he faced for the first time his brush-arbor +audience, it was plainly to be seen that he did not lack for something +to say. He did not let his sermon get in the way of his message. He went +right to the heart of his subject, which he announced as Salvation. He +took for his text Titus 2:11, 12: "For the grace of God that bringeth +salvation hath appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying +ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and +godly in this present world." + +His sermon ran partly thus: "My friends and brethren, we are here this +evening to conduct this service in the fear of God. Almost a year ago I +received a letter from Brother Benton urging me to come to his place to +hold a revival. Owing to my many calls, I was unable to come until the +present time, and now at last we are here in the name of God. We expect +him to give us a gracious out-pouring of his Holy Spirit. The text that +I have read in your hearing introduces my subject, the subject of +Salvation. I feel the burden of this message pressing upon my heart. +Since Jesus saved me from a life of sin I have had a consuming desire to +get others to press their way into this grand experience. I shall not +promise to keep within the bounds of homiletical order tonight, but I do +promise to keep within the bounds of God's Holy Word and the leadings of +his Spirit." These introductory remarks were stated with a simple +earnestness born of a desire to see men saved. + +The Evangelist first proceeded to show what salvation is. He said it is +a divine work of grace in the heart, wrought by the blood of Jesus +Christ. He explained that it means deliverance from sin. He said that if +the Bible teaches anything at all, it teaches that the individual must +have a vital connection with Jesus Christ. + +Next the Evangelist set forth the conditions of salvation. "First," he +said, "a man must be sorry for his sins; secondly, he must repent of his +sins; and, thirdly, he must forsake his sins." + +He dwelt at great length on the effects of salvation in the heart. He +said that if a man's religion did not have any effect on him, it was +worthless. A man's religion must make him a new creature, he argued. He +declared that salvation makes a man love even his enemies. He said +salvation cleanses a man from inward and outward filth. + +By the time Evangelist Blank had illustrated and amplified all his +points he had consumed the major portion of an hour and a half of time. +During this time the entire audience was held spellbound by his simple +and earnest eloquence. + +All this was strange theology to the members of Mount Olivet Church. It +was a stinging rebuke to their crooked and hypocritical lives. + + + + +CHAPTER IX + + +It was about the fifth night of the big holiness meeting at the arbor on +Post Oak Ridge. The country was stirred for miles around. People from +Dobbinsville and Ridgetown and neighboring villages were in regular +attendance. Scores of people had been converted. Many had been +sanctified. Numbers had been healed. The forces of sin were enraged. +Wicked men, grim with age, had melted like frost at noonday under the +mighty preaching of the Spirit-filled Evangelist. Old women with lying +hearts and gossiping lips had been stricken down in mighty and pungent +conviction for their sins. Young men, roguish and rough and +stout-hearted, had come to the old split-log altar and on penitent knees +had sobbed out before God the awful sins of their hearts and had gone +away happy with the new-found treasure of full salvation. Young ladies, +vain and haughty, had melted under the gospel messages and had come to +the feet of Jesus. Sweet children not yet in their teens had wept their +childish transgressions away and in their simple faith had accepted +Jesus as their Savior. Oh, grand and glorious gospel! How matchless is +its power. + +Well, as I said, it was about the fifth night of the meeting. Preacher +Bonds was there, and had been the two nights preceding. He had regarded +all the manifestations of God's power in the meetings with affected +indifference. He said he hated holiness and would hate it as long as he +lived. On being asked what he thought of the miraculous conversions that +had taken place in the meeting, he remarked that he would not believe in +holiness even if Beelzebub himself were converted in the meetings. + +Evangelist Blank said he thought this would be a splendid time to have a +testimony-meeting. So they had one, and he conducted it himself. Grandma +Gray was the first to testify. She stood trembling, and balanced herself +against the back of the old willow rocker. Around her saintly face there +seemed to circle a halo of glory. At first she only stood and wept. When +she had gained control of her emotions sufficiently to speak, she said, +"Oh, the love of God is unspeakable. How can I praise him for what he +has done for me? He saves me and sanctifies me and heals me. I praise +him for sending Evangelist Blank here. I would not say a word against +the people of Mount Olivet church, but for thirty-some years I lived in +that church an up-and-down life. God knows I wanted to live for him all +that time but my experience was not sufficient to keep me. But since I +have learned of the more perfect way, how my heart rejoices in this full +salvation. Since this meeting began, the good Lord has been showing me +great light on the church question. I see the one body of Christ, which +is the church. I have just learned that I was born into the real, true +church thirty-some years ago. O brethren, the day is dawning, the light +is shining. How glad I am that I have lived to see this day." + +When Grandma Gray had well-nigh exhausted her feeble strength in +exhorting the people to come to Jesus and accept his truth, she sank +into her big willow chair and silently prayed. For a brief period there +was a deathlike stillness over the audience. + +For years Grandma Gray had lived a life that could not be gainsaid. +True, she spoke in her testimony about her up-and-down life, but when +compared with the average professed Christian's life in that community, +hers was above reproach. In her extreme age she spoke as one from the +border-lands of eternity, and her words naturally had a profound effect. + +Jake Benton was next to testify. He was simply overwhelmed with joy, and +spoke at some length of his hope of someday being reunited with his +darling girl in the skies. Jake's testimony scattered enthusiasm all +through the congregation of the saints and there was rejoicing and +praising God that was doubtless participated in by the angels around the +throne. + +Little flaxen-haired Eva Gray, eleven-year-old daughter of Nolan Gray, +arose and said that Jesus had saved her and that she aimed to spend her +life for him, as had Grandma Gray. Thus we see a godly life is fruitful +of influence even on the lives of little children. + +Probably the most remarkable testimony given was that of Squire Branson. +Branson spoke thus: "Friends and brothers: I stand before you a redeemed +man. I am washed and made white in the blood of Jesus. I am as a brand +snatched from the burning. I am now in my eighty-third year. You know +the manner of my life up until this meeting. I have had absolutely +nothing to do with religion. As you know I have lived a life of great +wickedness. I have been a drunkard, a gambler--a mighty sinner. For +fifty-three years I had not gone near a church service until this +meeting began. I have been thoroughly put out with the type of +Christianity exhibited in this community these past years. But when +through sheer curiosity I came into this arbor, I was made as conscious +of the presence of the Holy Ghost as if I could have seen him with my +natural eyes. There at that altar night before last I unburdened my +heart of the sins of nearly eighty years, and I stand tonight a witness +of the redeeming grace and love of Christ my Saviour. Oh, how can I +praise him enough? Here I stand right at the threshold of death with a +long and wasted life behind me and an eternity of bliss before me. What +but the mercy of an infinite God could bring about this wonderful +change?" + +"Spooky" Crane said in his testimony that of all the churches he had +ever belonged to this one was the best. Aunt Sally Perkins shouted. + +Evangelist Blank was just ready to close the meeting when he was +interrupted by Preacher Bonds. Bonds' face was red with rage and his +eyes gleaming with anger when he burst forth in this unceremonious +manner; "I thank God for a sensible and reasonable religion. I have been +a Christian for thirty years and a minister for twenty years and I have +never experienced any of this wonderful joy that these people speak of. +This sanctified holiness doctrine is the most damnable doctrine that +ever struck this country, or any other country. I knew a group of these +holiness people back in Kentucky where I came from. They said they could +not sin and that they were just as good as Jesus Christ himself. They +were given to all sorts of fanatical projects. They claimed to have +great faith and went so far as to say they were healed, as some of these +people have said tonight. One of them even said that by faith he had +caused an iron wedge to float on the water. Talk about living free from +sin. There never could be a more crooked doctrine preached. The Bible +plainly says, 'There is none good, no not one.' It also says that 'If a +man liveth and saith he sinneth not, he is a liar and the truth is not +in him.' I believe the Bible. When I was in college old Professor +Thorndike used to give us an occasional lecture on the Hellish Heresy of +Holiness. He knew all about the doctrine and the harm it is doing these +days. I am bold to say right here that God has called me and raised me +up to fight holiness, and I have dedicated my life to this cause. I aim +to use every means, fair and foul, to stamp this doctrine out of this +community (Deacon Gramps, "Amen."). I want to warn Preacher Blank and +every one of his dupes right here that if he continues to preach in this +community he does so at his own peril. You people have no right, legal +or moral, to come here and disturb the peace and tranquility of Mount +Olivet church, a church that has stood standpat for nearly half a +century in defence of the truth. I here and now call upon every loyal +member to come to the defence of the faith of your fathers. Those who +will pledge their united support to the cause of stamping out holiness +rise to your feet." + +At this a score and a half of rustic mountaineers boldly stood up. "Let +those who have made this solemn pledge meet me at the back door of the +arbor," said Bonds as he sat down. + + + + +CHAPTER 10 + + +During the time that Bonds was on the floor, Evangelist Blank leaned +against the pulpit with his face in his hands as if in prayer. When +Bonds sat down the Evangelist calmly faced the audience. Just at this +time he seemed to possess the meekness of a lamb and the boldness of a +lion. He seemed perfectly composed, as he remarked, "Well, brethren and +friends, I am indeed sorry to see this splendid testimony meeting end in +this way. I am sorry the ministerial brother feels as he does toward the +truth we have preached, and I hope after prayer and reflection he will +see his way clear not to hinder the progress of the meeting. However, if +God sees fit to allow the hand of persecution to fall upon us, we bow +submissively to his will. But we will not, we dare not compromise God's +truth. We will preach the Bible regardless of consequences." With these +remarks Evangelist Blank closed the service. + +After the service was closed everything seemed to be as usual except for +a few whisperings around in regard to what Preacher Bonds had said. As +was usually the case at the close of such meetings, the saints gathered +in little groups about the front end of the arbor and talked freely of +their common faith and love. Mothers began to arouse sleepy-eyed +children from their dreams and break to them the sad news that they were +not at home in bed. Bushy-headed, bearded farmers and woodsmen began +ramming their grimy hands into the hip pockets of their "blue drillin' +overhauls," in which sequestered quarters were prone to hide their "long +twist" and homemade cob pipes. After injecting an ample amount of "long +twist" into the cob pipe's empty stomach and lighting a match thereto +and sending a few initiatory puffs into the air, these mountaineers made +off in the darkness toward their homes in different directions. Some +went in groups, some by twos, some singly. Seen from a distance in the +blackness of the night these companies resembled a regiment of +glow-worms in a potato patch. From over the flint hills in the distance +came the familiar rattle and rumble of old-fashioned lumber wagons whose +occupants had come far to hear the much-discussed preacher from "over +east." Now and then the night air was pierced by hideous yells and +whistles from roguish boys dashing along on horseback, whose popularity +depended on the amount of noise they made. + +Is the offense of the cross ceased? Nay, verily; they that "live godly +in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution." So say the Scriptures, and so +thought Evangelist Blank as he lay down to rest that night after he had +closed the testimony-meeting. Evangelist Blank slept in a tent, which +had been pitched near the brush arbor. Several such tents had been +pitched by Jake Benton and other neighbors, who, finding it ill +convenient to go to and from the meeting each night, had decided to run +it somewhat on the camp-meeting plan. + +On the particular night of which we have been speaking, Evangelist Blank +from some cause unknown to him was awakened shortly after midnight. Not +being able to resume sleep, he thought to improve even the midnight time +by musing on the goodness of God. As he lay thus gazing through the thin +canvas of his tent at the moon, which was now a two hour's journey in +the sky, he was startled by the sight of a man's shadow on the side of +the tent. He lay still and listened. Soon he heard low muttering voices +a few rods from his tent. Still he listened. They drew nearer and +nearer. Finally the mutterings became whisperings. Still he listened, +and prayed. They came nearer. Soon several shadows were cast on the +canvas. He saw the winding shadow of a rope as it dangled from the arms +of one of the men. Still he listened. Still they whispered. + +"No difference about Benton, we want the preacher," he heard one say. + +"Are you sure this is his tent?" whispered another. + +"Yes, I saw him sitting in this tent's door reading this afternoon," +whispered a third. + +"We must get the rope on him and make away with him before the camp is +aroused," someone said. + +"What shall I do?" thought the pious man. "Does it mean that I must +suffer death at the hands of this mob, simply because I have preached +the truth? Will they hang me? Will they choke me? Will they stone me? +Will they drag me over these awful rocks until life is dashed out? What +meant the gleam in Bonds' eyes last night in the service? What will +become of my dear wife and boy in Ohio? Will I recant? Will I deny my +Lord? Will I shun to declare the whole counsel of God?" All these +questions and many others flashed across the Evangelist's mind like +angry streaks of lightning across a black cloud. + +Through the thin canvas he saw in the moonlight half a dozen husky men +seize hold of one end of a rope, the other end of which was arranged in +a slip-loop. + +"Now when I get the rope on him, make for the hills," said one man as he +began to untie the strings that held the door of the tent. Just at this +instant Evangelist Blank slipped under the edge of the tent on the +opposite side from where the men were planning their diabolical feat, +and under the edge of Jake Benton's tent, which stood just about two +feet from his own. With a quickness of mind that was almost miraculous, +he donned a dress and shawl and bonnet belonging to Sister Benton, and +stole out of the tent and across the ground toward the arbor in full +view of the enraged men as they came out of the tent that he had just +vacated. + +The men were as much astonished as enraged at not finding their prey. +They ransacked Jake Benton's tent and demanded that he reveal the +whereabouts of the preacher. Jake flatly refused. Except for his +trembling, he stood like a stone wall and faced that score of masked +men, thirsty for righteous blood. Really they appeared as so many +thoroughbred devils right from the pit. They were masked in a way, not +only to conceal their identity, but in a way to make them appear as +hideous as possible. The leader of the mob shouted, "Jake Benton, you +sanctified hypocrite, if you don't tell us where that preacher is we'll +hang your carcass up for the crows to pick." + +"Maybe you will, but I'll hang there, before I'll tell," shouted poor +Jake in a trembling voice. + +"Who was that ole lady left your tent and went across the ground a while +ago with a bonnet on?" shouted one of the mob. + +"I never saw an ole lady going across the ground," replied Jake. (In +this he was telling the truth, you know.) + +"Hang him up to a tree boys, hang him up, if he won't tell," shouted one +of the gang. "Bring the rope," shouted another as he took hold of +Benton's arms. + +Just at this juncture the leader of the mob suggested to Jake that if he +and his comrades would break up camp and leave the ground immediately, +they would not hang him, but would continue their search for the +Evangelist. To this Jake and the whole party of campers readily agreed. +In the light of the moon, the whole ground of campers, consisting of +more than a dozen families, hitched their teams to their wagons and made +their way over the hills homeward. Before any wagon was allowed to leave +the ground, it was carefully searched by the mob to ascertain whether or +not Evangelist Blank were there. He could not be found. + +When old Brother Bunk and his family arrived at their home, which was +two miles from the campground. Sister Bunk and the Bunk children were +afraid to go into the house until Brother Bunk should unharness the team +and go with them. When the Bunk family came to the yard, they were +astonished to see in the moonlight somebody sitting under the old silver +poplar-tree. They were scared to say the least. Sister Bunk and the Bunk +children hovered closer and closer to Brother Bunk, while fear increased +as the distance to the poplar-tree decreased. Imagine their surprise and +relief when the person under the tree shouted, "Praise God, Brother +Bunk, many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivereth +them out of them all." It was Evangelist Blank. He explained to them +that he had walked the whole two miles from the camp through the woods, +guided by the sound of the wagon, thus avoiding the possibility of being +apprehended by the mob in case they should attack the wagon. He had +arrived at the Bunk farm about the same time as the wagon had, but not +having the inconvenience of a team to attend to, had sat down under the +tree to rest. + +The mob naturally supposed that Evangelist Blank would somehow make his +way from the campground to Jake Benton's. Benton and his family arrived +home from the camp about three o'clock in the morning. They had been +there only half an hour when they were aroused by the shout of the mob, +who demanded that the preacher should be yielded up to them. Not until +they had thoroughly searched Benton's home would they believe Jake's +contention that Evangelist Blank was not on the premises. Finally, when +they were convinced that Benton could not or would not tell them where +the preacher was they withdrew to a clump of woods a short distance from +Benton's home and, the morning air being chilly, built a fire. + +It was here that their identity became known. As they chatted around the +fire they removed the masks from their faces. Of course, Jake Benton was +curious to know who they were, and when he saw their fire in the woods +he resolved to find out, even at the expense of much trembling. He +thought he had recognized some of them by their voices when they talked +to him at the camp, but now he determined to make sure. He crawled on +his hands and knees for nearly a quarter of a mile along an old rail +fence until he came within a distance of twenty rods from where the men +were gathered, Indian fashion, around the fire. He was not at all +surprised when he saw in the group the familiar face of Deacon Cramps +and Reverend Bonds. And he observed from certain parts of their masks +which they still had on that these two men were the fellows who took the +leading part in the affair at the camp. Jake recognized that the group +was made up mostly of men who were prominent members of Mount Olivet +church. A few non-church-members and young men of the baser sort were +also in the group. Benton watched them until nearly daybreak, when they +disbanded and started for home. Jake lay quietly in his clump of +buck-brush until he was sure that they were at a safe distance, then he +crawled out and went home, informed much and scared more. + +Shortly after sunrise, old Brother Bunk came over to tell Benton that +Evangelist Blank was at his house safe, and happy in the Lord. This news +greatly relieved Benton and his good wife, for they had not seen the +Evangelist since he left their tent during the night, and they did not +know just how he was faring. Evangelist Blank had suggested that it be +announced that as this was Sunday there would be services held that day +at Old Brother Bunk's. This idea pleased Benton, and he joined Brother +Bunk in scattering the news among the saints. Accordingly at eleven +o'clock the saints gathered at the Bunk home, where a blessed meeting +was held. Great power and victory prevailed. The awful persecution had +driven the saints to their knees in prayer. The very atmosphere round +about seemed to be charged with the Holy Spirit's power. Evangelist +Blank started to preach, but found it impossible. The saints shouted him +down. A number of sinners who were present melted under the influence of +the Holy Spirit and yielded their hearts to God. "Great grace was upon +them all." + +That night the meeting at the arbor was resumed, and it continued for +two weeks with greater victory and power than before the molestation. +The mob never bothered again, and the reason was this: A dozen or more +men in the community who were sinners, and professed to be sinners, but +who believed that men should be allowed to serve God according to the +dictates of their own consciences, simply made it plain that the first +fellows masked or unmasked who should disturb the meeting would be dealt +with in a most uncomplimentary manner. The mob saw the situation in its +true light and decided that for their own safety they would stay away. + +When the meeting finally ran its natural course and came to a close, +Evangelist Blank bade the band of saints a loving and tearful farewell +and betook himself to other fields to suffer and rejoice in the great +work with which God had entrusted him. + + + + +CHAPTER XI + + +Five years had flitted by since Jake Benton was converted down in the +hills. The battle between holiness and sin-you-must religion had waxed +hotter and hotter. Masked mobs had scoured the country at different +times, threatening the very lives of enemies. The sin-you-must group had +decreased in number, but had increased in wickedness. It could +truthfully be said that every member of Mount Olivet church was at this +time a positive force for evil. The membership had dwindled to +one-fourth its former size. Somebody is responsible for the statement +that the blackest deeds known to the world have been done in the name of +religion, love, and liberty. Mount Olivet Church did her blackest deeds +in the name of religion. She was determined to crush her adversaries, +and she was not particular as to the means she used. Every member who +had even the tiniest spark of God's love in his heart had either cast +his lot with the holiness movement or given up his religious profession +altogether. Preacher Bonds had grown more and more zealous in his fight +against holiness. + +Deacon Gramps had preached his doctrine everywhere, in his home as well +as in the church, and he had already seen its fruits manifested right in +his home. One of his sons who had now become of age had built a sort of +philosophy of life on his father's teaching. He had reasoned something +like this: "Since Father sins, and Mother sins, and the preacher sins, +and everybody else sins, and nobody can keep from sinning, then it +follows that one is not responsible for the sins he commits whether they +be large or small, few or many. Then why not have a good time in this +life? Why not go the full length into sinful pleasure?" And go the full +length he did. He had become involved in one criminal scrape after +another, and he would have landed in the penitentiary before this time +had it not been for Deacon Cramps' financial backing. And by this time +it had come to be common knowledge in the community that the son's +profligacy was almost certain to involve the Deacon in financial ruin. +It was a fact much discussed in inner business circles at Dobbinsville +that Mr. Gramps' farm was heavily mortgaged, and that unless some crook +or turn unforeseen favored him he would soon face bankruptcy. He had +been unable to pay the interest on the notes he had been obliged to +obtain in order to keep his son from going where he really belonged. + +As for Jake Benton, during these five years since his conversion, his +poverty had stuck closer to him than a brother; but thanks be to his +persecutions, he had grown immensely rich in spiritual resources. He had +become a mighty man in prayer. The sick were healed in answer to his +prayer of simple faith. And it seemed only a natural thing for him to +pray for his enemies. And as for love, Jake loved everybody and +everybody had found it out. If anybody in the community wanted a favor +done them, all that was necessary was to mistreat Benton and he would do +them a favor. He had also developed into quite a preacher. Ever since +the meeting closed in the brush arbor he regularly gathered the saints +together on Sunday in the school house, and encouraged them in the +things of the Lord. His life was simply exemplary, and even his +bitterest enemies were compelled to acknowledge that God was with him. + +One Sunday morning when Preacher Bonds stood before his meager audience, +the familiar face of Deacon Gramps was absent. His unusual absence from +the Church was very noticeable, and Preacher Bonds suggested in the +introductory remarks of his sermon that unquestionably Brother Gramps +was sick, and that it would be an act of brotherly kindness if when the +service was over a number of the members would call at the Gramps' home +and see the sick brother. + +When Preacher Bonds had finished his sermon, a song had been sung, and +the benediction had been invoked, a dozen or more of the members with +Bonds in the lead started for the Gramps' home, which, as will be +remembered, was plainly visible from the church. + +"I believe," said Bonds, "that Brother Gramps' barn is on fire." At this +the whole group began to rush toward the beautiful red barn that stood a +quarter of a mile away. By the time they reached the spot, black clouds +of smoke and angry flames were shooting from doors and cracks in the +barn. Mrs. Gramps and the three children who were still at home were in +the barnyard wringing their hands and crying in a heart-rending manner. +It was plainly to be seen that the visitors could do nothing to save the +barn, and all that remained to do was to stand and watch the flames +devour the building. + +"Where is Brother Gramps?" said Preacher Bonds to Mrs. Gramps. + +"Wasn't he at church? No? Well, I don't know where he can be. He left +the house just at church-time and I hadn't noticed but what he was in +the crowd that came from the church," she replied. + +Preacher Bonds looked serious as he said, "He could not have been in the +barn, I suppose." + +"Oh, certainly not. I suppose he must be at some of the neighbors', +perhaps Deacon Brown's--was Deacon Brown at church?" "No, Deacon Brown +was not at church," replied Bonds. "Possibly he remained at home and +Brother Gramps went to see him on some business pertaining to the +church. But I don't understand why they did not meet at the church to +transact their business. Brother Jones, will you run over to Deacon +Brown's and tell Brother Gramps about his awful accident?" + +"Certainly," responded Jones, who stood near the barnyard gate talking +with Gramps' hired hand, from whom he was endeavoring to learn the +details as to how the fire started. + +"Try to tell him," remarked Bonds, "in a way that will not be too much +of a shock to him." + +Jones mounted a horse and hurried off to Deacon Brown's and was soon +back with the news that Gramps had not been seen at Brown's, and that +Brown was sick in bed, which fact accounted for his being absent from +the service that morning. + +When it was learned that Gramps was not at Deacon Brown's, considerable +anxiety began to be manifested on the part of neighbors. Some suggested +that it was possible that Gramps could have been in the barn when it +burned. Of course, care was exercised that such remarks should not reach +the ears of Mrs. Gramps. Messages were sent to all the neighbors in +search of Gramps. Someone had the idea that possibly he had gone to +Dobbinsville or Ridgetown, but searchers sent to these places reported +that he had not been seen at either place for several days. Preacher +Bonds consoled Mrs. Gramps with the suggestion that doubtless he would +show up before night. However, when night came with no signs of Deacon +Gramps the whole community took an attitude of real alarm as to the +likelihood that he had been burned to death. It was announced that there +would be no meeting services at Mount Olivet Church, and Jake Benton +dismissed his services and joined heartily in the search for the Deacon, +who had dealt him so many grievous blows while Mrs. Benton did +everything in her power to console Mrs. Gramps. + +The search continued all through the night with no results. By early +Monday morning there was general excitement for miles around. Scores of +people came that morning from Dobbinsville and Ridgetown, and gazed on +the mysterious scene of the former beautiful barn, now an ash heap. +Officers came down from the county-seat and joined in the search for the +lost Deacon. About the middle of the afternoon on Monday it was decided +that the ash-heap should be searched for any evidence that the man had +burned with the barn This search had not gone far when the county +sheriff found in the ashes the steel back-springs and blades of a +pocket-knife. Near by were found some pieces of enamel resembling a +man's teeth. Next was found a small melted mass of something which +seemed to have been a suspender buckle. Preacher Bonds picked up three +pieces of silver which proved to have been so many silver dollars. +Several pieces of bones were found, but these were so nearly charred to +dust that it was impossible to determine whether they were bones of a +man or bones of some of the many animals that perished with the +building. However, all these articles mentioned were found within a very +close proximity to each other, and in the minds of most people present +there was now no doubt as to the fate of Deacon Gramps. On Monday night +the coroner rendered a verdict that the Deacon met his death by being +accidentally burned to death. Mrs. Gramps swooned away and had to have +the attention of old Doctor Greenwich from Dobbinsville. In the event of +the illness of Mrs. Gramps, it devolved upon Preacher Bonds to make +full arrangements for the funeral, in which affair Jake Benton and his +good wife showed every disposition to help where help was possible. + +Preacher Bonds went to Dobbinsville and sent a telegram to each of the +Deacon's five sons, two of whom lived in St. Louis, and three in +Chicago. He also sent a telegram to a minister in St. Louis to come to +preach the funeral, as, he said, he did not feel that he could officiate +at the funeral of such a worthy brother as the departed. This St. Louis +preacher had been a college chum of Preacher Bonds, and was full of the +Mount Olivet persuasion. + +Those were in the days before undertakers and other such modern +conveniences had been introduced into that country. Jake Benton, good +soul, went to Dobbinsville after the coffin and hauled it back in the +same old lumber wagon he had hauled Evangelist Blank in five years +before. + +The funeral was arranged for Wednesday afternoon at two o'clock. A +handful of ashes, together with the pocket-knife and other articles +found in the ash-heap, was taken and wrapped in a napkin and placed in +the big new coffin. + +On Wednesday afternoon, when two o'clock arrived, the two front rooms of +the Gramps farmhouse were crammed full of people. The yard was full, +too. The St. Louis preacher began and spoke thus: "My friends and +brethren, we have met on this sad occasion to pay our last respects to +the honored dead. Within the narrow confines of this casket lie the +earthly remains of a man whose spirit yet lives. It was not my happy +privilege to know this excellent man, but I am informed by his pastor, +Preacher Bonds here, of his manifold excellencies. When a great man +dies, the people mourn. I am informed that our departed brother was a +great man. First, he was a great man in business. When I behold this +beautiful well-kept farm, I see its wide, extending fields, its running +brooks, its whitewashed fences, its excellent buildings, in the burning +of one of which our brother met his death--when I behold these things, I +say, I am made to exclaim that God hath blessed him in basket and store. +Yes, a great man in business. + +"Secondly, he was a great man in his home, and by the way, there is +where the true greatness of a man is tested. In the death of our +esteemed brother the home is the loser. It loses a loving husband. It +loses a considerate father and an efficient bread-winner. + +"Thirdly, our brother was a great man in the community. I am told that +he was a public-spirited man. He believed in schools, in good roads, and +in all other things that make for the welfare of a community. In his +death the community is a heavy loser. + +"Fourthly, he was a great man in the church. (Preacher Bonds, "Amen".) I +am told that for upwards of thirty years our brother has been a +consistent member of Mount Olivet Church and a regular attendant at its +service and a heavy contributor to its funds. I understand that he was a +mighty defender of the church's faith. He fought bravely on. He stood +like a rock. He weathered the storm. He finished the course. He +conquered. + +"But, my friends, our finite minds cannot fathom the profound mysteries +of the infinite. We cannot understand. Why would a just God permit such +a noble man to meet such a tragic death? It is not ours to reason why. +We simply bow our hearts to the will of the divine." + +"And now, to the bereaved I would say, Weep not as those who have no +hope. (Mrs. Gramps weeps aloud.) Brother Gramps is just gone on before. +He has crossed over Jordan, where he waits on the sunny banks of sweet +deliverance. Just a few more days and we shall join him. He has gone +where the wicked cease from troubling and the weary be at rest. Let us +pray. Brother Bonds, lead us." + + + + +CHAPTER XII + + +Twelve moons had rolled by since the Gramps funeral. The blue-grass sod +had already grown quite snugly over the year-old mound in the cemetery +back of the white church on the hill. The rose-bush at the head of the +mound had bloomed once and the June breeze had sprinkled its pink petals +over the green carpet. A more or less expensive tombstone stood modestly +at the head of the mound and silently announced to the passer-by what +any tombstone is supposed to announce, namely that somebody sleeps +beneath this mound. During the year many persons had stood with bared +heads and read through tears this inscription: J.D. Gramps, Born April +21, 1856--Died June 13, 18--. "They rest from their labors; and their +works do follow them." + +The Gramps premises began to show signs of decay. The fences were in +need of repair and the hillside portions of the farm had been washed in +gullies by the spring freshets. A large ash-heap surrounded by +jimsonweed and burdock marked the sight of the once beautiful red barn. +The front-yard gate had been torn from its hinges, and it lay upon the +ground. + +It was well known that Widow Gramps had received ten thousand dollars +from an insurance company in New York City, but what she had done with +the amount was only a matter of opinion. Along about this time it became +known in the community that the Widow had leased the farm and was +planning to go to a Western State as she said, for the sake of her +health, which had been declining since the day of the Deacon's funeral. + +One day when Mrs. Gramps was in Dobbinsville making preparations for the +trip West, she called at the People's State Bank and presented a check +drawn on a Western bank and signed by James Duncan. When the cashier had +cashed her check and she had left the bank, he turned to his assistant +and said, "Jim, do you know what Deacon Gramps' name was?" + +"J.D. Gramps," responded the assistant. + +"I know J.D. were his initials," said the cashier, "but what does J.D. +stand for?" + +"Oh, I don't remember," answered the assistant. "I suppose we could +find out by looking up some of his old papers that we still have in the +vault." + +"Look up that old mortgage that Gramps had on the Widow Smith's little +farm," ordered the cashier. + +A ponderous file was pulled from a shelf in the vault and the two men +began to search the musty and dusty old documents of bygone days. At +last they found the mortgage. There they found the Deacon's name written +out in full--James Duncan Gramps. The cashier of the People's State Bank +had a curious twinkle in his eye as he looked at his assistant. "Jim, do +you know, I have a suspicious feeling about this here Gramps +proposition," he remarked. The assistant looked astonished. He had +supposed all this time that the cashier was interested in the Deacon's +full name from some official standpoint. The cashier went on: "Widow +Gramps was just in here a few minutes ago and cashed a check drawn by a +man by the name of James Duncan. I have a suspicion that Deacon Gramps +is still living and that this James Duncan is no other than James Duncan +Gramps, and he is checking out of a Western bank money which Mrs. Gramps +received from the insurance company in New York." + +"Surely that could not be," responded the assistant. "Suppose we compare +the handwriting on the check that you just cashed with the handwriting +on these old papers." After a close comparison of the two specimens of +handwriting, the men decided that their resemblance was not sufficient +to prove anything. + +"At any rate it will do no harm to investigate," remarked the cashier as +he closed the heavy door of the vault. "I shall turn the evidence over +to the insurance company in New York." That evening at sundown when +train Number 29 pulled out from the station at Dobbinsville and sped +eastward, it carried in its mailcoach a letter of much significance +addressed to the president of a large insurance company in New York +City. + +The following week one day when the west-bound noon train stopped at +Dobbinsville, a well-dressed stranger stepped from the platform of the +coach and made inquiry as to the location of a hotel. A lanky-looking +lad who leaned against a pole directed the stranger to the Dobbinsville +Inn, across the street. A person of this man's evident rank and +importance was not a familiar sight in the streets of Dobbinsville. His +mysterious presence set a peaceful town all agog. He became the subject +of much exaggerated conjecture. Every fellow was overly eager to tell +precisely what he did not know; namely, where this stranger came from +and what his business was. Uncle Hezekiah Evans, the sixty-year-old +newsboy who peddled the Post around over the village, said this stranger +was evidently a rich man from the East who had come to buy the whole +town out. "Fatty" Jones, whose chief employment was that of sitting on a +baggage truck at the depot, had the opinion that this stranger was the +son of a St. Louis millionaire who, having much time and money, had come +out to an up-to-date country to spend both. It was the candid opinion of +old "Doc" Greenwich that this stranger had committed a crime somewhere +and was lounging around in this secluded nook to evade the officers of +the law. "Dad" Brunt, the honored proprietor of the Dobbinsville Inn, +had an advantage over his fellows, as the stranger was staying with him. +He was sure that this man was interested in timberlands in the Mount +Olivet neighborhood, as he had known the man to make two trips out here +during his stay at the Inn. + +The stranger spent a week in Dobbinsville, during which time he made +frequent calls at the People's State Bank. When he had gone, the +cashier, to the great relief and surprise of his fellow townsmen, +explained to them that he was an officer of the law whose business was +to investigate the circumstances connected with the burning of Deacon +Gramps' barn. + +Just about one month from this time Uncle Hezekiah Evans did a +flourishing business selling papers. The Post came out with this +startling headline: "DEACON HEARS OWN FUNERAL PREACHED." Great +excitement prevailed. Everybody in Dobbinsville who could read and some +who could not bought a paper from Uncle Hezekiah. He sold all he had, +and wished for more to sell. Not only were the people of Dobbinsville +interested in this remarkable newspaper headline, but in every town and +city that fell within the limits of the Post's rather metropolitan +circulation, people were startled at the unusual thought of a man +hearing his own funeral. The article in the Post read like this: + +The little town of Dobbinsville, snugly tucked away in the peaceful +folds of the far-famed Ozark hills, is coming into its share of +publicity. There has lived for many years in the vicinity of this +village a substantial farmer by the name of Gramps. Until a couple of +days ago Gramps was supposed to have been dead and buried. In fact, a +tombstone in the churchyard near the Gramps homestead plainly states +that Gramps is dead. Though tombstones sometimes say, "They have gone to +rest," the truth is otherwise and Gramps has turned up very much alive. +According to an officer interviewed by a Post correspondent yesterday, +Gramp's story is somewhat on this wise: + +A little over a year ago it became known in the neighborhood of +Dobbinsville that Gramps, who for years had been a well-to-do farmer and +a diligent deacon in a local church, was becoming involved in financial +embarrassment. In order to save himself from bankruptcy, the Deacon, +according to his own confession, resorted to very unusual means. Gramps +carried heavy life insurance. About thirteen months ago he burned his +barn and feigned to have burned with it. While his neighbors were at the +church one Sunday he went into his big barn and after depositing in a +pasteboard box his false teeth, his watch, his pocket-knife, and some +pieces of silver coin, he placed the box in the manger and lighted the +hay in the mow with a match. After making sure that the fire was in good +way, he jumped from a window in the barn and ran, without detection, to +his house and hid himself in the attic. Neighbors, missing Gramps, made +a diligent search for him which resulted only in finding the molten +remains of the pocket knife and other articles in the ash-heap where the +barn was burned. Amid much mourning loving hands gathered ashes from the +tragical spot and tenderly laid them in an expensive casket. The next +day at the funeral in the parlor of the Gramps home, a minister from St. +Louis delivered an empassioned eulogy, extolling the manifold +excellencies of the honored dead (?). Through an open stairway door +Gramps heard the eloquent words of the clergyman and the heart-rending +sobs of his own wife and children. + +After seeing his funeral done up in proper style, Gramps went to +Colorado, where for a year, going under an assumed name, he conducted a +Sunday School and took active part in other religious enterprises. +Through the cooperation of his wife, who remained on the homestead at +Dobbinsville, he came into possession of $10,000 from an insurance +company in New York City. At the end of a year he planned for his wife +to join him in Colorado, where, according to his statement, they were to +begin life anew. But their plans were upset when the Deacon sent his +wife a check signed with his assumed name, which name consisted of the +first two words of his real name. Gramps and his wife are both in jail, +where they await the action of the court and where they have a splendid +opportunity to meditate upon the interesting happenings of the past +year. Whether or not Mrs. Gramps was an accomplice has not yet +developed. + + + + +CHAPTER XIII + + +"Twenty years ago I came to this country. During these twenty years I +have done my utmost to preserve and defend the faith of Mount Olivet +church." The person who spoke was Preacher Bonds. The place where he +spoke was in his own pulpit. The persons to whom he spoke were his +twenty members, who were the fragments of the once thriving and powerful +rural church. Bonds was at his best on this particular Sunday morning in +April, and he had planned to give his hearers a sort of history of the +events during his twenty-years pastorate at Mount Olivet. + +The morning was a most beautiful one. All nature wore a smile. Only +those who have experienced the rare joy of taking a stroll through the +wooded dell in the famous Ozarks on a spring morning can fully +appreciate the scene. Spring had made her long-delayed journey from the +southland and by the strength of her warm and winning ways had forced +grim old winter to a hasty retreat northward, and now exulted in her +unchallenged sway. All the birds on this morning seemed to have come out +to help her in her celebration. A red-bird, perched on the tip-top twig +of the venerable oak which stood near the church, bathing his crimson +feathers in the morning sun, warbled his sweetest notes to his mate in a +hawthorn thicket across the field. Rollicking robins were vying with +each other in their quest of worms in the meadow east of the church. A +gray squirrel chattered in a hickory-tree near by and scattered +particles of bark all around. A red-headed woodpecker sat in the round +door of his cozy house in an old snag and seemed perfectly content in +his utter inability to sing. Frolicsome spring lambs amused themselves +by butting each other off a low stump down in the old Gramps cow +pasture. + +The Church itself showed signs of dilapidation. The belfry on the roof +had been torn away and the old rusty bell, silent for many years, stood +exposed to the ravages of summer and winter. Its only purpose now seemed +to be to afford a shelter for the wasps which from year to year built +their nests in its dome. The brick chimney, which projected from the +roof near the rear of the building, had lost its crowning bricks and +presented a very jagged aspect. For the accommodation of the squirrels +who were accustomed to take up winter quarters in the attic of the +church, the wood-peckers had pecked numerous holes in the paintless +walls. The eaves were daubed with mud carried by the pewees in the +building of their yearly nests. Bats, at their own good pleasure, came +in and out through the paneless windowsashes and found daytime repose on +top of the sagging beam which, just above the windows, spanned the room. + +The physical condition of this Church house formed a fitting counterpart +to the spiritual condition of the people who worshipped (?) there. +Physical, spiritual, and moral spelled the trinity of its decay. + +Preacher Bonds' sermon that morning ran something like this: "Twenty +years ago I came to this country. Well do I remember the first few +months after landing here. Some of the older members will recall the +mighty religious fight that was just beginning in those days between the +holiness heresy and the doctrines of the Bible as believed in by this +church. Those few who are here this morning who have known me and have +been my co-workers throughout these years, I am sure, testify to the +steadfastness with which I have stood by the work. I said when I came +here that God had sent me here to fight the doctrine of holiness. I +still hold to my mission. I have stood four-square against that doctrine +and all its advocates, and I still stand. I have used every means to put +it down. But strange as it seems, this heresy appears to have grown fat +upon our opposition, and the more we have fought the more it has +flourished. Even at this very hour not a mile from here, in the +schoolhouse, there is a group of people five times as large as this +audience worshipping the Lord in what they call the "beauty of +holiness." They have for a preacher, as you know, old man Benton, who +twenty years ago was cast out of this church for teaching crooked +doctrine. He has had no preparation whatever for ministerial work, but +in some way he has been able to keep his bunch together for nearly +twenty years; and now since he is an old man, it seems that they still +persist in following him. + +"In the early days of my pastorate here my strongest supporter and +co-laborer was Deacon Gramps. This name will sound familiar to some of +the older members. Gramps owned the beautiful farm just to the west of +this Church. A good many years ago through some play, fair or foul, +Gramps was charged with a criminal act and was convicted and sent to the +penitentiary, where three years ago he died. His wife went to St. Louis +to live with her son, and departed this life shortly after moving there. +You are all more or less familiar with the Gramps story, so I shall +leave it, as it is not at all a pleasant topic to discuss. + +"It may be of interest to some of you to know just how the doctrine of +holiness ever got started in this community. Well, this old man Benton +whom you all know as the leader of the holiness movement used to be a +member of this church. For many years he lived a consistent Christian +life in this church, so they tell me. About twenty years ago he spent a +whole summer herding cattle down in the hills about thirty miles from +here. While he was down there in the woods all alone with nothing to +occupy his mind, he fell to musing on the death of his little girl who +died a good many years previously to that time and it seems that he +became mentally unbalanced, at least on religious matters. According to +the information given me, he came in contact at this time with a +religious paper teaching strange doctrines, and he embraced these +doctrines and began advocating them with great zeal. As I said before, +he was excommunicated from this church for teaching such doctrines, but +in leaving the church he took a number of our most trusted and tried +members, for instance, the Gray family. Those were the days of great +excitement in this community. It was about this time that I was called +to the pastorate of this church. A few months after my coming Benton and +his bunch got an evangelist from over east, somewhere, to come here, and +he made a mighty stir along heretical lines and many of the best +citizens of our community were drawn into the delusive net. Some of us, +in those days, stood firm in the faith and employed every thinkable +means to stamp out the nefarious cult; and allow me to humbly say that +had it not been for Deacon Gramps and me and a few other faithful ones, +our cause at that time would have been completely lost. + +"But I stand today, my brethren, as I have always stood--unalterably +opposed to the program of the holiness movement. First, I oppose +holiness itself--the doctrine that a man can live free from sin in this +life. How foolish, how utterly ridiculous, the idea. We all sin. Our +fathers sinned, we sin, and our posterity will sin. Do you see that +streak of sunshine that comes in at the window and falls upon the floor? +See in the sunlighted atmosphere a million dust particles. Let the air +represent our lives and let the dust particles represent our sins, and +you will have an idea as to how many sins we commit. Away with the +holiness doctrine. + +"Secondly, I stand opposed to the doctrine of divine healing as taught +by Benton's outfit. The days of miracles are past. They ceased with the +apostles. Jesus Christ has no more power to heal me of sickness today +than has the horse which I rode to church this morning. In these days of +great learning, when men are able to cure diseases by medicine and +surgery, there is no need of divine healing, and every man who claims to +be healed by divine power makes himself an ignoramus and a liar. Away +with this doctrine. + +"Thirdly, I stand opposed to the doctrine of oneness, or unity, as +taught by Benton and his disciples. They lay great stress on this +doctrine. They say there is but one church and that when a man is +converted he becomes a member of this one church. Brethren, I do not +believe this new doctrine. I still hold to the faith of our fathers. I +believe that according to the Scriptures we become members of the church +by water baptism and by no other method. + +"Brethren, let us stand by the faith of those who have gone before. We +may be few in number, but let us be unmoveable. Let us refresh our faith +with thoughts of those whose lives have left sacred spots on the field +of memory. Let us think on such men as Preacher Crookshank and Deacon +Gramps, who were noted for their courage in defending the faith. + +"As the noon hour is drawing near, I must bring my sermon to a close. +Tonight at seven-thirty I shall preach on a favorite subject of +mine--the Hellish Heresy of Holiness. But, in conclusion, let me say +that I still feel heavily the burden of fighting old man Benton and his +group. I am growing somewhat gray, but I'm still in the fight. I aim to +push the battle. I believe that in defending his faith a man is +justifiable in using almost any means imaginable. Let us pray: Lord, we +thank thee for this hour in which we have defended thy cause. Lord, +bless this church and curse those who seek its harm. Smite any person or +persons in this community who seek to propagate false religion. And now +may the grace of Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of +the Holy Ghost rest and abide with us now and forever, amen." + +So closed a service a picture of which today still hangs on the walls of +the memory of those present. + +How hidden is the path of one's future. When Preacher Bonds mounted his +sorrel horse at the church that noon-day, just as he had done for many, +many years, little did he think that the same sun which afforded him a +chance to illustrate in his morning sermon the multiplicity of his own +sins would, before setting that day, shine upon his lifeless form. + +It so happened that day that Preacher Bonds invited one of his brethren +home with him to dinner. As he and this member, who was a pillar in the +church, rode along the country road to Bonds' home, Bonds gave the +member a full outline of his intended sermon on the Hellish Heresy of +Holiness. When the two men had reached the barn of the Bonds' premises +and had fed their horses they started for the house. They were just +passing in at the yard gate when Preacher Bonds staggered and fell to +the ground. He was carried into his house and placed on a cot, and a +doctor was called; but within a half-hour from the time he fell at the +gate his breath ceased and he began his eternity. The doctor pronounced +his death due to heart trouble. There was no sermon at the church that +night on the Hellish Heresy of Holiness. The following day Bonds' +remains were started on the journey to Kentucky, where burial took place +at the old boyhood home. + +With the passing of Bonds the last candlestick was removed from Mount +Olivet church. Bonds' sermon was the last one of the sin-you-must type +preached there. The church was entirely disbanded and the dilapidated +building finally fell into the hands of those who came after Jake +Benton. In recent years the old church has been torn away and replaced +by a beautiful white building surpassing even the former beauty of the +old one. Over its door were written these words: The Church of God--the +Pillar and Ground of the Truth. Over the pulpit this motto hangs: +"Behold how good and how pleasant for brethren to dwell together in +unity." To the left on the wall are these words: "Who forgiveth all our +iniquities and healeth all our diseases." + + + + +CHAPTER XIV + + +Harry Benton was a successful business man, there was no question about +that. He was not known in the commercial world as a "big" man, and he +could not write out a check for a million dollars and give it to some +charitable institution as some of the multi-millionaires can do, but he +was regarded by all who knew him as a successful business man. He had a +business in Chicago that was thriving if not colossal. From the income +from this business he was able to own and maintain a beautiful and +comfortable home in one of the residential districts of the great city. +It was his pleasure and privilege to give each year a few thousand +dollars to the cause of the gospel of Jesus Christ. + +Harry was the second son of Jake Benton, the backwoods holiness preacher +of the Ozarks. At the age of twenty-one he had become the husband of Eva +Gray, who was two years younger than he. This union had been a blessed +happy one. If all of Chicago's homes were like that of Harry Benton, it +might well be nicknamed the Paradise of America. Thrice the angel of +blessings had visited this home, decorating it each time with one of +heaven's jewels in the form of a baby. Nolan Benton, the twelve-year-old +boy, had the name of his Grandfather Gray, and he also had all the +religious indications of his Grandfather Benton. Blanche was two years +younger than Nolan. She fell heir to the blue eyes, the ruddy cheeks, +the flaxen hair of her mother. Little Jake, the baby, was five years +old. He inherited his Grandfather Benton's name and his Grandfather +Gray's red hair. + +One Sunday morning when this happy family gathered around the breakfast +table, Harry Benton's appetite was absent. He could not eat. He +steadfastly gazed through the east window of the beautiful dining room +into the park which spread itself over several acres of ground just +across the street from his home. + +"Harry, dear, why do you not eat?" remarked his wife. Harry Benton +smiled, but as he did so a tear glistened on his cheek. + +"For some reason," he answered, "I awoke an hour before day this morning +and memory insisted on taking me on a journey over the past and +carrying me on a ramble through the scenes of my childhood, and as I sit +here the sight of those trees in the park remind me of old Ozark's grand +forests. I like to think of those old scenes, and by the way, wife, come +to think about it, it is three years this month since we were down home +on a visit. It doesn't seem possible that it is so long. We get so +absorbed with our business here in this big wicked city that the years +flit by like dreams and we do not realize how long we have been away. I +should like to take a stroll this morning along the old creek where we +boys used to swim. I'd like to visit the old schoolhouse in the walnut +grove where we used to spend so many idle hours. Three years ago when we +were down there I visited that old schoolhouse. It looked just about +like it did twenty-five or thirty years ago, when you and I were there. +I sat on the old limestone rock beneath the old locust-tree where we +used to play dare base. The old play ground is just the same. There was +the ballground where we used to play 'town ball.' The same old stone was +there that we used for second base." + +As Harry Benton thus spoke his wife and children listened intently, and +when the meal was finished and the Bible was brought for the morning +worship, the whole family was in a serious frame of mind. Benton went on +to say, "And when we talk of home scenes, I always think of father and +his godly influence upon my life. As I look across the years, I see +myself an ignorant awkward country boy; but there is one thing for which +I shall always thank my God, and that is that I was blessed with a +Christian father. Throughout the years his saintly life has been a +benediction to me. The most sacred picture that hangs on the wall of my +memory is that of my father with the big family Bible on his lap and all +the children gathered around him and Mother for the worship of his God. +Well do I remember when he used to pray for us, naming us out one by one +and asking God to make us useful men and women. And oh, how he used to +be persecuted by the Mount Olivet people. Well do I remember how one +morning when Father was on his way to milk your father's cows he was met +by Deacon Gramps, who beat him so shamefully. That night in family +worship Father prayed so fervently and asked God to forgive Gramps and +save him from his wicked ways. The impressions I received during those +stirring days never will leave me. I tell you, Eva, it meant something +for Father to stand true as he did, and I think heaven will be +especially sweet to those who have suffered as he has suffered." + +When he had left off speaking and the family knelt in prayer, Harry +Benton's voice trembled with emotion as he prayed for all those back +home whom he remembered, and especially for his father. + +When the morning chores were done and Harry Benton started to the Full +Salvation Mission, which mission he had superintended and supported for +a number of years, he was met on his front porch by a Western Union +messenger boy, who took from beneath his blue cap a slip of yellow paper +and handed it to him. This is how it read: "Come, Father very low." + +Benton telephoned one of his brethren to take charge of the Mission, and +after earnestly beseeching the Lord to spare his father until his +bedside could be reached, he and his wife made hasty arrangements to +start, and were soon speeding across the fertile fields of Illinois. +They crossed the mighty Mississippi, changed trains in St. Louis' big +Union Depot, and after a few hours' ride their train was gliding past +old familiar scenes of bygone days. + +"Dobbinsville, Dobbinsville," shouted the porter as he thrust his face +in at the door of the coach. Three short jerks at the signal +cord--swish, swish, swish--back from the engine--t-oot-oot-oot--a sudden +let-up in speed, a screech of the airbrakes, a bang of the door, and the +Texas Canon-Ball made one of its seldom stops at Dobbinsville and Harry +Benton and his family stepped to the platform. + +A thirty-minute ride through the country in a neighbor's automobile and +once more in life Harry Benton stepped foot upon the premises of his +childhood. His prayer had been answered. His father seemed to be dying +during the night, but with the coming of morning he revived and regained +consciousness. When Harry and Eva entered the room where his father lay, +the old saint seemed as happy as a child and much rejoiced at seeing +Harry and Eva and their babies, who were the last of a great flock of +sons and sons-in-law and daughters and daughters-in-law and +grandchildren and great-grandchildren to arrive. + +"Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints." Since +Jake Benton's conversion, more than a quarter of a century previously to +this time, his life had been one continuous sermon--a sermon more +eloquent than any ever preached from a pulpit. But if the sermon of his +life was eloquent, that of his death was more so. According to his +simple philosophy, life was just a sort of lodging-place beside the long +road to eternity, and death, to him, was not a leaving home, but rather +a starting for home. + +When he gathered his loved ones about his bedside on the day following +the arrival of Harry and his family, to say goodbye, it was not the +goodbye of one who was entering upon a dark and perilous journey to +parts unknown, but that of one sustained by an unfailing faith that he +was entering upon an abode in the eternal mansion, where he should wait +but a brief period for the coming of those he loved. + +Just as the purple shadows of the October evening were lengthening, the +end was drawing near. The hoary patriarch called his children all by +name--Harry and Eva, Joe and his wife, Albert and his wife, Nancy and +her husband, Hannah and her husband, and Hattie, the unmarried daughter +yet at home--and they all gathered in the room where death was to be a +guest. The grandchildren, happy and care-free, unconscious of what life +is and of what death means, were called in from their places of play, +and told that Grandpa was leaving them. The little tots, bless them, +came in and stood around the old-fashioned bedstead all unmindful of the +significance of a meeting of time and eternity. They gathered around and +gazed into the old saint's face, where death and life alternately wrote +their names. As they passed around one by one by the head of the bed, +the old man laid his withered hands upon each little head and pronounced +his blessing. Then he began to talk. + +"If this is death," he said, "it is a blessed thing to die. The way has +been long and the road rough, at times, but now it is all over. I have +suffered a few things for Jesus' sake, but how unworthy I have been of +all the love He has shown me. I have only one dying request to make of +my loved ones, and it is the same as my living request has been, that +you all live for God and meet me over there. Oh, I am so happy. How I +love Jesus, and on His bosom I shall rest forever." His voice grew +fainter. "Just one more step and I am there." The loved ones hovered +nearer. A soft white hand was laid upon his brow. It was the hand of +Hattie. Subdued sobs were heard about the room. "Don't weep, dear +children," he faintly murmured: "I am just passing into--I see the +darling's hands--no pale cheeks--how sweet--about my neck--this +Rose--Rose's Savior Papa's Savior too. Let's go--." He was dead--and +blessed are the dead which die in the Lord. + +THE END. + + + + + + + +End of Project Gutenberg's The Deacon of Dobbinsville, by John A. 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