ergyman's voice
had a note of sharpness. "What has the missionary meeting to do with
my cow?"

"Considerable, parson, considerable. When I went home from that
meetin', sez I to my wife, 'Betsey, I have learned a new wrinkle
to-night, which may be of much use to us.' She asked me what I meant,
so I up and told her what the missionary had said about givin' and
receivin'. He laid it down very plain that unless a man gave to the
Lord's work, he couldn't expect to prosper. Now, didn't he?"

"That's what he said," and the clergyman nodded his assent.

"Well, then, sez I to Betsey, 'Betsey, we've never prospered, because
we've never given anything.'

"'But what have we to give?' sez she.

"'Nothin' much,' sez I, 'except our old cow Bess.'

"'Oh, we can't give her,' sez she. 'We'll have no milk if we do.'

"'But we'll get more in return,' sez I. 'The missionary said so, and I
want to prove his words.' Well, the long and short of it is, that I
took Bess early the next mornin' and turned her into your pasture afore
you were up. Betsey was lookin' pretty glum when I got back home, but
I told her to cheer up, fer the Lord would prosper us as we had given
Him our cow."

"Captain Josh Britt!" the parson exclaimed. "I am astonished at you!
How could you think of doing such a thing?"

"Why, what's wrong with that?" and the captain tried to look surprised.
"Isn't it scriptural? I thought by givin' Bess to you, I was givin'
her to the Church, and in that way she could be used fer the Lord's
work."

"Oh, I see," and the clergyman stroked his chin in a thoughtful manner.

"Yes, and I tell ye it succeeded like a charm," the captain continued.
"I gave up Bess, and, lo and behold, she came back last sight bringin'
another cow with her."

"My cow, eh?" the parson queried.

"Sure. But didn't it prove the missionary's words to be true: 'Give,
and ye'll receive more in return?' We gave up our only cow and now we
have two."

Parson Dan made no immediate reply, for he was too deeply grieved to
speak. His faint hope that a change had come over Captain Josh was now
dispelled. For years he had mocked at church-going, and all things
connected with religion. And so this was but another of his many
tricks. But he must not let this scoffer off without a word of rebuke.

"Captain Josh," and the parson's voice was stern, "when you put your
cow into my pasture you knew that she would come back, didn't you?"

"Why, what m