crept close to
him and put her arms around his neck. He threw out his arms with a
convulsive gesture and gathered her up to his breast, and the tears
gushed from his eyes.

When the first storm of weeping had passed Viney rose and went to the
fireplace. She raked forward the coals.

"Ben," she said, "hit's been dese pleggoned free papahs. I want you to
see em bu'n."

"No, no!" he said. But the papers were already curling, and in a
moment they were in a blaze.

"Thaih," she said, "thaih, now, Viney Raymond!"

Ben gave a great gasp, then sprang forward and took her in his arms
and kicked the packed chest into the corner.

And that night singing was heard from Ben's cabin and the sound of the
banjo.

THE FRUITFUL SLEEPING OF THE REV. ELISHA EDWARDS

There was great commotion in Zion Church, a body of Christian
worshippers, usually noted for their harmony. But for the last six
months, trouble had been brewing between the congregation and the
pastor. The Rev. Elisha Edwards had come to them two years before, and
he had given good satisfaction as to preaching and pastoral work. Only
one thing had displeased his congregation in him, and that was his
tendency to moments of meditative abstraction in the pulpit. However
much fire he might have displayed before a brother minister arose to
speak, and however much he might display in the exhortation after the
brother was done with the labors of hurling phillipics against the
devil, he sat between in the same way, with head bowed and eyes
closed.

There were some who held that it was a sign in him of deep
thoughtfulness, and that he was using these moments for silent prayer
and meditation. But others, less generous, said that he was either
jealous of or indifferent to other speakers. So the discussion rolled
on about the Rev. Elisha, but it did not reach him and he went
on in the same way until one hapless day, one tragic, one
never-to-be-forgotten day. While Uncle Isham Dyer was exhorting the
people to repent of their sins, the disclosure came. The old man had
arisen on the wings of his eloquence and was painting hell for the
sinners in the most terrible colors, when to the utter surprise of the
whole congregation, a loud and penetrating snore broke from the throat
of the pastor of the church. It rumbled down the silence and startled
the congregation into sudden and indignant life like the surprising
cannon of an invading host. Horror-stricken eyes looked into e