cused of having backed out. of his agree
ment. "No, he didn't", said his companion.
"We went to every hat store in town but
we couldn't find a Fiske and Brooks hat
that would fit him."
"I knew I was safe in making the prom
ise," retorted father. "They don't make 'cm
in men's sizes."
I have mentioned his readiness to resent
any insult calculated to reflect upon his be
ing a minister. Nearly forty years ago,
when I was a lad in knickerbockers, I accom
panied him to a little town in southern
Illinois where he was to hold a protracted
meeting. A few nights after the meetings
begun father was compelled to reprove some
young folks who were disorderly. The dis
order continued for several evenings, and
finally father sought out the name of the
young woman who seemed to be the ring
leader of the mischief and a night or two
latter called her by name and . told her she
must either behave or remain away from
church. The next morning the gentleman
of the house where we were staying came
rushing home from his store to tell father
not to go down town, saying that Major
, father of the young lady, was on
the corner by the drug store, carrying a
blacksnake whip and threatening to horse
whip that d d preacher for insulting his
daughter. A minute later father was on
his way up town, the little son ambling
along behind at a safe distance and eager to
see the fun. The boy knew what would
happen to the man who undertook to horse
whip the brawny father who stood six feet
two inches in his stocking feet and weighed
over 200 pounds every pound of it bone
and muscle. There was a big crowd on the
corner, all anxious to see a preacher horse
whipped. The crowd parted as father ap
proached, and he, never pausing, gave them
a cheery good morning. Just then Major
halted him and with oath-Interlarded
language, demanded an apology, of
fering the alternative of a horsewhipping.
Father refused to apologize for having done
what he deemed to be his duty and warned
the irate parent not to attempt to use the
whip. Again the demand for an apology,
again a curt refusal, and then Major
raised his whip and took one step forward.
Only one blow was struck and it was not
by Major . A straight right to the
point of the jaw, backed up by a bicep as
hard as iron and 200 pounds of weight, and
Major 's body performed a grace
ful parbloa through that drug store window.
For a time the crowd thought the fallen man
was dead. Father merely remarked that if
needed he Avould be found at Brother
Blank's store and went his way. Brother
Blank hovered between his own place oi
business and the drug store where friends
were trying to restore Major to
consciousness.
"I'm afraid you've killed him," said
Brother Blank.
"Nonsense," replied father. "Men are
not killed by hitting them in the jaw. I
merely jarred that man's brains a bit, and
when he recovers he'll know a lot more than
he did before."
There was no more disorder in church
during that series of meetings, nor were there
any hints at other attempts to whip that
particular preacher.
Father was, I believe, actually devoid of
fear. At Oregon, Mo., a number of years
ago a man who still lives there became crazy
drunk and begun shooting up the town. He
finally crossed over to the gate of the court
house square and swore he would kill the
first man that dared to approach him.
Father happened along and inquired what
was the matter. Upon being told he started
towards the frenzied man, unheeding alike
the warnings of the crowd and the threats
of the man with the gun.
Looking the man squarely in the eye
father walked up to him and said: "Give
me that gun !" For a minute it looked like
death was at hand. But the 'frenzied man
hesitated, wavered a bit and then meekly
handed over the gun. Father then took him
by the arm, led him to where his horse was
hitched, helped him on and said: "Now you
go home and sober off, and when you are
sober come in and pay your fine like a man."
Two days later the man, sober and in
his right mind, came to father's house and
asked him to accompany him to the office
of the justice of the peace and intercede for
him. Father agreed, and succeeded in hav
ing a minimum fine imposed. I saw that
man three days after father died, and as he
took me by the hand and tried to give me
a word of sympathy his voice was choked
by sobs and the tears streamed from, his
eyes:
"Your old father was the biggest, best
and bravest mm I ever knew," he finally
mar aged to say.
This was a tribute wrung from the heart
of a man who knew my father.
I could indulge in these reminiscences by
the hour, for I was my father's companion
from' the time I was big enough to walk un
til the time came when I spread my fledging
wings and flew away from the home nest.
But I will indulge in just one more:
Three or four, years after the incident last
mentioned father was located in another
little Missouri town, in which community
there existed a blood-feud such as the people
of Nebraska know nothing about. It was
known that should the leaders of these two
factions meet there would be bloodshed.
The meeting happened at a church social
in the town hall. One of the feudists spied
his enemy across the hall with his back to
wards him, and drawing a wicked-looking
knife made his attack. The assaulted man
turned just in time to ward off a blow that
would have meant death had it landed, and
then drew his own knife. A minute later
the fighters had that end of the hall to them
selves. They were by no means small men,
but father, rushing in from an ante room,
comprehended the situation instantly. A
few strides and he was by the side of the
infuriated men. With a sweep of his power
ful arms he seized a man in each hand, pulled
them apart and dragged them to the door.
There he threw one from him, and quickly
disarmed the man he held. Then, before
the fallen man could recover he disarmed
him, and the fight was over. A few minutes
later father was enjoying a bowl of oysters
. as unconcerned as if nothing out of the ordi
nary had happened.
A book might be written, may yet be, of
his experiences as a farmer, as a holder of
important office in Missouri before the war,
as a soldier under the old flag and as a
pioneer preacher. His schooling was brief,
yet he came to be one of the best informed
men of his time. As an orator, whether in
the pulpit or upon the platform, he had few
equals. And everywhere, and at all times,
he was an upstanding, four-square, man
among men.
But his smiling face is forever hidden from
our mortal sight; the sound of his gentle
voice and of his hearty laughter; of his kind
ly admonition and of his his loving counsel,
will never again be heard by mortal ears.
But his memory will be cherished in the
hearts of the thousands who were privileged
to know him. I can look back and recall
more than four decades of his fatherly love
and guidance more than two score years
in which he was to me more than father.
He fought the good fight, he run the race,
he finished the course. Today he is wear
ing that crown of righteousness reserved for
those who love the Lord and" diligently
serve him.
O, let me build a faith like his foundations
deep and wide.
Let me, with loving trust like his, build faith
that will abide.
And when I walk the shadowy vale I shall
not walk alone.
For from His words I shall have carved my
faith's foundation stone.
The red clay of Oklahoma encompasses
all that is mortal of this grand old man. The
flowers placed upon the mound have with
ered. The songs sung have died away
among the low hills about. The prayer
breathed by the chaplain has long since
reached the throne. And thus, having com
mitted his body back to the dust from
whence it sprung, and serene in the faith
that his soul has gone back to the God who
gave it, we pay this last loving, though
feeble, tribute to this prince, this great man,
who has fallen this day in Israel.
WILL M. MAUPIN.
Guilty as Charged
The prisoners at the bar are the men who
erected that magnificent steel and stone
building at the corner of Tenth and O
streets, Lincoln.
They are charged with having committed
a misdemeanor, in that they did, with malice
aforethought, and intent to assist in build
ing up the city while profiting themselves,
design, prepare and erect one certain hand
some building, eight stories in height, of
steel and stone.
Their guilt was decided before, a girder
was cast, or a stone cut.
Henceforth and forever, as long as that
building stands, they are to be fined not
less than $2,500 or $3,000 a year for their
misdemeanor.
For being so foolish as to invest a quarter
of a million dollars in a building, that is an
ornament to the city you are hereby sen
tenced to pay $3,000 a year in perpetuity as
a fine ! The beneficiaries are the wise men
who own ramshackle buildings on nearby
lots or vacant lots here and there about the
city, which are enhanced in value, without
being taxed more, on account of because of
your foolish enterprise and public spirit.
Call the next case !
The progressive and public spirited gen
tlemen who are erecting the Old Line Bank
ers' Life building at Fourteenth and N
streets, Lincoln.
Same charge.
Same findings.
Same fine annually in perpetuity.
Maybe only maybe some of these days
the men who are really doing things will
wake up.
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