The west shore., January 01, 1887, Page 35, Image 28

BATTLE OF THE LAMBS AND GOATS.
the old name clung to it, although Abe
Brackett and his geese had long since
departed.
Twenty years ago there were many lo
calities in Southern Missouri where no
Sunday schools had been organized, and
a most inviting field was here offered
for missionary work, which the enter
prising dealers in "moral toles" and
song books were not slow to recognize.
And so it happened that when John
Peters, Sunday school missionary, and
agent for various publications auxiliary
to the work, came into the district, he
found an unbroken field The juvenile
ridgers sometimes attended the occa
sional services conducted by some local
preacher, or circuit rider, or, tetter than
all, a revivalist; but oftener the rising
generation around Goose ridge spent
Sunday in a grand rabbit hunt, a game
of ball, or some similar amusement, and
there were not a few of the elders who
were opposed to Sunday schools.
On the opening day, all prejudices
were buried long enough to gratify the
curiosity of saint and sinner alike. Par
son Meacham was to preach a sermon at
11:00 o'clock, and Sunday school was an
nounced two hours earlier. Now, the
good parson, on the occasions of his
monthly visits, had been accustomed to
waiting nearly an hour after the ap
pointed time before commencing ser
vices. This was because his congrega
tion, early in the day, literally observed
the scriptural injunction to rest on the
Sabbath. This morning the miniater
went to the ridge long before his usual
time, in order to assist Brother Peters
in the work of organization.
When the minister stepped up the
aisle, between the rows of backless seats,
with his usual deliberate tread, he was
much surprised at the size and per
sonnel of the congregation. There was
Brother Hise, who always came late, up
in the " amen corner," with three of his
U)ys a little further back. Tom Wilson
and his Iwys, who never cjirae to meet
ing, were also present There were alto
many others out who had been more or
less irregular in their attendance at ser
vice. The preacher smiled with satis
faction at the curiosity the missionary
had aroused Brother Peters himself
was rather surprised at the outpouring
of the ridgers, and felt that the day
would be profitable in both the spiritual
and financial sense. After all, the mis
sionary was a good man, and, if the
loaves and fishes were not very numer
ous, he was happy when ho could ad
vance the spiritual interest of the com
munity. After the opening song ami
prayer, followed a short address from
Brother Peters, supplemented by a few
remarks from the parson. Then began
the work of arranging classes. Parson
Meacham organized the brethren into a
bible class, and Mrs. Doran, a recent ar
rival, took charge of a class among the
ladies. Brother Peters succeeded in
getting four of the boys into the infant
class, though they were rather large for
infants. There were Ben Hise, fully
twelve years old, and his brother, Pete,
two years younger, and Johnny Sanders
and Bill Proctor, who were about eleven
each. Mr. Peters read and explained
bible stories in a manner that riveted
the attention and challenged the adm!
ration of the class. They were in par
ticular impressed by one of those nu
merous passage wherein the christian
is likened unto a sheep. He explained
that good little boys, who attended Sun
day school and tried to do right, were
little lambs, while the boys who spent
Sunday in hunting and fishing and other
ways of Sabbath breaking, woul.l, in the
last day, surely be placed on the left
hand with the goats, and told to depart
into everlasting fire. j
Ben looked down at his bine suit o!
homespun jeans, then over to his brother