A Voice in the Wilderness

and complaining, as he called loudly for Bud to take the horse. It appeared he had lost his way and wandered many miles out of the trail. He blamed the country for

, so he ought. Bud! Oh, Bud, you 'ain't gonta sleep yet, hev

his loft where he slept, and said the minister could look after hi

have stayed up and attended to it himself. Bud chuckled in his loft and stole down the back kitchen roof while the minister ate his late supper. Bud would never leave the old horse to that amateur's tender mercies, but he didn't intend

his day, this dreary first Sabbath away from her home and her Sabbath-school class, and her dear old church with father preaching. She had been away, of course, a great many times before, but never to a churchless community. It was beginning to dawn upon her that that was what Ashland was-a churchless community. As she recalled the walk to the school and the ride through the village she had seen nothing that looked like a church, a

all flowers for their teachers, and holding hands with their little brothers, would be hurrying down the street. Father was in his study, going over his morning serm

was bustling in with hot corn-bread, Bud was on the front-door steps teasing the dog, and the minister came in with an air of weariness upon him, as if he quite intended taking it out on his companions that he had experienced a trying time on Saturday. He did not look in the least like a man who expected to preach

rvice?" Margaret asked, a

echoed her question as if he di

about to see what she ought to do next for the comfort of the chickens under her care. It was apparent th

re, you know, Miss Earle. The mission

, "but they surely have

inister, loftily, as if it were s

h this morning?" In spite of her

rs from the East would be a curiosity in these Western towns, and I should really get no rest at all if I had gone where my services would have been in constant demand. When I came out here I was in much the condition of our f

ismissal in her manner and appealed to Mrs. Tanner. "Then you really have no Sabbath service of any sort wh

in her attempt to understand the situation. One would scarcely have been sur

it Bud had adjured Sunday-school since his early infancy. He was ready now, however, to be offered on the altar of Sunday-school, even, if

. We could have it posted up at the saloon and the crossings, and out a ways on both trails, and you'd have quite a crowd. They'd come from over to the camp, and up the ca?on way, and rounda

think of preaching. Besides, it's against my principles to preach without remuneration. It's a wrong idea. The workman

it, you know, and I'd like fer Miss Earle here to hear you preach. It 'u'd be a real treat to her, her being a preacher's daughter and all." She turned to Margaret for support, but that young wom

man better that way than any other, seeing she posed as being so interested in religious matters. He turned to Mrs. Tanner and began to ask questions about the feasibili

wondering again how such a man as Mr. W

charge in the East as Margaret came down-stairs. His pompous tones, raised to fa

't be fair to myself nor my work which I have just left; but, of course, if there

quite audible as the girl closed the fr

as called away to nurse a sick neighbor, and the children were huddled together in a restless group. The singing was poor, and the whole of the exercises dreary, including the prayer. The few women present sat and stared in a kind of awe at the visitor, hal

ernoons, Bud?" she asked, as soon as they w

e repeated, puzzled. "Why, we pass the time away,

Worse than no minister! No Sabbath! What ki

ght not to do. He had no interest in God or righteousness, and he did not take it for granted that the Sabbath was different from any other day. A sudden heart-sinking came upon her. What was the use of trying to do anything for such as he? Why not give it up now and go back where there was mo

w forlorn it all was! She was almost sorry she had gone. It gave her an

down the street with all the glory of the radiant morning in his face, and a light in

nfessed failure so far in his young life, and yet he seemed