“‘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 makes ye think so, parson?”

“Didn’t you know that she would break down almost any fence?”

“Yes, I suppose I did.”

“And that she would naturally take my cow with her?”

As the captain did not answer, the parson continued.

“You did it merely to make a scoff at religion, and have a joke to tell at the store for others to laugh at.  Oh, I know your tricks well enough.  I have striven to live peaceably with all men, but you have sorely tried me on various occasions.  Whatever good I have done in this parish, you have endeavoured to undo it by your scoffs and actions.  I often wonder why you do such things to oppose me.”

Into the captain’s face came an expression of surprise mingled with anger.  He had never heard the clergyman speak to him so plainly before, and he resented it.

“You have had your say, parson, and I have the cow,” he retorted, “so we are quits.  Come and take her out of my yard if ye dare.”

“I don’t intend to try, captain.  If you wish to injure your own soul by stealing Brindle you may do so.  I can get another, only it will be hard on the little chap not to get his milk.  I see it is no use for us to continue this conversation any further,” and the clergyman turned to go.