n on Sunday evening, and it was this announcement
which threw the neighborhood into such a high state of excitement and
caused a crowd to attend the meeting which packed the small
meeting-house to suffocation and, despite the cold weather, caused it
to overflow into the surrounding yard.

Sam Wiles was there, and his impish shadow, Zibe Turner, and Long Tom,
and the rest of his cronies. Sam Wiles' family was a part of that large
Wiles faction which warred with the Barkers, but Sam was not present at
the barn-raising. He was only fourth cousin to the Wiles men who were
killed, but felt himself bound with the rest of his kin to avenge their
death. Hence he was intensely interested to know how the preacher would
treat his subject. On account of the crowd he sat a little within the
doorway, while the monster dwarf contented himself with a position just
outside, where his ghoulish and malignant face was lighted up by candle
rays and moonbeams combined.

Jasper Very took for his text, "Am I my brother's keeper?" Thus he
began: "Hearers and friends, it is a sad fact that the first man born
into the world, Cain, was a murderer, and the second man born of woman
was murdered. Cain killed his brother Abel. Ever since that day this
earth has been reddened with human blood. It has defiled every mountain
and stained every plain, it has polluted the waters of every lake and
river, and has reddened the very ocean. Murder's bloody hand, nerved by
all the worst passions of man, has struck down, not only the guilty,
but also the innocent, the weak and helpless. It is a perversion of the
Creator's intention regarding mankind. He made men to dwell in peace
and happiness. He put the solitary in families that each member might
contribute to the well-being of the whole. Every man is his brother's
keeper. He is expected to do him good and not harm. If my brother is
weak, I must try to be his strength. If he is in sorrow, I must comfort
him; if needy, help him with my substance; if sick, I must minister
unto him. By so doing I shall receive both the approval of my
conscience, and the Master's reward: 'Well done, good and faithful
servant.'

"Back of the act of murder is its motive. It is formed in the mind
before it is committed by the hand. It invariably springs from the
baser passions of man--hate, malice, jealousy, revenge. Our Bible
traces it to its seat. It declares: 'Whosoever hateth his brother is a
murderer: and ye know that no murder