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FlEU; UEOItGU, FRIDAY, JANUARY 1«,. IS 11. '■
_ - * i
WHOLE NUMBER, 18
cold
It W$f
winter.
tho land, . ^ _..
gle witli itH frosty breath, that I
Was seated before a blazing fire,
surrounded by a jolly half dozen
boys and an old bachelor, a Peter
Green, about forty and eight years
old.
It was just the night without to
make those within enjoy a good
story, so eaeli of us had to tell his
favorite story, save Mr. Green,
and ns he was a jolly story teller,-
wo woro Boinewhat surprised to
hear him say, “I have no story
flint would interest you,” so 'We
had to find othur entertainments
for a while; When one of the boys
toUlino to iislrtliin how it happen
ed that he never got married. So
I did. “Well, gentlemen,he
began, “It does not seem right
foil me to toil how that- happened,
but as it is uboiit my self, 1 don’t
. eare inuob. Yofi-soe whea l avilB
young we hud to walk as far as
five.miles to church and siuging
sohool which was our chief enjoy
ment. But this don’t have any
thing to do with my not getting
a wife, but I jllst wanted to show
you‘that wo had some'trouble
them days in getting out' Bport,
“John Smith aud I were like
Mary and her lamb.’ Whore one
went tho other was sure to go.
So we vreift ta see two sisters,
and us we were not the best boys
imagiuablojtha old gentleman took
Umbrage and would not allow us to
come near the house so wo would
take the girls to the end of the
lane, and there we would have to
take tho final kiss.
“We soon got tired of thiB sort
of fun, and I told John, on our
way to singing school one night,
that I was going to tako. Bailie,
home and that I was going into
tho house, too. Ho said the old
man would ruin mo if I did.
“I told him I was going to risk
it anyhow, let come what would.
.“So homo we went with the girls
When we get to tho end of tho lane
. I told the girls wo proposed going
all tho way.
“They looked at each other in a
way I kidn't like too well,but said
they(tho old folksjwoutd be in bod
so they didn’t care ifho did. They
were a little surprised whenl told
them wo thought of going in a lit
tle while, hut nil was quiet when
we got to tho house,as wo had no
trouble in getting iuto the kitchen
Then and there we had our first
court,audj niado np niy fnind to'
ask Bailie to bo lny wife the next
time I camo.”
“It was now poet the’ turn of
,'nd as We had four miles to
[told John wo had better lift
n we stepped out on tho
,but just then the sky was lit
iy lightning,and one treinen-
s thunder peal rolled along tho
mntain sidis. Its echo had not
id away in tho far oft'vales until
Train begaii to pour frotn tho
Wne'red fullness of .tho clouds.
VVo whited for it to stop until we
wero all sleopy,when tho girls said
Wo could go to lied in the little
room at the hciulbf tho stairswtiioli
led out of thb kiftihen, as their fa
ther did not get Up early we could
ing his cane above my heads This
camo to an end by John giving
mo a kick.
“John looked,o'l(t of.tho window
und said we could got down over
tho porch. •
“Get out and drOss as soon as
possible,"said he.
Su in my hurry my foot got
he at home before the ol.d folks i fastened ia the bed olothes,and out
woro astir. Bo after bidding the I tumbled, heq|j foremost, turned
girls a swbot good night,itnd hug
ging thorn u little, wishing them
pleasant dreams, and promising
them to come hack tho next Sun
day night, wo started to bed. | the old manv ,-He''throw up his
.ml ci'Sd.—- . ‘
over, and dowji&hu ste)is, until I
struck the doo&M^h-fffls (listened
by a wooden 'bjjittbn,’.and it broke
. , ” Id'iiTfi'Oiit of
loose, and out*
We didn’t have far to go,as the
bed stood near tho head of the
stairs. John was soon in bed,hut
iih I always a little slow and full
of curiosity,I was looking around
tho little room. At last I thought
I would Bit down on a chest, that
was spread over with a nico white
cloth,while I dreivoff lny boots.
So down I sat, when stars of the
aufitJ.-J iveflt plump into h. bigjcua-
tard pio 1
‘I thought John would dio laugh
ing,for lie said 1 smashed that cus
tard all to thunder and tho plate
right in two. You see we lmd to be
awful quiet,so tho old man would
not hear,
‘I was now ready to got into bed
so I put the light out and picked
lip my hoots thinking to put them
in a more convenient placo, when
downono of my legs weilt through
r ipe hoie,which had been] cover-
by paper, up to my hip.
‘Now one part of mo was up stairs
while tho longest part of mo was
in the Kitchen. As my leg was
very long,it reached, a shelf which
was occupied by dishes,ifans,oeftee
pots, etc., etc., and turned it over
with a tremendous crash.
“The girls lmd not retired, and
we could hear them laugh fit to
split I tlioir sides. I felt awful
ashamed,and tfas seared until my
heart was in my throat, for I ex
pected the old man every moment.
“I extracted my leg from the
confounded hole just in time, for
the old lady looked into tho kitch
en from the room door and asked
what all that noise was about. Tho
girls .put Mr off as best they could
and Iwent to bed,while John was
strangling himself under the cover
to keep from laughing aloud.
‘\Ve soon went off into thelnnd
of dreams with ttie hope of wak
ing early. I wish I could tell you
my dreams,but it would take mo
too long, One inoment I would
fancy myself by the sido of my
Sallfb, sipping .nbetar from her
heaven bedewed lips,and the next
I would bu flyin
hands aud or
Lord save usl' for he thought
it was tho devil.’.
“The old Itply screamed until
you could hayb heard her a mile.
I was so seared aiul bewildered
that I couldffiot rise up at once.
It was wai'ni>Yeather,and I didn’t
have on atiy|hing‘but a—well,one
garment. Jr-« t
er it made me mad, and 1 jumped
up and rushed out df the door,and
loft tlie areator part of my only
anrment on tho old door latch.
“Off I started for tho barn*, and
when half way throunh the yard
tho doos set up a howl and went
for me.
“When I aot into the barn
yard I had to run throunh a flock
of sheop,and amouo them was an
old ram,who backed off alittlo and
started for me. With one hound
I escaped his blow,sprano into the
barn,and beoau to cliriib up tho
loas into tho mow, when an old
motlior lien pounced upon njy
loos, peckino them until they
bled.
I threw myself upon the hay,
and after John had slid down the
porch into a lioasliead bf raiii wa
ter, he camo to mo with ono of
my hoots, toy coat, and ono lea
of my pants. Ho found mo oonf-
pletely prostrated. Tart of my
shirt,my hat,ono leo of my pants,
my -test, stookinas, necktie and
one hoot, were left behind
“I vowed then and there that
I would never ao to Bee another
airl, and I’ll die boforo I will.”
allTor the best.
There was once a collier who
worked in one of tho coal mines
hear Newcastle, in England. His
oonfpanions Called him “Pationt
Joe,” hecauBO ho bore patiently
every trial that befell him, Always
saying that the will of God was
best. When things went Well
with him, and he enjoyed health,
When sickness or want came. •
llpon him, still ho was resigned,
and contented, and cotnfonliu Him
self with tho thought that God
would make these things work to-
getlidr.ibi' his.-goodo Ho always
contrived to-livo-OQ'.iltiS'.lwages, .
Whether greater Or lew} and if.
lie had hut a crust nt’bread and a
cup of water he had li 1 thankful
heart, which made him ftjlil hlijl
pier than if his ISlhlo was loaded
with-dainties.
Luck and chance word words
that wore never heard from the
lips of Joseph, except to show
hew wrong it is to, use such lan
guage He believed that the provi
dence of God directed the smililo^t
as wellastho gru teat .events of life.
And ho‘Ofym ! queted those words .<
of tile '‘Not jfBpflrfd#
.'intlieufc til el
and had enough to eat and drink,
from tho old | lie gave thank.! to God as the au-
man, while he would- b'o flourish- thtt of all' lvis mercies;
falls to the ground . iyiwioas w
will of your heavenly’ S’etthor.'
Joseph had {tho 1 misfortdB.H td
he working in the same pit with
some very wicked men, who took
pleasure in scoffing at ovrything
good. Among his follow wtfrk-
mea was ono who exceeded the
rest in tho Wild df drurlkeness,gam
bling, itnd mocking at religion.
His name was Tim Jinkina.
.Tim tooljc great dolight in laug-
ing ht Joe’s notipnjdiut all things
woro for the host. *
One day, as Joe andJTim wero
preparing to go down iuto the pit,
Joe laid the bread and moat which
lie had brough for his dinner dfiwfl
on tho grown.
A hungry dog, watching his op
portunity, seized tho provisions
aud soafhporod off with them.
This was finb sport for Tim Jen
kins, as it gave occasion for ,,tcasi
ing poor Joo. “iai-i Joo,” I &Htr
ho, “is tho loss iff your dinhor nil
for tho best?”
“No doubt ofit,’’said the pationt
man; quite unmoved by the acci
dent; “but as I cannot live with
out eating, it is my duty ti try to
recover it.” So saying, lie sot off
utter tho dog while Tim laughing
and swehring, went down into the
pit; The dog led him a long
round, and at last got clear off
with his dinner. When Joe re
turned to tho pit, he saw the col
liers huddlodj together, with tho
greatest lioiror in their counte
nances. They exclumed, “Oh,
Joo, what a narrow escape you!
have made! Scared}' hiild you got
out of sight, when tho roof of the'
pit fell in, and poor Tito JoukiuS
is burie’d under itl”
Thus ware the words of Olifisf
proved true, “Eien tho fery hairs
of your head arp numbered;” and!
thus tlib words of the Psalmist
woro fulfilled, “Muny oku the af
fliction's of tho fightoous,- lint the
Lord delivered! him out of thorn 1
all.”
Ho knepeth all his hone's, not'
one of them is broken Evil shall
slay the wicked, aud they that-haltft'
tho righteoiiii shall b'e desolate’. ’ ’