Martinsburg gazette. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1833-1855, 1834-11-06
TIE PARSONS BOOTS.


was whole souled and obliging man. lie
would deny his neighbors nothing in the
way Of accommodation which 10 conscience
they could ask. But as a short of. et, il
was hinted that he claimed return in
good graces OF the wives, daughters. SIS
tiers. AID SO forth of his much obliged
neishbors. Whether common report be-
lied the parson, or not. the result was the
same, and many hard Joke, both sly and
open. was passed of at his expense.
A young man. a neighhor Of his. wish
ing 10 appear in boots on a certain occa-
sion, and having none of his own. went TO
ask the loan Of the parsons Yes Joel
said the good natured parson. "you tina,
have the boots, bot you must remember
to return them SOON"
SartaiDly," returned Joel, "Ill fetch
them home right away, as soon as I'm done
with 'em, and that'll be TO morrow eve
ming. if nothing happens"
The parson looked out for his boots on
the morrow but they did not come. II
was the same the next day, and the day
after. and so on for three weeks In that
time Joel never showed his face. and the
bootless parson began to lose all patience
when, one day meeting the delinquent
with boot in each hand, he exclaimed /:
Well, young man, you're pretty iel.
low, are you notp"
Why, so the gals says" replied Joel,
showing his teeth.
You forgot TO bring my boots home,
as you promised"
20 no, didn't forgit, Mr.. FL sot
out the very next evening 10 fetch 'em
home. But jest as | got agin the road
that turns up 10 Deacon Thompson's-you
know the Deacon has some plagy hand
some darters-w well. jest as | got agin the
road, your boots wouldn't go an inch fur
der, aud was obliged to stop and talk
along of the gals awhile till by'm by il got
SO late, thinks /, wont carry the boots
home TO night"
=" Well, what hindercd you from bring
ing them home the next evening"
:" Why, the next evening sol out with
'em again, and. with good deal of whip
pen and spurrin, cot 'em past the rosd
that leads to the Deacon's and now,
thinks |, I'll get 'em along well enough
Well, and so it turned out until come 10
the lane that turns down TO Curnal But
rck's; and there, as true as Fan alive, the
boots stopped agin and they would no,
bulge step, till I'd gone and talked with
Sally Bu:rick awhile. So it got 10 be too
late agin that evening"
e" But that don't account for the whole
three weeks"
i" No, but III tell you how it was. The
very next evening determined the boots
ebontG ern hama ,rhnthar NJ ro No set
out to fetch 'em away round cross lots, so
AS not 10 pass the Deacon's road nor the
Curnal's lane. Wen, this project worked
amazin well The two greatest difficulties
was got over and now thinks |, I'll take
the high road agiD; but plague take the
boots, as cum opposite the widow Smiths
they would stop agin. And so il was even
ing arter evening, until this morning, and
! thought I'd set out in the day time, and
see what could do then"
The parson, vexed as he was, could not
help smiling at Joel's account of the per-
versiy Of his boots, and congratnlatng
him on bis success IN getting them thus far
on their way home.
"Why, TO be sure" said Joel, have
been rather luckey in getting by, as il were,
the most dangerous places Dut nau 10
work pretty bard for it, though it was
day time, for the boots would keep a
tarnal twitching and gerkin, as | came
past the Deacon's and Carnal's and the
Widows But | took the boots in my
teeth, sot my face alore me. and here
am. And now, Mr.. F., if you'll just
take charge OF the boots yourself I'll be
much obliged TO you"
90 certainly, Joel. and glad TO get
them so"
Joel handed over the boots, and said
as he turned about to go back" I'm very
much Obliged to you for the use of 'em,
Mr.. p, they're capital boots and fit
ted TO Shawn; but the truth ont is, they
have a tarnatlon mack of going see the
gals "