The Arkansas banner., 1845-04-23
ICIIABOD AND TIE BULL

ICIIABOD AND TIE BULL.
 The following account of Mr. Ichabod Wings first attempt to preach in the town ol---, in New England, is condensed from most authentic statement in the Boston Galaxy, whose editor is not certainly famous for making bulls
 The congregation met, and the meeting house was filled, but the minister put it off terribly. The bell kept tollmg and tolling and the people thought il never would be done. They yawned and stared about and kept peeping out at the windows,-ju just as if they expected he would come sooner for that. At last Deacon snaek's got up and spoke to Squire Barleycorn
 "Sqnire, where Is the minister?"
 'Really, Deacon, don't know He came out my house ust after me, but he walked so slow that got out of sight of him.
 'It's very strange he don't come
 Very strange
 Here Miss Deborah Peepabout, an elderly virgin, who held the opinion of Paul Pry, that the spirit of inquiry is the grand char acterlstic of the age i'll which we Iive,' and who also felt a particular sympathy in the fate of unmarried clergymen, thrust her long nose between the Deacon and the Squire and asked
 Law me! Deacon-Squire why don't the minister come
 Then Miss Martha Buskabody, seeing the Deacon, the Squire, and Miss Peepabout, engaged in a colloquy, wrigged herself into their company and asked the same question
 Then another and another and another fol- bp nI To. hon l.. knot of people gathered round the Deacon and the Squire all asking questions which nobody could answer The whole congre- gation was in buzz-buzzing. Every one was asking where the minister was, although every one knew that all the rest was just as ignorant as himself. Bill Muggs the Sexton, kept tagging away al the bell-rope till he had tolled the people out of patience But we must leave the bell tollng and the Sexton frettmg, and the Deacon and the Squire and the old maids, and all the rest of the congre- gation on the iender-hooks of suspense and go back to see what has become of our friend lchabod.
 Ichabod had slacbened his pace after leav- ing the house and had fallen into sort of revefie Finding himself rather late before he got near the church, he resolved to make d short cut across a field where tine road made an angle, SO jumping over stone wall he steered directly for the church, but had not proceeded many paces when he was startelled by q most savage and unmusical boo-boo-ing sound in a tone of the deepest bass he ever heard Lifting up his eyes he beheld furious bull making atsllim with all speed and believing like mad. ltls need- less to say that he took 10 his heels; the bull made after him, and lchabod put on with all the neetness he could exert. Four legs are better than two, and it was soon ev- dent that the quadruped would win the race lchabod found he could not reach the wall before the bull would be up with him. Now thought he it is all over with mei' His shoes flew off; but the bull kept on.- He dropped his hat, but the stratagem did not take; the bull was not to be made fool of. He threw his sermon behind him, but with no better success; the bull was not to be reasoned with he gave the manuscript a whisk with his tail and scattered it to the four winds
 Pm gone I'm gonep said Ichabod, for the bull was close behind him;-at this in stanl he espied an apple tree close at hand; and summoning all his remaining strength he made desperate leap and was fortunate enough to spring into the tree at the moment the bull was al his heels.
 Here was an unlocked for deliverance. but unluckily the bull was not so easily got rid of. Though disappointed of his prey he kept about the tree with such menacing disposition that lchabod dared not descend It seemed as if the malicious animal knew that he kepta congregation waiting, he stuck to the spot with such pertinacity. For two mortal hours did the unucky Ichabod si perched upon the tree in sight of the church Every minute seemed an age to him. He heard the bell, toll, toll, toll, and each stroke seemed the funeral knell to his hopes
 He pictured to his fancy a crowded con gregation waiting in anxious suspense and lost in wonder and amazement at his non appearance. sAlasl' said he to himself
 I hear voice you cannot hear
 Which bids me thus delay,
 sec the horns you cannot see
 Which force me here to stay
 He saw the congregation come out oi the church and scatter hithrr and thlther like sheep without shepperd, yet he darst not