Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1853-03-11
WASHING. SHEEP.

Tie following story, whch has teen tod
some, though never, We believe, printed, is Dc
cIedIy rich;
\ wear or two since. when the subject ot
temperance was belug freely discussed, the
clrizeus ot a little town IA the western part "t
Massachusetts called mecung 10 talk over
the matter. There had never 0een Il tempe /.
4Gce society in the place; brr after some ll,tlc
discussion, it MAS voted to form one. Tfey
drew up Il pledge of total abstinence, and
4greed that if any member OF The society broke
u, lie should tie turned out,
Before the I'll dye was taken, Deacon D.
arose and sad he had one objection 10 y t
jhOught Thanks giving day ought To be free Tot
lie members to take something, aS he cou!
,eli>h his dinner mach better 1t tEls festival (
he took glass OF VINE Ar l.. I. oug tn5
/ pled -e WAS not perfect, lie DIDN'T Gaze any
/ hing about Thanksgiving, but ms family Il :
| WAYS IN tde a great account OF Curl>lmt', anl
he couldn't ta.uk OF sitting Gown to dinner
,hen without something To drui. lie ""5
Wiling 10 give II up Oh a. other days anu III
TACT that was The oniy time when he cared any.
ding about T. NJ. b. ueX, arose, and said h,
agreed with the other speakers except IN the
time lie didn't rnIuk much Of Thanksgiving
or Christmas though lie liked llte at Lny
time There WAS one DAY, however, when ne
mu,t have II, and that was tIe fourth "i Jdiy
Tie always calculated upon having "Iegu.'t
driuk' on that OcC t-lOn, and ne woHldu @
he pIedLe f Il prevented nim from &C e5rdiln1
; Independence. Squire :. a. old farmer. %
lowed Mr. B. lie was not ~ tht habit o.. tab.
ing ANYTHING oteG, bat mu-t have some wheh
he washed hs shrcp. lie would sign tine
pledge it it would give him the privilege oi tn =
biting when he washed sheep. why, M con-
a. In, a.4.p M t.. aIi 4
in co water without something 10 keep h'ui
warm inside.
Alter some consideration il VAS conclude /
f that each member ,t the Icitly loud tahs
hiS own occasion to Griuk--Deacon u. OF,
THANKSGIVING, Mr.. l. on Christmas. &c. The
r pledge Vas >igued L? ,arge number, and tie
, society adjourned IN Il ,uushlng condition al.
ter voting that ii should be the duty Of mem.
/ bers to watch each o'her to see luat lh'y DID
not break the peu-r.
10 TIA, next morning, Deacon D. wa.Ged into
his Il 81 upighbor yard, who b. the way, Nad
\ Mr.. y, The ,trep man, wondering, aN It Was a
bitter cod NOR lng, whether ;, was up yet
J. lie mt h,S A1ghopr coming out OF the housr
e and 10 his surprise, g'ouurH,y drunk, or to uSt
very modern phrase, "Iurnng vely beau
d tlul kim "Way, : - exclaimed the as'ol
n ishsd deacon, "w.at does tins mean, SRI Yo,
have broken your piedgc, aud dl.grtced ou
society aud the temperance Ctg-e.' Moth,
AS Vru knew uu,-hic --dea-con, sad ;
p. II hr'n't--Aic-boken--h --hIc--p edge, deacon.
"Certaluly you have, SIT, ami shall report yo
to the society. You agreed not to dunk cN
ID cepl when you washed sheep. lon canno
4 make me thlu,; that You are gong TO WAS
or steep such cod day this." F-iol'ow m'
-, hc,-deacOn.'
r. $. started for the barn, and the deacon fo'
d.. lowed. GA entering the door the deacon say
I. A long washtub standing on the floor, with 4
hs oG ram tied to it, the poor animal shakln
IN dreadfully with the cod aud beatng piuiull,
he rHc-thcre, d-deacun,' said $, pointing t
,v the sneep with an air Of triumph "Ihst old
q. hic-ram has been washed six times this-hl
| -morning, and l--hlc-ain'I done with hil
no --hic--yet"
!, is hs,dly oecesssrv - say '.s' 10 iss~"
niANs4