The Highland weekly news. [volume] (Hillsborough [Hillsboro], Highland County, Ohio) 1853-1886, 1863-01-29
Deacon Slow and the Ram.
AN OLD BUT GOOD ANNEopoTE.

AN OLD BUT GOOD ANNECDOTE.
DEACON Slow had three sons--it is
not necessary to mention his daugh
ters-who were, as Deacon's sons are
apt to be-the deuce only can tell why
very roguish. They werc in the habit
of poking fun at an old ram, who en-
deavored to make his share of the sport
by butting them over, kind of fun
which he often manifested disposition
to play off upon the Deacon, as he
marched down to salt the hock-for
these we're duties to which he paid
strict attention, as he was exceedingly
humane, except when be was made very
wroth, on which occasion his anger
would burn like furnace seven times
heated.
Now the Deacon's sheep pasture was
upon the Shawsheen river, which is mar.
row but deep, and the pasture termina
ted in precipice, which rose fifteen
feet above the water and shelvcd over
it as a beetle -browed house hangs over
a narrow street, and the boys, after
they had exhausted all other fun upor
the ram, were in the habit now ant
then Of squatting upon the edge of the
precipice, and darting a hat at him, up
on which he would come with blind fur,
thereat, The boy who held the hat
could easily leap aside, and the exasper
ated ram was quickly cooled by aplung
headlong down the precipice, into tn
stream. At this trick they were on
= day caught by the Deacon, their father
, who took them into a thicket close b
and anointed their backs thorough
, With the oil of birch-an excellent az
plication in such cases made and provi
: ded. 1t is not always efectual, howev
, er, and in this case the disease was nc
: cure !, as the boys were few days aitC
waiting round the place in order to re
r peat the joke upon the unsuspectin
. and innocent ram; but on behOldin
e their father coming at distance wit
his basket Of salt, they hid in the thick
ct which they had so good an occasio
to remember.
Slowly came Deacon Solomon Slov
and after he had scattered his salt, /
stood upright and thought within hin
= self, that it would be amusing to sc
the ram bolt over the precipice into til
C river. He saw no one nigh; how shoul
D he, when the boys were hid in the busl
= es ? and taking off his broad brimme
D hat, he made demo nstrations, which
! once attracted the notice OF the loI
. Of the flock, who set out as us,
r al in full speed. The Deacon hi
o squatted close to the edge; and, as
e saw the ram bounding along, he pictu
ed out to his fancy, for Dcacons ha
r fancy, the ridiculous figure the sill
l. sheep would make, pounding with
splash into the water-he began
e smile-the ram at last came close,
I" the fierce charge, more enraged as t
y hat was larger than common; the De
con grinned outright, but in the mid
d of his delight at the rams ridiculo
o appearance, he forgot to jump aside, al
q the beast buttod him over with a splas
into that water where he meant the 81
y ly sheep should have gone.
;, The boys ran out clapping their hant
and shouting, you've got it, daG! :
~ y, you've gotit, dad !"iu all the ecstacy
" revenge. Deacon Solomon Slow crawl
out from his bath with a vsage long
than he had ever worn before. I'll
1t was his last smile. He was afterwnr
n called Deacon Solemn by his neig
= bors, among whom he lived and died
l. n venerable noe.