Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1867-12-25
THE CHRONICLE.
oCam A Manu--A snake story

uctlODt WHICH Will luTnls0 any dp0lOgy
it mSy need for its introduction into
polite literature. We do not know its
origin:
As novelists say, it was a beautiful
day in August. The heaYens were clear,
serene, and beautiful, the trees were
laden with golden fruits, and the beau
tiful birds twittered their songs of love
in the branches. We are about to say
that the "earth had yielded her beauti-
full harvest of a years grass and clover,
and honeysuckles, which the noble
yeomanry of Chestervllle had gathered
within their store-house," but upon a
second thought have concluded to
write it thus: 1.-The farmers Of Chester
vile were done harvesting"
John Jackson's sister had a quilting
party that afternoon; his father had
gone to get some wheat ground, and
John was left to repair some tools to
be ready on the morrow to commence
moving the meadow grass. Suddenly
it occurred to John that if he remained
about the house in the afternoon he
would be called in at the time, and be
required to do the hOnors at the table.
To avoid this he quietly ~shouldered his
scythe and stole away 10 the meadow,
half a mile distant, fully resolved that
he would not leave there until it was so
dark that he could not see to NOV at
all, and thus avoid seeing the girls
The meadow was surrounded on all
sides by a thick forest, which effectual-
ly shut out what little breeze there
might chance to be stirring. The sun
poured down its rays as though the lit
tie meadow was the focus point where
the heat was concentrated. John
moved and sweat-sweat and moved
until he was obliged to sit down and
cool of.
Then it occurred to John that if he
took off his pants he might be more
comfortable. There would be no inn
propriety in it, for he was entirely con-
cealed from observation, and there was
not the slightest reason to suppose
that he could be seen by any person.
So John stripped off, and with no COW
erings save his linen-commonly called
a shirt-he resumed his work. He was
just congrstulating himself on the good
times he was having, when he CHANGED
to disturb q huge black snake, a genu-
inc twister, with q white ring around
his neck. John was no coward, but he
was mortally afraid of snakes. Self
preservation" was the first passage"
that flashed upon Johns mind-'legs
take care of the body" was the next.
Dropping his scythe, and spinning
around like q top, he was ready to
strike a 2:40 gait, when at that moment
his snakeship was les enough to hook
his crooked teeth in Johns shirt just
above the hem. With a tremendous
spring he started of with the speed of
q locomotive.
His first jump took the snake clear
from the ground, and as John stole a
hasty glance over his shoulder, he was
Mortified to find the reptile securely
fastened to the extremity of his gar
ment, while the speed with which he
rushed forward kept the serpent at an
angle of ninety degrees with his body.
Here was 8 quandary. If he stopped,
the snake would coil about his body
and squeeze him TO death if he con-
tinued the race, he must soou fall from
sheer exhaustion. On he flew, scarce
daring to think how his dreadful race
was to end. Instinctively he had
taken the direction of home, and as he
emerged from the forest a feeling of
security came over him. Suddenly as
thought flashed across his mind the
true state of affairs; his father gone
the quilting-and worst of all, tie girls.
This new horror sent the blood back
curdling about his heart, and he came
to a dead halt. The next moment he
felt the body of the cold, clammy
monster in contact with his bare legs,
es though his snakeship only meditated
q little fun, by the way of tickling
John upon the knees. This was too
much for human endurance With q
yell, such as man never utters, save
when in mortal terror, poor John again
set forward at break-neck speed, and
once more had the pleasure of seeing
the snakein his old position, somewhat
after the fashion of the tail of a comet.
On, on they flew. John forgot the
quilting. forgot the girls, forgot every
thing but the snake, His first wild
shrek had started the quiltersi and
forth they rushed, wondering if some
mad Indian was not providing about
BY this time John was within a few
rods of the barn, still running at the
top of mis- speed, his head turned so
that he might keep one eye on the
snake, and with the other observe
what course he must take. The barn
now concealed him from the sight of
the girls. He knew they were in the
yard, having caughta glimpse of them
as they rushed from the house. For a
moment modesty overcame fear, and
he once more halted. The snake
evidently pleased with his rapid trans
portation, manifested his gratitude by
attempting to enfold the legs of our
hero within his embrace.
With an explosive ''0Neh!" and urg-
ed forward by circumstances over
which he had no control" poor John
bounded on. The next moment he
was in view of the girls, and as he
turned the corner Of the barn the snake
came round with a whiz somewhat
after the fashion of a coach-WhIp.-
Having reached the barn-yard, to his
dismay he found the bars up. But
time was too precious to be wasted in
letting down bars. He gathered all his
strength, bounded into the air, snake
ditto, and as he alighted on the other
side his snakeship's tail cracked across
the upper bar.
The house now became the Center of
attraction, and around it he revolyed
with the speed of thought. Four times
in each revolution, as he turned the
orner his ~snakeship came round with
q whiz that was quite refreshing. While
describing the third circle, as he came
near the group of wonder.struck girls
without removing his gaze from the
snake, he managed to cry out-"can a
man"
The next moment he had whisked
out of sight, and quick as thought re-
appeared upon the other side of the
house-"call a mani"
And away he whirled again, turning
the corner so rapidly that the whIz OF
the snake sounded about halfway be-
tween a low whistle and the repeated
pronunciation of double-o. And before
either Of the girls had stirred from
their tracks, he had performed another
revolution-'call q mani"
Away he few once more, but his
strength was rapidly falling. Nancy
Clark was the first to recover her pres
ence of mind, and seiZing q hoop, she !