The Hancock Jeffersonian. [volume] (Findlay, Ohio) 1857-1870, 1868-01-17

er did seep
4 The old gentleman with the cane
didn't say nothing, and the preacher
: gave long groan. The young lady
smiled through her veil, and the old
lady snapped her eyes and looked
sideways at the speaker.
Don't make much beef here Il reck-
on says the hoosier.
No. says the gentleman.
We'll, / don't see how in h-ll they
all manage to get along in a country
whar thar amt no ranges, and they
don't make no beef. A man amt
considered worth cuss in Indiany
what hasn't got his brand on a hun
dred head.'
yours is great beef country, 1
believe, says the old gentltman.
well, sir, it amt anything else. A
man that's got sense enuff to foIler
his own cow-bell with US amt in no
danger of starvin. I'm gwine down
to Orleans to see if 1 can't git con-
tract out of Uncle Sam, to feed the
boys what's been lickin them infer
nal Mexicans so bad. / s'pose you
have seen them cussed lies what has
been in the papers about the Indiany
boys at Bony Vista
I've read some accounts of the
battle says the old gentleman, shat
didn't give very fattering account
of the conduct of some Of our troops
With that. the Indiany man went
Sinto full explanation of the affair,
and, gittin warmed up ss he went
along, begun to cuss and swear like
he'd been through dozen campaigns
himself. The old preacher listened
to him with evident signs of displeas-
ure, twistin' and groanin' till he
couldn't stand it no longer.
MY FRIEND says he, you must ex-
cuse me, but your conversation would
be great deal more interesting to
me--and I'm sure would please the
company much better-if you would
not swear so terribly. It's very wrong
to swear, and hope you will have
respect for our feelings, if you hain't
no respect for your Maker
II the hoosier had been struck with
thunder and lightnin,' he could not
have been more completely tuck
back. He shut his mouth right in the
middle of what he was saying, and
looked at the preacher, while his face
got as red as fire.
Swearing says the preacher, SIS a
terrible bad practice, and there amt
no use in it no how. The Bible says,
swear not at all, and / suppose you
know the commandments about
swearing
The old lady sort of frightened up
the preacher was her .duck of a
man. the old fellow with the nose
and cane let off few 'umph, ali!
umphs;' but. ..'Indiany' kept shady, he
appeared to be cO,oed down.
Il know says the preacher. shat
great many people swear without
thinking, and some people don't be-
lieve the Bible
And then he went on to pre- ach a
regular sermon agin swearing, and
to quote Scripture like lie had the
whole Bible by heart. In the course
of his argument, he undertook to
prove the Scriptures to be true, and
told us all about the miracles and
prophecies, and their fultilment. The
old gentleman with the cane took
part in the conversation, and the
hoosier listened, without ever open.
ling his head. r....
Il have just heard of gentleman
says the preacher, shat has been to
the Holy Land, and went over the BIZ
BILE country. It's astonishing to hear
what wonderful things he has seen
He was at Sodom and Gomorrow,
and seen the place where Lots wife
fell y
.Ahr says the old gentleman with
the cane. -. -....
Yes says the preacher, 'he went
to the very spot and what's the re-
markablest thing of all, he seen the
lpillar Of salt what she was turned in
Itor S..
SIS it possible = says the old gen.
tleman. e..
yes, sir; he seen the salt, stand
ing thar to this day
What says the hoosier, real gen.
ewine, good salt?' s51oH r s-Ea
Yes, sir, q pillar of salt, jest as it
was when that wicked woman was
punished Tor her disobedience.'
All but the gambler, who was
tsnoozing in the corner OF the coach,
Hooked ut the preacher,--the hoosier
with an expression Of countenance
that plainly told his mind was pow
erfully convicted Of an important fact.
! Fright. out in the open air?' he ask
led. 1N D-- -Fs
sYes; standing right in the open
4 field, whar she fell u 81 Ell r1 eoi
! well, SIR says 'Indiany,' 'all I've
got to say is, if she'd dropped in our
parts, the cattle Would hape licked her
\ up afore sundoicnr --f..-- .-..
/ The preacher raised both his hands
at such an irreverent remark, and the
old gentlemen laughed himself into a
fit of asthmatics, what he didn't get
over till he came to the next change
of horses The hoosier had played
the mischief with the gravity of the
whole party; even the old maid had
ito put her handkerchief to her face,
and the young lady's eyes were filled
with tears for half an hour after
: wards. The old preacher hadn't an
other word to say on the subject; but
whenever we came to any place, OF
met anybody on the road, the circus
man nursed the thing along by ask
ing what was the price Of salt
. When tie mail boat from New Or.
: leans arrived at Mobile with the Jap
r anese, the distinguished foreigners
: arranged themselves on the deck.and
! one of their number counted them to
, see whether any were missing out ol
: the twenty-four. The count showed
b that only twenty-three were present
, All of the Japs on the boat ther
: counted with the SAME result. Fl
lnally convinced that one was miss
! ing, they ran about in wild confusion
o Finally Mr.. Marshall counted then
himself and found them to numbe
Q eltwenty-four. The trouble had beer
] that each Jap had neglected to coun
c himself. ~
1t was a cruel joke of Mfr. Rau
> lpacL's To send Mr.. Seward a careful
record of the volcanic dis
: l. :. - = =