The Lancaster gazette. [volume] (Lancaster, Ohio) 1863-1886, 1868-04-02
JACK SPROUTS CoNVER-
SION.

Jack Sprout swore a terrible
oath. In fact he sworo quito a
number of oaths, for he was worry
hungry. 1t was nothing wonder,
full for Jack Sprout to swear, even
in the presence Of his wife, for he
was sadly given to tho habit of
proiaue language. And yet Jack
was q good hus Dand, an indulgent
father, an industrious man !; and
accommodating neighbor; and he
possessed many other excellencies
of character which might have
made him a valuable member of
society, had it not been for certain
loose habits which had marked lis
course frcm childhood. His par.
ents had been careless and profane
before him; his father had been a
tough, rough customer; SO Jack
naturally enough came up in the
same track But he was good look
ing, and kind hearted, and genial
and social, and SO he had gained
for wife one of tho very best
maidens of the town; as we'll as one
OF the bandsomest.
Master Freddy Sprout, aged five
years, stood by his mothers side,
with q sadly begrined and tear.
streakod face, and his story was
that Solomon Gordon had whipped
Inn with q stick, and the boys legs
still bore fow sIight-tokens of the
castigation. The other boys bad
como with Master Freddy. and
their testimony corroborated that
which the sufferer had given
Freddy,5with some ofhis playmates
had been throwing stones at Mr.
Gordon's dog, And one of the mis-
siles hurled by Freddy had hit the
animal and caused him to howl
with pain. OF course the stone
thrown by such tiny hand could
not have inflicted much injdry on
the canine brute; but Solomon Cor,
don loved his dog, and when. he
saw what had been done, he
caught Master Freddy and gave
him u thrashiDg, for be it known,
Solomon Gordon was just such
another man as Jack Sprout-
warm hearted, generous and
neighborly; butrough, uneducatcd
strong willed and impulsive.
Jack Sprout put on his hat and
prepared to sally forth. His lips
were pale, and tightly compressed,
and the huge muscles in his arms
worked like bundles of ropes.
"Dear Jack pleaded his wife,
don't go out now."
"Lct me alone, Abby. No man
shall strike child of mine without
having a chance to trike me.
shall go and see Sol. Gordon, and
I'll give him such licking as be
won t forget in hurry !" AND
Jack closed the sentence with {
terrible oath.
"No-no, Jack-dont co.
What good will it do? Wait unit
you are more cool"
"Pshaw Go away, Abby
There is not power enough or
earth TO save Sol. Gordon from {
drubbing and III give it to hin
before the sun goes down.
And as jack Sprout looked a
that moment he gave awful evid
ence that he was able TO make
good his word; for a more magnifi
cent structure of framework an(
muscle was not to bo found in thu
own,
"Dear Jack" cried the wife, tax
ing her husband by the arm, "Oh
do listen TO me one moment. Fred
dy is not much hurt; and he ough
not to have thrown stones at Cor
don's dog. You know both Sol
omon and his wife set everything
by tho little animal and he woult
not bark atthe boys if they did no
plague him. II you 60 and fnt
Gordon as you arc now, you vii
only make matters worse. On,
wish you would drop it,
! Jack only shook his head ant
smiled one Of those smiles which
are terrible upon the face ofan an
CRY man.
"Oh, Jack, if you would only
try the effect Of kindness upol
Solomon He is a good man q
| heart"
Jack interrupted his wife with
derisive sneer.