Raftsman's journal. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1854-1948, 1870-11-02


his name he looked with the look of dog
that had been beaten; when 1 lifted his
head and pillowed it on my lap, floods Of
tears gushed forth. let him have a good
cry, soothing him and passing my hand over
his damp hair.
When ne grew calmer l loosened his shirt
band and looked at his back, and as | did so,
bit my lips to suppress a scream. 1t was
literally covered with livid welts, and in
some places the blood came through the
skin.
Drawing his shirt band up, fastening it
round his neck, and commanding as well as
l could, my trembling voice, L proposed to
him to go with me to his room and rest
awhile.
He rose slowly to his feet, and putting
his hands in mine, we proceeded tow ard
the house and gained the chambers in the
same manner I LEFT them, unseen by Mrs.
Thorne.
| persuaded him to undress and lie down
upon the bed, and while bathed his ach-
ing head and bruised back, he told me what
the offence was for which his father had beat
him. Ill give the story in his own words :
Last week he -relering to his father !;
it was curious to see how he avoided speak
ing the word father-''told me if [ would
dig all the 'taters in the South patch, l
might go chestnutiGg the next day and
when | a ked him the next dsy he said he
Il I-,f [ - ha Il
and told him right where he wa5 when he
said it, Then he said he d.dn't care If he
did say so, | couidn' for | must pick up
cider apples, and if L d be good boy and
work up right smart | might 20 to-day
but | knew he vouldl' keep his word, and
SiIas Bruce was agoing to day and want
cd to go too, for the squirrels were carrying
off the nuts Is fast as they could, aad Slle
Bruce and all the boys have got as many as
have, and when | asked him if [ might
20 out he said no | shouldn't, t, and told me
to go over in the back lot and get the sheep.
and pretended to 90, and went off with
the other boys to hunt chestruts, and he
came through the woods hunting the old
mare and saw me there, and asked me what
VAS there for, and | told him | couldn't
hnd the sheep IN the lot, and was looking
Tor EN- iE the woods, and he said the sheep
were in the lot, and he had seen EN- when
he was coming through it, and he told ME !
had lied and lie would lick me but | stuo5.
TO il | did not lie, for ! knew anyhow he
had. and hate him, and | IL ruuaw ID
rather i've Ike Robinson Crusoo, and have
Friday live with me, than live here and be
licked every day"
What could | say? said nothing; but
sang him fast asleep, and left him sleep
ing, aud went down stars thinking to talk to
his mother about him; but found her up
to her elbows in -four, and her head full Of
baking for 10 morrow, and pursed up ex-
preston of her mouth warned me to keep
shady. And 50 / wandered off to the orch
ard, and sat down among the yellow APPLE,
and held my tongue, but in my heart /
thanked God was an old maid, and no
boys to bring up.
At night the deacon came home, turned
out his horse, ate his supper, aud then in
qgired where Jimmy was Mrs. ThOrOe
did not know He looked surprised. not to
say alarmed, took down his hat and went at
= quick pace toward the barn.
Soon he came back, and-I'll confess it
| chuckled to see that he looked pale and
scared had good mind to keep still
and let him get what Theodore Winthrop
calls ''prickly scare, but he came direct
10 me aud asked me if | knew where he
was. reluctansy answered:
Up stair in bed, and asleep, and added
maliciously, sick too and l shouldn' won
der If he has to have a doctor before he
gets through with it. -
The deacon shot an inquiry from beneath
his shaggy brows, and went up stairs. |
would have given all the apples in the orch
ard to have seen him as he bent over his
beaten boy.
He came down with slow and hesitating
step, with i look on his face that l thought
boded much good for jim.
Strange Jim told lie
Who taught him?
One day Deacon Frisbie came to Deacon
Thorne to buy COW. The irrepressible
jim was on hand to drive up the cows, with
instructions to leave three Of the best ones
in the field
They were driven into the milking yard,
duly inspected by Deacon Frisbie, praised
or DEPRECATED by Deacon Thorne, as his anx-
iety to keep or sell ans particular one lay in
the scale. At last, by skiIlful manoeuyering,
Frisbie was induced to choose the poorest
one in the lot-not only in flesh, but every
way. And what think you decided him to
take her?
Deacon Thorne said to jim:
What do you think mother will say
when she finds out I've sold "Old Fill
Pail?"
20, she'll tear, replied Jim.
Did she tear? Not at all she bore it
with most Christian meekness merely say
ing to Deacon Thorne, when he and Deacon
Frisbie came in to finish business by trans
ferring fifty dollars from one pocket to an
other:
You always manage to sell the best cows
and keep the poorest. l guess you will find