The Union and journal. [volume] (Biddeford, Me.) 1858-1882, 1870-06-10
So; she can hear him the better thee


puts in the word obey Lydia, she'll
never do Il! I'll give you my pressed rose
leaf beads II she does
'Will thee, indeed? Oh, may she then
be led in the right path" 4.
1t threatened to be silent meeting;'
50 silent, that had an almost irresistible,
giggling sort of concern to get up and
speak myself. felt so sorry for those
two poor souls sitting on the bench. The
silence must have been appalling to them !;
n sort of purgatory, n waiting, not Tor
doomsday, but for the bliss, which could
only come after speaking. =
4 Nimrod kept turning white and red.
We could 500 him open his mouth with a
gulp; rise an inch or two from his seat
Ruth giving little sympathetic cores
again, his courage oozing out He would
half pull of one glove, then grabblo and
scratch II on again in great furry. Hc
favored the congregation with what SEEM
ed to be an organized series of these per-
formances, the preachers gravely observ.
ing him, and the congregation silent and
watching: when. 10! he had n spasln!
he tore Off his glove! he shot bolt upright
In the air on top of Ruth's stool! ho seized
her hand, nearly upsetting himself by
diving for 1t, pulled her up all In q flut-
ter, and mumbled out something between
q cry and croak, for no WAS in such n
paroxysm offright. Then he leaned over
nearly double, and listened toa little
squeak from Ruth. communicating to him
her intentions to hen-peck him well for
the rest of his days, for taking away her
stool, and standing upon it. l know that
| this was what she meant, if the words
were different. And so, mt last, all tho
misery was over; and after signing their
names to parchment scroll, which was
witnessed by some of the preachers, they
walked out of meeting, man and wife.
Al first Nimrod and his wife lived with
Samuel; and during all the honeymoon
his conduct was drab-colored and most ex-
emplary.
But one day Lydia told me that the bad
boy had not yet mended his ways. There
had been meeting offricnds at her faith
cr's house on special business, and on that
afternoon, Nimrod sauntcring home, saw
an organ.grinder and his monkey passing
the door; stopping him, he said, Does
thee see that house with the blinds drawn
DOWN.
The sunny and dirty Italian nodded,
with flourish of his white teeth.
We'll. whatever happens, do thee play
before that door until l desire thee to
leave
With another intelligent nod. and n jerk
mt the monkey, who took of its hat, and
made solemn, rcproachfil bow, he COM
monccd to grind out the drinking-song in
Lucrezia Borgia, with dislocating cncr-
gy, when tho door slowly opened, and
Samuel appeared. ......
Friend. he called, and the drinking
song came To u melancholy, bowling stop.
Friend, thy music is not desirable tn
me; here Is siNpence; so away speedily
and the door was shut.
Delighted with such gratuity, the man
was preparing to obey, when Nimrrs
strobe up to him from his ambush runnd
the corner, shaking his huge fist savagely,
retired.
Down went the organ, u new stop was
turned or put on, and this time Captain
Jinks of the Horse Marines" was teaching
the ladies chow to dance, how to dance,
now to Dance" and the poor little monk
ey was bowling, scraping, and dancing al
so with q solemn elegance worthy of Sir
Charles Grandson. wnen the door opened
and Samuel once more appeared.
Friend he mildly demonstrated, have
/ not told the already that thy music has
/. nothing to recommend 1t in my eyes?
Here Is another sixpence. l wish the
well; but thee must 60 away
Again the delighted Italian was packing
up TO leave, when his avenging Nemesis,
IN the shape of Nimrod's giant fist, caught
his eye. Another stop was turned on, and
the organ struck up Pat Malloy,' to tho
vociferous Joy ola dozen little r,lgmuilins,
who had collected to stare ut the monkey.
They all knew this elegant ditty, and TAX.
ing hold of hands, they danced around the
organ grinder, with the monkey In tho
middle making twenty bows minute,
and sang at the tops of their voices (:
'"Tis Pat am, for fourteen years was my moth
She keep: siI',io huct,ter'. shop, her n.mo it /,
Eve fourteen children, ra,,' says she, they arc
But then, you see. they're not like pigs, they can
This was too much The door opened,
this time with bang, just rs Nimrod with
q serene aspect was approaching 1t.
What is the matter, fathcrP he calmly
Inquired.
i have requested this siuful man to go
away twice, he answered. his eyes dart
darting steely-blue lightning. Il have
given him money each time, and yet with
innate depravity he persists in sorcly dis.
turbing the moeting.'
why, father, thee did not take tho right
way
What else could do. Nimrod?'
wilt thee let me tryP'
Surely
With bound like tiger, scattering
the ragged children right and left. MINI
rod was on the astoundcd organ.grinder.
on, rascalr no sho uted; of, or / will
break every bone in thy miserable body
and mako minccmeat of thy long-tailed
brother.' catching up the monkey and
flinging ii ut him; and In less time than 1t
takes TO tell II, man, organ and monkey
had disappeared head over heels round the
corner with such crashes and bangs against
the pavement, that II was wonder that
tc lode sc was not committed by all three.
There, father said Nimrod; thee scest
how he went for me- coming back laugh
Ing and breathlcss.
l thank thee, Nimrod,' hc gravely an
swcred; thee hast most persuasive man
ncr.' His blue eyes laughed. hut the
mouth was sober. rs was bciitting. when
he went back 10 the meeting, which il Is
needless to mention. was now conducted
without further interruption.
was sorry enough when I had to leave
my Quaker friends, to cross the wide
ocean; the chance was 40 remote that We
should ever sec each other again.
And tried tobe sorry when Lydia an
nounccd her intention Of becoming ono Of
the worlds people,
II was not all from love Of gay apparel,
Iol,ax.o p,a IL .vas from, Aostva In nm