The Tiffin tribune. (Tiffin, Ohio) 1868-1887, 1871-10-05
IFrom the NeEiYork News
Tho VeFmO7f Daae0a

: nner, and Deacon GOOdall, q. mer
: chant. These two men were INSOFAR
! able friends and irreeOneilable foes
! They could not stay apart, and they
: could never remain t0getheF, Away
coming to high words and parung II
the heat Of . quarrel.
: Every day did the Major mount hi
Isteed, pace. to town and get down a
! the store of his good friend, the Dea
/, con, All subdued By the last night
! encounter, and humbly resolved q
. sail under reefed canvas they sc
forth on a conversational voyage to
gether; but insensibly gliding ln5'
Z some stormy theme, the high WOra'
OF the previous day would be re-enact
ed and in hot wrath the Major WOult
mount for home, cool OF on the road
adiict himself with self-FeprOaehe;
over night, and the next day return
to renew the encounter.
;, Thus, day after day, week after
l week, and year after year, had revOlv-
ed the even current Of UnsYenness in
temper OF these iraseible friends, un-
I til each had grown gray in the war
I fare. But one IuckIess day the excite
ment had reached an unprecedented
fury, and the Major had so far forgot
ten himself as to seize. the Deacon by
his coat collar and administer to him
a vigorous shaking, then mounting
ihisfhOrse he 'spurredl for home.
The Oleyening &iTs and solitude
soon wrought their. usual work on the
iself-cOndemned Major, and he .expe-
trienced unusual selffeproaeh for his
.UnpardOnable loss of temper. sd Night
found him impatient for the morning,
and early morning found him on, his
way 20 beg the DeacOn's pardon. -r.
\ The merchant had not vet come
down to the store, and the impatient
! Major sought him at his homer. Re
spOnsiye to the early summons, down
came the Deacon. mild as SUMMER,
and shook the Majors prOflered band.
/ 81 was so ashamed of my conduct
! yesterday p said the Major, 9that ]
could not rest until / came and asked
Your pardon. To think we have been
friends for thirty years, and that I
should so far forget myself as to aCtu-
ally shake-y6u; was real quite unpRr-
"Oh, It was nothing" sOOthingly
replied the modified Deacon; "the
best of us will sometimes lose our self
cOntrol." -F1 V5t . p -iii l,'a t.
-.'sThen you forgive me- Really and
trniy forgive me?S pursued the Peni-
tent Major. q"
3 "Gertainlyl Certainly, I forgive
your replied the. amiable Deacon.
4. care you quite sure you do, nov ?
Fully and entirely, and are not mere
ly trying to do so, and would II YOU
could 2'' ID at ltil' ID i'a d.
''Why, yes, y laughed the Deacon
~ am quite sure ~ ..lf4I..--.i
"WelI,n - said the Major, brighten
ing, 'ff yOu are quite sure, 1 will yen-
tuTe to tell you a little story '''-'' BE-.
$50 on, y said the Deacon. .aif
b ''NOY, don't tell me youforgive me
IL you DON'T" -. ..... ...... y
2 IT assure you it is all the same as if.
it had never happened; so go on with
your stOTy.r la.iiEe.. r.t
"Wel, after we fell out last night
about something you said, you re-
member, that I would not credit, 1
rode home thinking over our little
difficulty-you have forgiven the
shaking, DeacOn2 When i reached
that part of the rOau where the steep
wall Is on one side and the precipiee
on the other, just as I got to the mar
rOWest part of the road, my horse
came to a full stop. [ had almost fall
len into a dOze, and maybe 1 had
dropped asleep, but to my seeming /
was as wide awake as am at this
moment; but be that as IL may, l
looked up, and there, right in front of
me, and astride Of the road, stood the
veritable devilW -.I. IL
s'The devil?5 cried the Deacon.
eyes" said the Major, looking very
grave, There was the devil, and he
said he bad come for me-"
aHad come for yoa@ queried the
Deacon, with a tone that smacked a
ffULTg OF relish IOr Lhe preuIcament. /
ayes :" pursued the Major, in a sOr-
rOwful tone, "the devil had come for
me. There was no getting forward,
for the devil had the whole road. No
turning around, for the road was too
narrow; no getting to the right, for !
the rock; nor to the left, for the prec- !
ipice. The situation was desperate, Il
but thought IL I must die / would /
die game So, said I, Mr.. Devil, this |
business is very sudden, and | must |
say your proposition is very ill-timed; I
have large family TO provide for, /
and really, at my time of life, could 4
not think Of such q thing, so you had !
better look up some other party, for 1 I
really must assure you that I cannot [
gop" -t. |
"'But / have come for you p said /
the Devil, and you must go Other |
men have to 90 that are worse of /
than you are, and your excuse viii [
not pass.
But, / urged, 'Mr Devil, il is tool
soon in the season, 1 have my pOta- I
toes 10 dig, my corn TO harvest, my
house to bank up, and, really, ] am /
not at your service
"'That is all very well in its way 4
said the Devil, 'but it will not answer {
with me; 90 you must
81 studied over the situation a min
ute and saw it was desperate case.
At last an idea struck me, and 1 said:
Mr.. Devil, you seem very urgent, and
If | must 20 you must do me a favor
in turn. Now, if you will do three
things for me, will go with you and
never say one word .. I..... ...5-
"phe old boy Yagged his tail at this,
his eyes twinkled, and no sooner were
the words out of my mouth than he
cried, done =
''He seemed very confident, but j /.
was not discouraged, and thought 1
had the best Of it yet. So told him
first of the great rock which stands
just where / want to place iny barn.
/ have not daredto blow it up for fear
the pieces would destroy my house,
and j could see no way Of getting rid
-. IL ~ En
said I, 'Mr. Devil, if, without any
damage, you will break that rock into
small pieces, so small that my oxen
can draw them away, j will be very
much obliged .... ... . -.
"But, bless yOu, no sooner were the
words out Of my mouth, than the old
gentlemen hit the rock one crack with
his fist, and it tumbled into as many
pieces as desired. / felt quite hOrri-
fed as, after this feat, his Satanic
Majesty stood twinkling before me,
and as if nv soul stood scarcely the \
ghost OF a chance. However, I had |
two trials left, and l determined To /
make the most Of them.
"You know the old butternHt by 1
the gate ? 1 have always wanted that |
away. It was dangerously large to /
fell, and then the stump would be /
even more annoying than the tree. |
So, said /: Mr.. Devil, if You will just /
clear out that butternutS root and /.
branch, and put it at my mill, ready I
for saving into lumber, / VIII be
much Obliged
"But no sooner said than done. !
The butternut flew through the air,
and in a moment was at the mill, |
with the limbs cut or and lying side
by side in perfect saving order.
"The Devil, in a glow Of triumph,
now stood looking at me, and 1 felt
that but a step lay between me and
my doom. However, l had one more
trial and took it"
The Majors eyes spaTkled as the
DeacUn's breathless attention follow
ed the tale.
% Now said l, MIR. Devil, 1 have
one more task to set you, and L am
done. II you can tell bigger lie than !
] Deacon Goodall, Mr.. Devil, / am
yoursr And would you believe 10, |
the devil was 50 taken aback, and was
in such a rage Of disappointment, that
he Just sat down and cTied.'