The Republican journal., 1872-05-23
A Race To- ife.

| tort ana even Sut1erlng 10 InOSe around
him. This fault was an almost irresistible
f,ndness for practical joking, that would
| not allow HIM to let an opportunity pass
unimproved wherein he could crafty this
| special passion of his being.
| There came a time, however, when the
! exercise of this peculiarly brought upon
| him au ordeal so sharp that it cured his
| unfortunate propensity, to the great JOY OF
his family and friends. The process was
| disagreeable, but the cure was etfectual
and permanent.
One day Peter had been at work few
miles from his home. After his days h
Dor was finished, his employer invited him
| to partake of the evening meal with him.
this invitation Peter accepted, and then,
his system fortified by hearty supper, he
| commenced his journey homeward.
The path which Peter trod that night
would lead one to-day through cultivated
fields and by many pleasant tarm-houses,
but then it was a broken forest.
Ii was a dark cold December night. the
wind swept fittully among the great pines
and beecheS, and strange mourning sounds
went sobbing through the forest now and
then an owl uttered it, hoarse cry, or the
sudden rattling Of the dead leaves told
when some timid annnts scurried away
from the sound of footsteps.
But Peter was strong and stout-hearted,
and trudged quietly along without pay
ngmuch attention to The sights and sounds
around him, until he had achieved perhaps
One-haIf his Journey, when suddenly his
ears caught the sound of horses feet de-
scendng the long, rocky path behind him.
Gradually the sounds drew nearer, until
| the sharp. per'lilAr voice" of the hnrseman
could he heard urging the beast to 4 fast
er gait
"Ah, ha," said Peter % himself as he
| heard the familiar tones ''that is Uncle
Tom Barry
| Now Uncle Tom and Peter were neigh
! bOrs. that Is to say, their Clr9ring5 lay
| about 4 mile apart, and none knew better
| than Peter th,t the old man was naturally
| Of tirnid disposition, and furthermore
that nothing inspired hin with greater
| fear, nothing that he had not rather meet
! than wolf
NJ sooner. therefor, had Peter become
! con, iu.-ri that the hDrecmln behind him
| was his neighhor th4n he resolved to use
I this trait Of Uuce TOMS as a meaEs OF
working out what he considered would be
IL most capital Joke. His plans We're soon
| I.iJ ana b, ,,rnnna.laJ t0 pttt than, into
4xrrnfi,n Crprnire tbrou(,h the under
| .,ruwrh which borJered lis nath he
I cronrh4d down and n,tientlv awaited the
,,,,,,.,,.,,I, - ~. ,.;..,;L,, Ua'ba1nnt wa;t
! of I,nlr hof,rn J-,,ol, To,,, bis horse Of =
/ shar,l ,.nt ana hin,sa1f cas,;n,, timid
1 oiannas ~ aronnd | arr;,lod 'r nnnoIitn 5;s Waco
| 99f no,,,aaIn'nnt patnr .,JIowo1 hin "a
n.s. - f.,n, ,,,nns and tbnn snrinr;nr for
! i,,',,., ,.,, ,i ,,,l i.raoi he ,,ttorad
on, ~, t,r'i snnrIin,, ,,.lns foIlow.d bv the
/ Inn1 rIe,r s+ntbnrinr rrr Of tbe wolves
,rl, ne;t -9,t,'l,, fr7',i,, rr,,,, MS oIootr;
.,l S,.;,,.r;.,lr l,If ,,,.,,, |,,t Ems saddle
.,,,t.,i = -, ~ +,,,.,.l,,. a,d 4bon
sroonin,, nnti, hi. haaJ nearly tonrhed the
,,,,, ~ ,i,,n'rn,, III, s,,,,,.in+o M, horsa,.
aanL5 an1 WIS otf. down thn rnad ike a
shat far pntnr he rolIe1 over ON his
! l,.,,i .na l.i,.,.aJ t.;s hoalS in bu,ra nn;nv.
,,,,,'t af .,l,,.,g, ,,iI.,nd l,,,,r 1a lanpb-
nI nn.ss;nm.II,, ,.ar,n,r tba nertnrmanca
,,, ,al';,.r '.l', th, t,rn., ,;n,r WITH renpt-
',t'> th9 ,,,I3 sar.,o.n ,,.7 ,hat baa str,cl
srnL t,r',r i,,tn l-nlj1 Tnn,,. timia heart