The Bloomfield times. [volume] (New Bloomfield, Pa.) 1867-187?, 1873-03-18
Deacon Thrope's Pigeons.

destroyed by the large number of pigeons
thai came about, Deacon Thrope and
several of his friends were sitting outside
the Westinghouse one Sunday morning,
waiting for the minister to arrive, and, as
matter of course, talking about the pros
pect of having "nothing to feed on
through the coming winter. .A 'a % '-t
"It's orful ~ said one of the company.
&c never seen the pigeons so thick before.
My Bill and Ben went down to the roost
last night, and killed bagful with clubs.
l think they'll take all my corn"
"Oh, yes, it's orful p replied the Others
"That's nothing to what me and my
Felix Joshua did, day before yesterday"
said the deacon. "You know my bottom
field there ?" Well, they came in so thick
you couldn't see the ground. went down
to scare 'em out, and peradventure they
riz up like cloud, and you couldn't see
the sky for 'em. l hollered and clapped
my hands, and tore around until was plum
worried out, but did no good. They just
swarmed around over my head and as fast
as | went to one side of the field they began
to pour down on tother. Felix Joshua had
just got up to the crib with load of corn,
for he was gatherin' the ridge field, and l
went to where he was and told him to go
to the house and get his shot gun and my
shot gun, and we goes down. He slipped
along On one side of the field and slipped
along on tother, till we got about middle
ways, and then / gin holler, and up they
flew like whirlagust. blazed away IN
the thickest of 'em, and what do you
think ?-They were all gone in second.
Then me and Felix Joshua, we elem over
the fence, and says he, Father, this beats
all creation Says to him. 60 fetch the
steers and wagon and upon my word and
honor we picked up ten bushels !"
The good brothers stared wildly around
them, and probably would have accused
their deacon Of lying had they not been
interrupted by the arrival of the preacher,
and the announcement that meeting" was
agoin' to begin"
After the services were over, little groups
of the faithful might have been seen here
and there, engaged in earnest conversation.
Their subject was an exciting one, as you
might have inferred from the length of
their faces and the earnestness of their
gestures. If you had listened to their con-
versation, you might have heard something
about as follows:
"Did you hear what brother Thrope said
bout him and his Felix Joshe, KILN ten
bushels of pigeons at one shot"
yes, it's orful, aint it"
"It's lie as sure as shootin'. | don't
know what got into brother Thrope.'
"What'll be done about it? 1t mustn't
go so, it will ruin the name of the church,
owed better fetch it up next meetn',
and make him take it back, or church
him."
And SO it would go on. OF course the
good deacon heard whispers of it, which
gave him no little uneasiness. However
he had been in several scrapes before, and
had come out clear, and he doubted not he
could meet with the same good luck or
this occasion. Until the meeting day ar
rived the entire settlement was in an up
roar. Nothing was talked of but Deacon
Thrope's ten bushel of pigeons. The good
brothers said it was too bad to have the
church disgraced by deacon who tolt
such unreasonable tales, sighed, and said
"It is hard telling the power which th,
evil one exerteth."
At last the exciting day arrived. Th'
preacher stated the church was ready fo
the transaction of business, whereupoi
brother Fingle arose and said
tBrother Deacon Thrope says him anC
his Felix Joshua killed ten bushels o
pigeons at one shot. The church dom
believe it, and would love to hear what tn,
brother has to stay for himself"
With much solemnity the deacon arose
and after casting serious look over tn
congregation, and elevating his eyes to tn
rafters a few times, spoke as follows:
Brethren, there is a sad mistake out
didn't say we killed ten bushel at on
shot, but"
"What did yotf say ?" interrupted on
of the brothers, who was present when th
deacon first told about the pigeons
''Didn't you say you and Felix Joshu
both blazed awayp"
eyes"
"Didn't you say you both elem over til
fence P'' ,'
eyes peradventure."