Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1873-12-10
John Paul on the Panic.

i & John Paul on the Panic.
Well, as ! was saying, we all knew
this storm was coming But / have
yet TO SEQ the man who thought it
was coming just yet, or took in his
lower sails, If ho did his topsails.--
When II camc or showed itself near
n hand would be time enough to be
lodging, they thought. And my
lather once had horse in his stables,
fine, spirited creature, which was
bnd of fondling around. The old
gentleman warned me that be might
lick, but didn't thank him for that
of course he might kick-any horse
might for that matter. But hadn't
been round the stables, when supposed
I u DO at school, for nothing / had
z77thstiood that whom he kicked ho laid
his ears back. So waltzcd around
"John the Baptist"-that was the no.
BILE. animals name, though why so
christened, unless because of his abli-
ty TO kick a path through a wilder
ness, do not know--jnst as usual,
and relied on religious observation
of his ears for safety. At the least
dropping of that barometer i stood
ready to jump. Ono day, having
business about his manger-business
not wholly unconnected with q hens
nest-I approached by what may be
designated as flank movement, and
requested him 10 stand over on the
other side of the stall, as | wished TO
come in. That there might be no
mistake about my meaning, | made it
quite clear by pricking the flank most
in my way gently with pitchfork.--
But was careful to watch his cars
very carefully whilc making the re-
quest.
Now, If you'll believe me, l didn't
see his ears drop, neither did i see his
foot rise, but did hear boy about
my size strike against tho other side
Of the barn with bang. And after
an hour or two, when l had collected
my scattered thoughts, and picked up
the jewsharps and jack-knives and
green apples and stolen watormclons
that the industrious animal had kicked
out of me, and climbed up in the hay
loft for the double purpose of picking
up tho top of my head, which accord
ing 10 all evidence of the senses, must
have landed tbere-and get better
view Of what was going on down be-
low, ] remarked that that horses ears
were laid down on his oack as fiat as
though tailors goose had lit on
them. But the warning did me very
little good then. And when / went
into the house and the old gentleman
said he told me so, and that it would
only have served me right if the horse
had kicked me into the middle Of
next week, l found no relief for my
bursting bosom { i'll l had emptied the
red-pepper cruit into the manger of
"John the Baptist"-turning his clo-
yer hay into the very widest kind of
honey-and set him sneezing till those
confounded ears of his stood up so
stiff and straight that they raked for
ward like a jack-rabbit's. And /
made up my mind then and there new
er again to let my liking for brisk
business bring me round anything the
further end of which one has to watch
TO see what the nearer end is going to
do, especially when that
-nearer one
Still, and rearer one
Yet than the other,
has way Of lifting so quick and easy
II is sound business judgment 10
avoid the vicinity of any animal
whose skin is go short that be cant
drop bis ears without raising his heels,
tho more so if he happens to be so par
ticularly lively that he can 60 through
both motions at once. Further than
this, don't know that there's any
special point to my story. But was
good deal hurt at the time, and my
nose ever since has bore considerable
resemblance TO badly turned pan
cake. 1t has been somo satisfaction
to feel that | am more familiar with
the HABITS of the horse than | was be-
forc tho accident happened, and III
any one fishes moral out of my story,
|: will not further crafty mo to know
that my nose was not aattened in
vain.
For an explanation Of the present
trouble ] do not think that it IL nocos-
sary to look very far. If you have
ever had hold Of young and grow.
ing dog, you must haze poticod that
nature keeps the skin good deal big.
ger than the dog. You con take up
the slack of the skin in your hands,
put Two or three reefs in it If you
like, without pinching the dog at all.
The matter with us is simply that our
dog has grown so fast as to become
too big for his skin-aftcr stretching
day after day till it got to be as thin
as tissue paper II has finally BURST
For several years the dog has been
hide-bound. But don't think he's
dead, even now.--John Pam, in N. Y.
Tribune.