Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1873-12-20

"And there was the lion, my breth-
ren-ah, what is the king Of beasts, ac-
cordin' to Scripter-ah, and who, as st.
Paul says-ah, prowls around of night
like roarin' devil-ah, a-seekin' if he
can't catch somebody y-ah, all a-gwine
into the ark-ah.
"And there was the antelope-ah, my
bretheren that frisky little critter-ah,
of which Goldsmith describes in his
Animated Nater'ah, what jumps sew
enty-fve foot straight up-ah, and twice
that distance down-ah, provided his
legs will take him that fur-ah, all
a-gwine into the ark-ah. And the hea-
vens of the windows was opencd-ah,
and the floods of the great deep xiv
cred the waters-ah, and there was Ham,
and there was Shem, and there was ia
phet-ah, all a-gwine into the ark-ah."
Just at this point he stopped speak
ing a few moments, wiped his forehead,
turned back his wristbands, ran his
fingers through his hair, spit and
rubbed his boot in it, drank little wa
ter, commenced on q lower key, and
proceeded rs follows:
"But time would fail me, my breth-
ern, to describe all the animals that
went into the ark-ah. Your patience and
my strength would give out before 1
got half through-ah. We talk, my
brethren, about the faith of Abraham.
and the patience of Job-ah; but it
strikes me they didn't go much ahead
of old Noer-ah. 1t tuck q right smart
chance O both to gether up all that
gopher-wood and pitch and other truck
for to build that craft-ah. I am sort
of a carpenter myself, and have some
idee of the job-ah. But to hammer,
and saw, and maui, and split away on
that one thing hundred and twenty
year-ah, an lookin' for his pay in anoth-
er world-ah-I tell We, my bretherin, if
the Lord had a-sot Job at that, it's my
opinion he would a-tuck his wife's ad-
vice inside of fifty year-ah. Besides,
no doubt, his righteous soul was vexed
every day, hand-runnin' with the filthy
communications of the blasphemous
set that has a-loaferin' and a saunter-
in around-ah, a-pickin' up his tools and
a-misplacin' 'em, and a calm him an
old fool or somethin' worse-ah, and to
cap the climax, he was preacher, and
had that unsodly gineration in his
hands every Sunday-ah. But the Lord
stood by him and seed him through the
job-ah; and when everything was ready
he didn't send Noer out to scrimmage
and sco1r and hunt all over the wild
world for to get up the critters and var
mints that he wanted saved-ah. They
all come to his hand of their own ac-
cord, and Noer only had to head 'em
i'll and fix 'em around in their places-ah.
Then he gethered up his own family,
and the Lord shut him in, and the
heavens of the windows was opened
all.
"But, my bretherin', Noer-ah had
use for patience after this-ah. Think
what time he must a-had a-feedin' an
a-waterin' and a-cleanin' out after such
crowd-ah. Some of 'em, accordin' to
Goldsmith Animated Mater -ah was
carniverous, and wanted fresh meat-ah:
and some was herbivorious, aud wanted
vegetable food-ah; and some was worm
ovorious, and swallered live things
whole-ah: and he had to feed every
thing accordin' to its mater. Hence,
we view, my brethern-ah, as the mater
OF the animals wasn't altered by going
into the ark-ah, some of en- would
roar and howl, and bark, and bray,
and squeal, and blate, the whole in
durin' night-ah, a-drivin' sleep from
his eyes, and slumber from his eyelets-
ah; and at the first streak O. daylight
the last hoof of 'em would set up a
noise accordin' to its nater-ah, and the
Bashan wer'n't no whar-ah. I've Of
ten wondered how their women stood it.
scripter is silent ON this pint-ah; but
think l know of some that would a-been
vapory and nervous under sich circum-
stances-ah, and in an onguarded mo-
ment might a-said somethin' besides
their prayers-ah."
Here the speaker stopped again, spit,
took water, etc. and hastened to a con-
clusion.
My bretherin," said he, one word
more for old Noah-ah, and 1 will draw
to close-ah. After the out-beatin