The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1873-10-08
MISCELLANY
THE WISE FOOL.

is been suited, sir ''cried Jonah Dix,
BIN half-whining, half-angry tone, ashe stood
before his Sunday school teacher, in his count
ing-room, twirling his torn hat around and
around.
"Tm sorry for that my boy said the kind
gentleman; s.who has been yexillg you ?"
go, not wexin. I didn' say sir; nobody
hain't been a soerin of me it's 'sultin' of me
they's been.n
r.,sWho are they ~ = f1Fatf
"The boys incur class, sir.s' 2 :
go, but they are little fellows, and you are
SO much older, that you ought to laugh, and
take on notice of them.'
"Ha," exclaimed Jonah "that air will
do for tal1, but guess if they follered gou
about, a twitchin' of your coattails, and a
piinin rags on o'em, and sprmlslin saw
dast into your hair when You FEN asleep
parin' 'taters-T guess, if they hollered artcr
you Jonah, how's your gourd CROWN >
and 'Goodmornin', Simon, son of Jonas, ;
and lots more O. nicknames, you wouldn't
stand it no better'n / do but that ain t
the worst ont
"I'm ashamed Of the boys. and shall see
them all before Sunday about it. What is the
worst of it, Jonah?"
"Well, I'll tell you. I've been 'bused
bouts bad's any fellow been kicked out o.
the. store and the tavern, cause was lazy,
when nobody would give me work, and then
kicked out O. the poorhouse, cause l was big
enough to work Now, you see I'm skeart o.
kickin', though car stand that I've been
most starved and goneAwith my toes out o.
my boots in snow time, and can stan that
but when it comes to calm me an Irishman,
and writn' of my name with chalk on fences
and barn1doors, tJonah o. Dix, Cts n1ole'n
can stan! Why, sir, was born, every bit O.
me, down to Jericho Four Conners-that was
afore my mother ded--and the old neighbors
all know that, for it comesof smarkable day,
the day that Gineral Harrison died and if
you won't b'lieve me, nor the old folks o.
Jericho Four Corners, We can look in the
poor-house books where mothern me was
took to and if you won't b'leve the poor
house writtin' books, you can write to Miss
Gineral Harrisony for, o course, if she's got
any sense at all, she members the day the
Gineral died--though don't for some rea-
son or mother. I'm as much 'Mercan as
them boys is, if their fathers is rich, and they
wears sleeve-buttons !"
This poor fellow was more than thirty years
old, but, as'he could not read, he was put in
to a class of small boys, and with them learn
ed the Scripture lessons.
The little fellows thought it fine sport to
tease him. They called him " the grandpa of
the Glass; .stlie Methuselah of the Sunday
school.
They were more thoughtless than cruel for
they often gave him money, took him to sail
in their painted boats, bet him 60 fishing
and nutting with them; and, simple as he
was, their mothers always felt easy about
them when "old 10" was with them, for he
had the fearsof God ever before him. and
kept sharp eye on all the boys about, that
they did not sin.
As 10 could not read for himself, he was
obliged to store the truth up in his memory
as he got it from others; and sometimes the
advice of his teacher, the warnings of his
minister, and the words of Scripture, were
strangely mixed up his mind. K J. "a M
The superintendent, as well as the teacher
Of his class, was very kind to the poor, friend
less fellow, who spent his summers hoeins
potatoes and driving cows for the farmers
and has winters in the poof4house.
They saw that he was comfortably clothed
ana kindly treated, and they always humoret
nm IN any harmless fancy, as if he were :
enlid-as buying him torpedoes and fre-crack
srs ana supplying him with itde fiaglt,
wave on tne fourth of July, when he halloee
.he soudest IN the crowd of patriotic boys
Tor ne always sought their company. shooting
marbles and flying kites with as much pleas
: ure as any of them.
The Sunday after the conversation reneate,
! here, Jonah appeared in the Sunday schoo
much neater than usual with q. white poke
handkerchief tied around his neck