Buchanan County bulletin. [volume] (Independence, Iowa) 1869-1891, 1874-12-25
DEACON GRIFFITH'S SON.
A Sketch from Lifc.
BY SARAH HART.


con Griffith and his wife sat readin!
in their comfortable arm-chairs. TIL
deacon's feet were elevated on tn
back of the sofa and he was deep il
the columns of the week. ly newspaper
His son, a lad of about ten years o
age, shuffied about the room or loung
ed OH the floor, but betrayed in ever,
action nervous restlessness. Sool
a merry whistle escaped him, but i
was instantly hushed by his father
i'll a stern voice.
"Do yon know it is Sunday, sir
Go and sit down and keep still!'
81 can't" answered the lad.
"Such pest as you are, anyway
said his father.
"Why are you so restless, Charlie?'
asked his mother, with a frown, al
she looked up from the magazine
which she was reading. "You ammo,
me almost to death with your restless
ness and everlasting questions"
"Well, l can't have my playthings
nor hammer, nor do anything, be
cause it's Sunday. l hate Sundays
said the boy.
''That's because you're a boy, ant
don't like anything but making ;
noise," said the mother. 'Why dom
you take Il book aud sit down an(
read?"
81 hate books, too, only in school
That's the place for books" answer
ed the boy pettishly.
Both parents resumed their read
ing.
"Let's all take a walk said Char
lie, after what seemed to him yer,
long silence.
No answer. Another silence.
"May l take walk? Say, father
may II"
''Yes. Take a walk, and we shall
be glad to be rid of YOU"
/ He was handsome lad. His form
was 1.-THE and slender as a reed, hi.
blue eyes full of fire, and his fran.
full of restless activity. His every
motion told you of quick perceptions
and keen, eager insight. Had he
been anything else but that unfortu
nate being an only child-he migh'
have been less restless; for there wa.
enough inventive genius about hin
to amuse dozen little ones. But he
had no such outlet for his tircless
thoughts, so he worried, and teased
and asked questions of his parents
until their small stock OF patience be
ing exhausted, they threw open tn,
highway and let him walk there
in.
Free to act as he pleased, Char
lie Griffith stepped lively down The
street.
cit is so nice to be out-of-doors," he
said to himself. 81 don't see wha
God made Sundays for, anyway
just for big folks to read, and smoke
and find fault with boys, l guess. L
l could only have my tool-chest ant
tools, and just hack away, and make
sleds, and ships, and anything else,
would just as soon have it Sunday ~
Saturday. But no, l must sit still
and rcad-how l hate books to read
They're all about those good boy'
who are always saving somebody
life, or getting killed for telling tn.
truth, or dying, or something Of thu
kind"
"Hello! Charlie Griffith, is tina
you? Does your mother know you're
out?"
Charlie looked around, upon hear
ing his name called, and saw Jo'
Stewart.
"Where are you going?" askeo
Joe.
"Oh, just down here aways," sale
Charlie, stopping for Joe to overtak'
him.
"Just out for walk, eh? Well
SO am l" said Joe. "Suppose we g
together.
Joe was about three years olde1
than Charlie, and was not just such /:
boy as Charlie had been taught te
associate with. He played truan,
sometimes, and some other acts o1
! which Charley had heard at school
made him a suspicious character
But Charlie only gave that a passing
thought, if, indeed, he thought of i
at all. 1t suited him so much better
to have company than to go alone, Sc
he readily consented.
Lets go down to the pond" sale
Joe, as they walked along. ''It''
real nice down there. There's lot.
of minnies, and lots Of other fish
too"
Charlie made no objection, SO te
the pond they went.
1t acas "real nice down there" a!
Joe had said. A beautiful sheet o
water lying quietly in valley, it
clear depths rejecting the trees ant
shadows Of the hills. Not ripple
disturbed it's surface until the boy;
began amusing themselves by throw
ing pebbles across it. Soon firing o
this, Joe suggested that they wade in
asserting that he had been in ther'
a-swimming, many time, and knew
its depth, and pulling off his shoes, HI
waded in, urging Charlie to follow
Charlie was not 10th to obey. Thi
was new fun for him, and he relishet
it as one of his eager Temperament
would.
eff we just had my fishing-line, w
would have some bully fun, " said Joe
"This catching polywogs and wadin!
in only ankle deep is only baby
play"
"But you wouldn't fish on Sunday
would you?" asked Charlie.
"No; Of course not" answered 10
with pious Indignation. "But W
might come next Saturday"
The shadows of the hills had gon