The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1874-12-25

~
ing remnants Of one of those I'M.
timely sufferers, an odour assail.
ed his nostrils, unlike any scent
which he had before experienced.
What could it proceed from? not
from the burnt cottage-he had
smelt that smell before-indeed
this was by no means the first ac-
cident of the kind which had oc-
Cured through the negligence of
| this unlucky young fire-brand.
Much less did it resemble that of
any known herb, weed, or flower.
A premonitory moistening at the
same time overf1owed his neither
lip. He knew notiwbat to think.
He next stopped down to feel the
pig, if there were any signs of life
in it. He burnt his fingers, and
to cool them he applied them in
his BOBBY fashion to his mouth.
Some of the crumbs of the scored
skin had come away with his
fingers, and for the first time in
This life in the worlds life indeed,
for before him no man had known
IT'D he tasted-crdckline!, Again
hs felt and fumbled at the pig. 1t
dad not burn him SO much now,
still he licked his fingers from a
sort of habit. The truth at length
broke into his slow understanding,
that it was the pig that smelt so,
and the pig that tasted so deli
cious; and surrendering himself
up to the newborn pleasure, he fell
to tearing up whole hands-full of
the scorched skin with the flesh
next it, and was examining it down
his throat in his beastly fashion,
when his sire entered amid the
smoking rafters, armed with re-
tributory cudgel, and finding how
affairs stood, began to rain blows
upon the young rogue's shoulders,
as thick as hail stones, which b.
DO needed not any more than i'll
they had been flies. The tickling
pleasure which he experienced in |
his lower regions, had rendered
him qnite callous to any incon-
veniences he might feel in those
remote quarters. His father
might lay on. but he could not
beat him from his pig, till he had
fairly made an end of it, when, be,
coming a little more sensible of
his situation, something like the |
following dialogue ensued:
"You graceless whelp, what
have you got there devouring?
Is it not enough that you have
burnt me down three houses with |
your dogs tricts. and be hanged to |
you! but you must be eating fire,
and know not what-what have
you got there, say?'
o, father, the pig, the pig! do |
come and taste how nice the burnt |
pig eats"
The ears of Ho-ti tingled with |
horror. He cursed his son, and |
he cursed himself that ever he
should beget son that should |
eat burnt pig.
Bo-bO, whose scent was wonder
fully sharpened since morning,
soon raked out another pig, and
fairl y rending it asunder, thrust
the lesser half by main force into
the fists of Ho-ti, still shouting
our, "Eat, Eat, eat the burnt pig,
father, only taste-O, Lord" with
such like barbarous calculations,
examining all the while as if he
would choke.
HO-ti trembled in every joint
while he grasped the abomnible
thing, wavering whether he should
mot E1f hiC 70 6nnfh
unnatural young monster, when
the cracking scorching his fingers,
as it had done his sons, and ap-
plying the same remedy to them
he in his turn, tasted some of its
favour, which, make what sour
mouths he would for a pretense,
proved not altogether displeasing
to him. In conclusion (for the
manuscript here is little tedious),
both father and son fairly sa
down to the mess, and never left
left off till they had dispatched all
that remained of the litter.
Bo-bo was strictly enjoined not
to let the secret escape, for the
neighbors would certainly have
stoned them for a coufle of abom-
Unable wretches, who could think
of improving upon the good meat
which God has sent them. Never
theless, strange stories got about.
1t is observed that Ho-ti's cottage
was burnt down now more fire.
quently than ever. Nothing but
fires. from this time toward. Some
would break out in broad day,
others in night time. AS often as
the SOW narrowed so sure was
the house of Ho-ti to be
in blaze; and Ho-ti him.
self, which was the more re-
markable, instead of chastising
his son, seemed to grow more in
dulgent to him than ever. At
length they were watched, the ter
ribie mystery discovered, and
father and son summoned to take
their trial in Pekin, then an in
considerable assize town. Evid-
ence was given. the obnoxious
food itself produced in court and
verdict about to he pronounced
when the foreman of the jury beg
ged that some of the burnt pig, of
which the culprit stood accused,
might be handed into the box.
He handled it, and they all hand
led it; and burning their fingers,
as Bo-bo and his father had done
before them, and nature prompt
ing to each of them the same
remedy, against the face of all the
facts, and the clearest charge
which judge had ever given, to the