Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1875-11-10
The BOY i'll Church.

He was playing at the gate as I
went past, and | heard his father call
out
''Boy, you want to gallop in here
and get ready for meeting ?"
"Shi !" briefly repeated the lad.
"Shi Z! I'll shi you, young man, if
you don't trot in here lively ! You'd
be as bad as Jesse Pomeroy if left
without father for three months !"
II would, hey 2"
"No sass, young man--its time
you were getting ready for church "
The minister was giving out his
text when the boy and his father
came in. There was considerable i'm
provemenL in the lads looks. His
hair had been creased and combed, he
had on his Sunday jacket, and there
was a religious look in his eyes as he
fell into the pew.
ought to have listened closely to
the sermon, but | did not. The boy
and his father were in the pew next
ahead, and | couldn't help but watch
him. | have my opinion about fore
ing boys Of ten or twelve years Of age
to listen to sermons which not one
adult mind in five can fully grasp, and
[ was wiling to chance my theory on
that boys actions.
He got along very well for the first
ten minutes. Then he asked his faith
what time it was, and VIXEN the par
ent replied with warning shake of
the head the boy cast around him for
something to interest his mind. The
preacher settle down to his discourse
and the boy settle down to his plan of
wearing away the coming hours. He
reached over and got hold of his faith
er's silk hat, and was trying to re-
move the band when the parent took
it away and bent over and whispered: :
boy, ifyou don't pay attention to
the preacher III break your neck when
when we get home !"
The lad fixed his eyes on the clergy
man. He saw that the good man had
auburn hair, blue eyes, horid com
pleXion, and was well dressed. He
heard him make use OF such words as
'fortuitous,' - 'unexampled,' and ''re-
pellant," and without being able to
tell whether they referred to new
kind OF string beans or the Gospel of
Christian light, he reached out and Sc
cured his fathers cane. lie punched
at several file, crammed the silver
head into his month until he turned
purple in the face, and finally reached
over and jabbea woman under the
left shoulder. His father then grasp.
ed the cane, laid it away, and whisp ,
ed:
Young man, I'll tan the hide otl'n ,
YOU when we get home!' {
The words were intended to make |
he boy pay strict attention to the s
balance OF the sermon He strai ght c
sned up, looked at the preacher again,
md tried hard to understand the dis h
,ourse. The good man was trying to t
explain the difference between theoret- t
cal and practical Christianity, and i'll a
wo minutes the lads eyes were fixed Il
IN the chandeliers. He counted the S
lumber of burners over and over, and s.
himself for an instant he d
'egan to sing. His father gave him a d
lick and leaned over and whispered 81
"Oh boy, I'll make you hump the a
minute we get into the house p W
Knowing that his father would keep W
is word, but yet hoping to break the II
orce Of the prospective 'peeline" by a
eing real good tor the next halt hour, Ia
he boy faced the clergyman again. tt
lie knit his brow and plainly showed nj
is determination to understand and W
lterest himself in all that was said al
he good man was drawing a parallel, OF
nd dozen of the church members gl
'ere half asleep. 1t was discourag- W
lg, and after two or three minutes tn
le boy got hold of a bit of paper,
added it up, stuffed into his mouth,
nd chewed it awhile, and then bal Ill
ncing the wad on his thumb, he WI
evated it ten feet toward the ceiling. d
The law Of gravitation applies to III
as well as to iron weights. 'h
his one came down in short time, Sc
I'd, as luck would have it, it struck "a
lie bald pate of the halfasleep sexton. MI
he victim gave start of alarm, 'h
hirled quickly around, and the boys tre
ther pinched him savagely and all
hispered