The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1875-10-28
rnE BOY IN CHURCH.

Is 1d rnE BOY IN CHURCH.
He was playing at the gate as went
past, and l heard bis father call out:
"Boy, you want to gallep in, here
aud get ready for meeting" oa
stShil" briefly replied the lad. (
,4Shi! I'll shi you young man, il you
don't tret in here liveIyl You'd be as
bad as .Jessee Pomeroy If I left yeu
without q father fer three months!"'
81 would, hey2"a4o5a Oh ,taaz
"No sass, young man, it's time you
were getting ready for churchl" ne2 :
The minister was giving out his
text, when the boy and his father came
in. There was considerable improve
ment in the boys looks, his hair had
been creased and .combed, he had on
his Sunday jacket, and there was . re-
1igious look in his eyes, as he fell into
the pew. ..
I 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 forcing
boys tf 10 or - years Of age to listen
to sermons which net one adult in i've
can fully grasp, and was willing to
chauce my theory on that boys ac-
tons. ~...., i
He got along very well for the first
ten minutes. Then he asked his father
what time it was, and when the parent
replied with q warning shake of the
head the boy cast around him fer
something to interest his mind. The
preacher settled down to his discourse
and the boy settled down to his plan
of wearing away the coming hour
Hesreached over and got hold of his
fathers silk hat, and was trying to re.
move the band when the parent took
it away and bent over and whispered /:
"Boy, if you don't pay attention to
the preacher, I'll break your neck
when we get home!"
The lad fixed his eyes on the clergy
man. He saw that the good man had
auburn hair, blue eyes, forid complex
ion, and was well dressed. il He heard
him make use Of such words az s'sfor-
tuitous, "unexanpled," and 'srepel-
lent" aud without being able to tell
whether they referred to new kind
of string beans or the gospel Of Chris
tian light. he reached out and secured
his fathers cane. He punched at sew !.
eral flies, crammed the silver head inte
his mouth until he turned purple in
the face, and finally reached over and
jabbed woman under the left shoul-
der. His father then grasped the cane,
laid it away, and whispered:
"Young man, I'll tan the hide off'n
you whom We get home"
The words were intended to make
the boy pay strict attention to the bal
ance Of the sermon. He Strengthened
up, locked at the preacher again, and
tried hard to understand the discourse
The good man tried to explain the
difference between theoretical and
practical Christianity, and in two min
utes the lad'e eyes were fixed on the
chandeliers. He counted the plumber
of burners ever aud over again, and
forgetting himself for a moment, began
to sing. His father gave him a, kick,
and leaned over and whispered
"Ohl I'll fix you for thisl Just let
me get you home once!"
1 couldn't see how the bow was to
blame. He couldn't understand one
word in ten of the sermon; he saw q
dozen men aroand him asleep; itwas
a hot day: he was a nervous boy and
used to moving around, and his own
father had been gazing out Of the win
dow in an absent way for quarter Of
an hour. He made last grand effort.
He braced his nerves, shut his teeth
hard, and sat up erect as . new hitch
ing-post. The clergyman seemed to
look right at the boy as he used twen-
ty big words in succession, and the
lad gave it up. He opened the pew
door and was trying to entice small
dog to come in when his father awoke
and whispered: t'ss h5 $3.50 81
"You wait-oh, yoa just wait !"
The exercises closed just then, and
the boy walked home behind his par
ent to get dressing down for not
having the mental calliber of full
grown man, and for net sitting still
and going to sleep like his father.