The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1876-07-15
The Boy, the Beetle and the Dog.

The minister gave out his text and
droned along moHotonously through an
argument which Was 80 pr0sy that many
a head by and by began To nod, and yet
it was an argument that dealt in limit
less fire and birthstone, and thin ned the
predestined elect down 10 company SO
small as to be hardly worth the saving.
Tom counted the pages of the sermon;
after church he always knew how many
pages there had been, but he seldom
knew anything else about the dis
course. However this time he was real
w interested for little while.
The minister made grand and moving
picture OF the assembling together of the
worlds hosts at The Millennium, when
the lion and the lamb should lie down
together and little child SHOULD lead
them. But the pathos, the lesson, The
moral OF the great spectacle were lpso
upon the boy; he only thought OF The
cons spicuousness of the principal char
acter be- ore The ON looking nations; bis
lace lit up with the Thought, and he said
to himself he wished he could be that
child, If it was a tame lion.
Now be lapsed into suffering again, as
the dry argument was resumed. Pres
emily he betheught himself OF a treas
ure he had, and got it out. It was a
"a "pincn-bug" he called it. 1t was in
percussIon-cap box. The first thing
The beetle did WAS to take him by the
finger. A natural flip followed, the
beetle went fUundering in the aisle, and
lit on its back, and the hurt finger went
into the boys mouth. The beetle lay
here working its helpless legs, unable
lu turn over. Tom eyed it, and longed
for it, but it was sale out of his reacn.
Other people, unlnterested in the ser.
mon, FOUND relief in the beetle, and they
eyed it 100.
Presently yagrant poodle dog came
idling along, sad at Eeart, lazy with the
summer softness and the quiet, weary
OF captivity, signing tor change. He
spied the beetle; The dropping tail lifted
and wagged. lie surveyed the prIze;
walked round it; smelt Of it from a sale
distance; walked round 1T again; grew
boluer, and took a closer smell; then
| lifted his lip and made g.ngerly snatch
at it, just missing it; maue another and
another; began to enjoy the diversion; !;
| subsidized to his stomach with the beetle
between his paws, and continued his
experiments; grew weary at last, and
then Indifferent and absent minded.
His head nodded, and little by little
his chin descended and touched the en-
envy, who seized it. There was sharp
yep, frt OF the poodle's head, and the
beetle tell couple OF yards away, and
lit on its back once more. The neigh
boring spectators shook with a gentle
inward Joy, several faces went behind
fans and handkerchiefs, and Tom was
entirely happy. The dog looked foolish
and probably felt SO; but there WAS re-
sentiment in his heart, too, and a cray
ing Tor revenge.
So he went to the beetle and began a.
wary attack on it again; jumping at il
from every point Of circle, lighting
with his fore-paWs within an inch of the
creature, making even closer snatches
at it with his teeth, and jerking his head
Till his ears Trapped again. But he grew
tired once more, alter a whine; tried to
amuse himself with fly, but found no
relief; followed an ant around, with his
nose close to the Il Ior, and quickly
wearied OF that; yawned, signed, iorgOt
the beetle entirely. and sat uown on IL!
Then there was wild yelp of agony,
and the poodle went sailing up the
aisle; the yelps continued; and SO drd
the dog; he crossed the house III
front OF the altar; he few down
| the other aisle; he crossed before
| the doors; he c!ambered up the hume
stretch; his anguish grew With his prog.
| ress, I'll presently ne was wooly
comet, moving Ill its orbit With the CLEAN
and speed OF light. AL last the frantic
sufferer sneered from its course and
sprang into its master's lap; he flung II
Out Of the window, anu the voice OF dis.
lress quickly thinned away and died in
| the distance. Tom Sawyer
went home quiet cheerful, thinking to
himself that there was satisfaction about
divine services when there was bit OF
var ety in it. He had but one marring
Thought; he was willing that the dog
snould pay with his prnch-bug, but he
did not thInk it was upright to carry il
! off, Mark Twain's Tom sawyer"
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