The interior journal. [volume] (Stanford, Ky.) 1872-1881, 1876-08-25
Tk~ nov ~ fharch


and get ready for mectingT
"Shiw briefly replied the lad.
"Sbil III shi you, young man, il
you don't trot in here lively You'd
be as bad a. Jesse Pomcroy IL left
without father for three months y
II would, hey'"
ono sass, young man-its time you
were getting rcadyfor church,"
The minister was giving out his text
when the boy and his father came in.
There was considerable improvement
n the lads looks. His hair had been
CREASED and combcd, he had on his
Sunday jacket, and there was reli-
gious look In his ewes as he fell into the
pew
] ought to have listened closely to
the sermon, but did not. The boy
and lis father we're in the pew next
ahead, and | couldn't help but watch
him. lhave my opinion abou, forcing
boys of ten or twelve years Of age to
listen to sermons which not one adult
mind in five can fully grasp, and | was
willing to chance my theory on that
boys actions.
lie 80: along very well for the first
ten minutes. Then he asked his father
what time II was, and when the parent
replied with warning. shake If the
head the boy cast around him for
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. He
reached over and got hold Of his fa'
theirs silk hat, and was trying to re.
move the band when the parent took
1t AWAY and bent over and whispered:
''Boy, If you don't pay attention to
the preacher I'll break your neck
when VIC get home! !"
The lad fixed his eyes on the clergy.
man. He saw that the good man had au-
burn hair, blue eyes, ford complexion,
and was well dressed. He heard him
make use Of such words as "fOrtuitous,
-'uncxampled," and "repellant," and
without being able to tell whether they
referred to new kind of striDg-beans
or the Gospel of Christian light, he
reached out and secured his fathers
cane. He punched at several flies.
crammed the silver head into. his
mouth until he turned purple in the
face, and finally reached owe. and job
bed woman under the left shoulder.
His father then grasped the cane, laid
it away, and whispered:
"Young man, I'll tan the hide Off
You when We get home"
The words were intended to make
the boy pay strict attention TO the bal
ance of the sermon. He Strengthened
up, looked at the preacher again, and
tried hard to understand the discourse
The good !&n was trying to explain
the difference between theoretical aud
practical Christianity, and in two min
utes the lads eyes were fixed on the
chandeliers. He counted the number
Of burners over and over, and forget
ting himself for an instant he began to
sing. His father gave him kick and
leaned over and whispered:
"Oh boy, Ill make you hump the
minute we get into the house!" Know
ing that his father would keep bis
word, but yet hoping to break the
force of the prospective "peeling' by
being real good for the next half hour.
the boy faced the clergyman again.
He knit his brows and plainly showed
his determination to understand and
interest himself in all that was said.
The good man was drawing parallel,
and dozen Of the church membe.s
were halfasleep. TWAS discouraging,
and after two or three minutes the boy
got hold Of Bit of paper, wadsled it
up. and chewed it awhile, and then
balancing the wad on his thumb, be
elevated it ten feet towards the cell
ing.
The law Of gravitation applies to
paper-wads as well as to iron weights.
This one came down in u short time,
and, as luck would have it, it struck
the bald pate Of the half-asleep sexton.
The victim gave start of alarm,
whirled quickly around, and the boys
father pinched him savagely aud whis-
pered
"Oh! I'll fix you for this Just let
me get you home once J"
couldn't see how the boy was to
blame. He. couldn't understand one
word in ten Of the sermon; he saw
dozen men around him asleep; it was
a hot day lac Was nervous boy and
used to moving around. aud bis own
father had been gazing out o. the win
dow in an absent way for quarter of
an hour. lie made last grand effort.
lie braocd his nerves. shut his teeth
hard, and sat as erect ms a new hilching-
post. The clergyman seemed to look
right at the boy as he used twenty big
words ia succession, and the lad gave