Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1876-01-05
Sleepy Joe Berry.

knew boy named Joseph Joseph Berry
was his name Now Joseph was smart
boy, naturally, but he was too lazy TO use his
smartness, so the people, Of course, couldn't
see any Of it, and at last they began to whis-
per among themselves. Joe is a fool
"What did they do that for?" inquired
David, who was Just old enough to like to
ask questions, without understanding the
answers very we'll.
ooh, you will know one Of these days" re-
piled Uncle Jack 81 is n way people have.
There is nothing folks in neighborhood
like so well as to have q fool among them.
They will scent one out as quickly as a grey
hound will rabbit. 1t is such sport for
them to exercise their wit upon the poor lit .
tie fellows, without any danger OF getting 1t |
back again"
but about Joe, Uncle Jack, said two or |
three of us together
Yes, about joe Well, he was strange |
boy. lie had a fine head, healthy body, !
and a pair of good eyes. But he didn't
seem to know much. He always appeared
TO he from half to twothirds asleep. When
he arose in the morning his mother had to
dress him. for a long time after he was ten
years old"
Well, now" spoke up David, proudly,
d" If that amt great. Why, amt but eight,
and | can dress myself alone fifty times a
day, il | want to-"
"All except your feet, when your boots
get wet and shrink" said Peter.
$50 on with your story, Uncle Jack, in
terrupted David, hastily.
"Well, Joseph grew along in about the
same way, for a good while. lie always
managed to do things wrong end foremost,
whenever he could be made to do them at
all. If his mother sent him after pail of
water, he would like as not 60 out to the
woodpile if she sent him for an armful of
wood she would probably find him in the
barn, rolling on the hay, the next time she
saw him.
zone day he saw his brother Jonathan
sucking hens egg lie did not know
exactly what it meant, but he thought he
would do as Jonathan did. So he drove an
old hen which had set nearly two weeks
off her nest, and tried to do with one of the
eggs as his brother did lie had never
learned any better. He told Jonathan all
about it, and said he didn't like eggs him
self. lie was quite angry whom his brother
laughed at him.
"When he went TO school the boys all
called him Sleepy joe Why, he would
fall asleep every recess and incoming. lie
would have slept his six hours in school-time,
regularly every day, if the schoolma'am
hadn't cheered him up with the whip occa-
sionally
" He didn't learn his letters till the end of
the third term. Even then, he wasn't quite
sure which had the cross piece, the A or the
V, or whether the tail belonged to O or q.
"rhe boys used to bully him dreadfully.
He didn't know enough to take his own
part have seen boys no taller than his
shoulder roll him IN the mud for long
while at time. lie would get up, shake
| himself, and stand staring at them, rs II he
didn't know exactly how to take 1t, or what
to think about 1T.
Poor fellow | used TO pity him much.
Sometimes took his part But he didn't
even know who was helping him and who
wasn't, lie hadn't sense enough N USE to
know or thank his friends. 50 gave him
up at last, aud lot things take their own
course
Sometimes ! had seen him rouse Just
enough to show AHle good sense; but he
soon dropped back into his drou'e, and was
Sleepy Joe again
Why didn't you try to teach him some
thing, Uncle Jack = said Peter
81 did; but it wasn't of any use. | be
lieyed somehow, boy that was, ii he would
only rake up, he would be as smart as any
body; but he couldn't or pomdnt wake up.
81 forgot to tell you that Joe had a sister,
ought to have remembered that, and told
you OF 1t, too for she was always with him
when she could be. She was little. golden
haired thing, Just four years younger than
Joe. She used to cry aud stamp her pretty
foot, 10y turns, when she saw Joe abused 1t
did no good.
Things went on in this way till Joe was
twelve years old Then Jim burrows came
to school, Jim was strapping fellow, four
teen years old. We were all Just little
afraid of him. saw that Joe did not like
him. lie even went so far as to make faces
at him when he wasn't looking, for which
the teacher gave hlm a Tine Gun over the ear
every time she caught him at 1t.
One morning before the teacher had
come, several OF us were standing 10y the
school'house door, listening to some OF Jim's
great stories of the fights he had, and the
boys he had whipped, when Joe and his little
sister Grace came up the path.
49, Hello, Stupid Sleepy, shouted Jim.
Here you SO. Lie down there. There !
That's pretty good Now roll over. There !
Now bark Bark, You dog, or I'll kick you,
What, you won't BARK Take that 7
lie was abusing Joe shainefully. lie
had lerked HIM down upon his nose, the first
time, and 1T was bleeding: Inc boys were
indignant but little AFRAID, and laughed at
me sport, Little Grace however saw the
Dlood, and began to cry Joe got up wiped
Sne blood from ms face and stood staring at
Jlm IN ms stupid way
~ tell the teacher when she comes,
sad little Trace, still crying
So what do you mean, you little upstart,
] IL al