Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1876-01-05

when noon came, hot, close and heavy
| with prophecy of dinner, George had
sickened of human nature and of physio-
logical studies; but now the sun had set
and Il golden glory lit the sky; the fields
on one side OF the river rolled away green
! in clover and wavy in corn, the hills heav-
| lily wooded rose high and picturesquely on
the other side, and the little island in the
bend of the river seemed the home OF
quiet and peace. The horses plodded pa
| tieutly through the water, going ont on
| the shadows and avoiding the deeper cur
rents near the shore, and the boys, forget
| ting to shout and swear, rode along softly
whistling. Over by the hills stood a cot
tage, and in the terraced garden group
of girls with bright ribbons in their hair
were playing quoits with horse-shoes. A
| row boat was carrying passengers over the
river to meet the evening train, and under
the sweetness of the twilight Georges
spirits arose lightly to their level, his old
faith returned to him, and he looked up
| with real sense Of fellowship to joe, who
| was filing pipe with his favorite STOW
head"
It's pity you don't smoke" said
Joe, carefully striking match and hold
ing his cap before 1t, for it seems gift
thrown away: and this tobacco is unc0m-
mon good, though you might fancy it
notion too strong. I've noticed that most
preachers smoke, although they don't take
kindly to drinking. suppose they think
| 1t wouldn't seem the proper thing. and
perhaps it wouldn't; but there's Parson
| Robinson-I should think that good,
solid drink would be real comfort to
| him sometimes. He's got hard pull of
| it with half share OF victuals and
| double share of children, so the two ends
! hardly ever see each other, much less
think of meeting"
George hesitated for reply. He thought
| Joe was unnecessarily rough at times, and
alluded to the ministry much too frequent
| ly. He had fancicd when he left home
| that his blue flannel and gray tweed, with
| rather joyial manner, would divest him
of all resemblance to a theological stu
dent, and enable him to meet his compan-
ions on the ground of common human
ity, especially as he had at present no
missionary intentions excepting those that
might flow indirectly from his personal
influence. Still, while he wanted Joe to
recognize his broad liberality, he owed it
to himself not to be loose in his expression
of opinion.
"Well yes" he said, slowly, 81 sup
pose it would help man to forget his
troubles for time, but the getting over
the spree and coming back to the same
old bothers, not bit better for the forget
ting, would hardly be much comfort, even
ii the thing were right"
Maybe not" replied Joe; " | s'pose
it wouldn't be comfortable if those were
your feeln's, but l reckon you don't
know much about it unless from hearsay
al /, fr,.
to be trusted"-adding slowly, with Il
glance at Georges face" to get you into
trouble if you let it get the upper hand of
you. It's like a woman in that. 1t be-
gins with the same letter, too, and that's
another likeness"
George made no answer to this joke,
over which Joe chuckled enough for
both, and then returned to the charge:
I've seen good deal OF life, one way
! and another" Joe said, "but | don't
know much of parsons. Somehow they
haven't been in my line; but if / had to
| choose between being parson or IA
| doctor, I'd take the doctor by long odds.
You see the worlds pretty much of "A
| hospital as lar as he's concerned, and
when he can't tinker a man up he lets him
slide OFT and nobody minds; but the par
| sons different When man takes sick
| he look, kind Of friendly on the doctor,
because, you see, he expects him to cure
| him; but when the parson comes he tells
| him what a miserable sinner he is, and
what he's coming TO at last Now it amt
| in nature to like that, and don't blame
| the fellows who say they can't stand a
parson when they are well, but that he's
worse than break bone fever and no wa
| ter handy when they're sick. Aud /
shouldn't think any man would like to go
! about making himself unpleasant to others,
Leastways, | wouldn't. Kicking Kirby
| used to say that he'd rather be a woman
than parson, and the force of language
couldn't go further than that! He knew
what he was talking about, for some of
| his folks were preachers; and there was
| good in Kirby, too! People may say
| what they please, but I'll alters hold to
| that"
"Who was he?" asked George, happy
to change the subject, being little uneasy
in his hold upon it, and hopeful OF a story
at last.
Joe looked over the hills
Well, he was friend of mine when
was prospecting for oil once / alters liked
| Kicking Kirby"
George sat patiently waiting, while Joe
refilled his pipe, and then began
There ain so much to tell, but men
do curious things sometimes and Kirby,
| guess wa "a man few folks would have
expected very much of. There was hard
! things said of him, but he could alters
strike a blow for friend, or hold his own
with the next man, let him be who he
might You see there was good many
! OF us in camp, and we had fair enough
/ luck, for the men over at Digger's Run
had struck good vein, so money was
| plenty and changed hands fast enough.
| We'd all hung together in our camp until
Clint Bowers got into trouble None of