The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1876-07-15
TOMS HAPPY HOT SUNDAY.

From Mark TwaIn's Adventures Of TOm Saw.
YER"
The minister gave cut his text, and
droned along monotonously through an
argument which was SO prosy that many
a head. by and by, began to nod, and yet
it was an argument that dealt in limitless
fire and birthstone, and .thinhed the pre-
destined elect down to company 40
small rs to be hardly worth the having.
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 discourse. How
ever, this time he was really interested for
a. little while. The minister made a
grand and moving picture Of the assem-
Bling 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 specta-
Gle were lost upon the boy; he only
thought OF the conspicuousness OF the
principal character before the on.looking
nations; his face lit up with the thought,
and he said to himself he wished he could
he that child, If it was tame lion.
Now he lapsed into suffering again as.
the dry argument was resumed. BE be.
thought himself Of treasure he had, and
got il ont. It was large black beetle
with formidable jaws, "pinch.bug" he
called ii. II was IN percussion.cap box.
The first thing the beetle did was to take
| him by the finger. A natural clip fol-
llowed, the beetle went Houndering into
the aisle, and lii on its back, and the
hurt finger, went into the boys mouth.
The beetle lay there working its helpless
legs, unable to turn over. Tom eyed 1t,
and longed for it, but il was safe out Of
his reach. Other people nninterested in
the sermon, found relief in tho beetle,
and they eyed it'too. T. HaHa
Presently vagrant poodle dog came
idling along. sad at heart lazy with the
summer soitness and the quiet, weary Of
| captivity, sighing for change. He spied
the beetle, the dropping tail lifted and
wagged. He surveyed the prize; walked
around II; smelt OF |. from safe dis
lance; walked round II again; grew bold
or, and took closer smell; then lifted his
| lin and made gingerly snatch at 1t, Just
missing II; made another and another;
began 10 enjoy the diversion; subsidized 10
his stomach with the beetle between
his paws, and continued his ex-
periments; grew weary at last, and
then Indifferent and absent.minded
His head nodded and little by little
his chin descended and touched the enemy
who. seized it. There was sharp yelp, q
flirt OF the poodle's head, and the beetle
fell couple Of yards away, and lit on its
back once more. The neighboring spec
intots shook with a gentle inward Joy,
several faces went behind, fans ,and
handkerchieis, and Tom was entirely hap
ny. The dog looked foolish, and probab.
" felt 80; but there was resentment Ia
| his heart, too, and a craving for re.
yenge, 50 be went to the beetle, and be-
gan 4 wary attack on ii again; jumping at
| Il from every point Of circle, lighting
with his icre.psws within an inch pf the
creature, making even closer snatches at
| It with his teeth sand jerking his head TIL
his ears tapped again. But he grew tired
once more, after a while; tried to amnSl
himself with fly, but found no relief;
followed an ant around, with his nose
close to ttae floor, and, quickly wearied Of
that, yawned, sighed, forgot the beetle en-.
tirely, and sat down on II J Then there was
a wild yelp OF agony, and the poodle went
sailing DIP the aisle; the yelps continued
and 80 did the dog; he crossed the house
lin front OF the altar; he flew down the
other aisle; he crossed before the doors
he clamored up the home stretch; his an
guish grew with his progress, till present
| " he was 4 woolly comet, moving in IL
orbit with the CLEAN and speed Of light
Al last the frantic sufferer sheered from
its course and sprans into It's master'l
lap: he flung II out Of the window, and
1.-The voice oidistreSs quickly thinned away
land died Ia the distance.
Tom Sawyer went home quite cheerful
thinking 10 himself that there was some
satisfaction about divine service wher
there was Bit Of variety in II; He had
but one marring thought; he was willing
Ithat the dog should play With his pinch
bug, but he did not think II was upright
Ito carry II otf.