Ellsworth American., 1878-10-24

and was over the bushes and 10 among
en- g0iu' Il like chain lightnin,' ahead OF
'em all.
deacon Popkins and Ben Bradley lest
stood and held their breath to see 'em oil
goin' Il SO like thunder; and the Doctor
he was took 80 sudden II was all he could
do to jest hold on any way. 90 away he
went. and the trees and bushes. and fences
streaked by him like ribbins; his hat flew
OIL behind him, aud his wig arter, and got
catched 10 . barbery bush; but, Lordy
massey he couldn't stop to think O. them.
he jest leaned down and caught Tam round
the neck. and held on for dear life, till they
came to the stopping place.
"Wal, Tam was ahead Of 'em all, sure
enough. and was snortinQ and snufiiing As
II he'd got the very old boy In him, and
was up to racing some more on the spot
THAT ere Ike Sanders was the impu-
dentest teller that ever you see, and he
roared and rawhawed Ut the doctor.
Good for you parsouv said he. You
beat US all holler,' says he; takes parson
for that don't It boysT he said.
"And then he aud Bill, and Tom, aud
the two Hokum boys they Jest roared, and
danced round like Wild critturs.
Wal, now, only think ont, boys. what
q situation that ere was for q minister,
man that had come out with the best Of
motives TO put q stop to Sabbath breakn' !.
There he was all fumpled up and dusty.
and his wig hanging In the bushes, and
these ere ungOdly fellers gittin' the laugh
on him. and all acause o. that ERE hoss
There's times, boys, when ministers must
be tempted to swear, II there amt prevent
In grace. and this was one o them times
to Parson Williams. They say he got red
In the face and looked As II he should bust,
but he didn't say nothin'; he scorned to
answer,-the sons o. Zeruiah was too hard
Tor him, and he let 'em have their say. But
when they'd got through. and Ben had
brought him his hat and wig, and brushed
and settled him ag'in, the parson he says.
Well. boys. you've had your say and your
laugh. but l warn you now l won't have
this thing going on here any more,' says
he, so mind yourselves
"wa al the boys see that the doctors blood
was up. and they rode on pretty quiet, and
l believe they never raced no more 10 that
spot.
But there amt no telling the talk this
ere thing made. Folks will talk. you
know, and there warn't house In all Bill
riky, nor In the south parish nor centre,
There WAS the deacon and Ben Bradley
the thing was, and that the doctor was
Jest In the way Of his duty; but folks said
II made great scandal, that minister
hadn't no business to hev that kinu o. hoss,
aud that he'd give the enemy occasion TO
speak reproachfully. Il reely did seem as
II Tam's sins was imputed to the doctor !;
and folks said he ought to sell Tam right
away and get a sober minister's hoss.
But others said IL was Cu6 that had
got Tam into bad ways, and they do say
that Cuff had TO catch il pretty lively when
the doctor come TO settle accounts with
him. Cun thought his time had come, sure
enough, and was so scairt that he turned
blacker'n ever; he got enough to cure him
o hoss racin' for one while. But Cuff got
over II arter while, aud so did the doctor
Lordy massy. there amt nothin' last :
forever. Wait long enough and most ev-
erything blows over. So II turned ou,
about the doctor; there was a rumpus and
fuss, and folks talked, and talked, and
advised; everybody had their say. but tn
doctor KEEP right straight on, and KEEP his
hoss all the same.
The ministers they took II up In the as
sociation, but come to tell the story it sot
'em all s-laughing so they couldn', be very
hard on the doctor.
"The doctor felt sort O streaked at iust
when they told the story on him; he didn't
jest like IL; but he got used to 1t, and
iiually, when he was twitted ont he'd sort
o smile. and say. Any way Tam beat 'em
that's one comfort"