Weekly Trinity journal., 1878-02-09
THE BRO0KFIELD HARVEST.


boy" remarked his father on one occa-
sion, when his son was led home by the
ear by an irate minister OF the Methodist
denomination, and charged with having
fastened thrty-two distinct cats in the
ministers study, "but his heart is full Of
love for whatever is just and right"
This euIogy was fully merited, for al
though Master Sawyer was in no respect
like the good small boy Of literature, he
lately did wise and noble act, for which
the language Of ordinary praise is far too
feeble.
In northern Vermont that peculiar form
Of social outrage formerly known as n
"surpriso party" but OF late commonly
called Bulgarian atrocity," is still la
mentally frequent. On a cold evening
in the first week OF last month, Mr.. Saw
yer and his family were seated quietly
by their social hearth, enjoying one
another's society. The Clergyman was
reading aloud the bishops pastoral letter;
his wife was busily calcuatipg how to cut
up her husbands old overcoat so as to
supply him with a new wai,tcoat, herself
with new overskirt, and Master Sawyer
with pair of trousers, while that excellent
small boy was reading the improving ad-
vedtures Of an eminent pirate, and won
dering whether he would ever be able to
emulate them. Not one Of the family
was prepared to receive visitors. Mr..
Sawyer bad on his dressing gown and
slippers Mrs. Sawyer had let down her
back hair TO give freedom to her mental
processes, aud Master Sawyer had tenn
porariy slipped of his trousers to supply
his mother with pattern, while he wrap
ped the hearth rug bout him. Suddenly
and without the least warning, more than
four dozen people Of all kinds and sexes
including men, women, rcformers and
theological students, burst into the room,
carrying cake and devastation with them.
Master Sawyer fed bowling the clergy
man pushed back his spectacles and tried
to smile a ghastly smile and his heroic
wife, by hurriedly twisting her back hair
with both hands, and holding her comb
between her teeth, managed to avoid ut
tering the welcome which the invaders
expected, but which her conscience for
bade her TO express.
The mararders conducted themselves
after the usual custola of their kind -
They converrcd with one another with
great hilarity, ignoring the suiferings of
the clergyman aud his wife. They spread
their cake upon the table, and devouring
it without plates, scattered the crumbs
over the new carpet One young man
having laid large piece Of jelly cake on
the sofa, subsequently sat down on it, and
Mrs. Sawyer felt that She would gladly
join the Church Of Rome on condition
that the medieval toltures Of the inqui-
sition should be revived, and she herself
delegated TO apply them to that particu-
young man. After having reduced the
furniture to that state Of grease that it was
no longer safe to sit down, the miscreants
gathered around the piano and sang,
"What shall the harvest be ?" until Mr.
Sawyer, mild as he was, regretted that
he could not take sharp scythe and reap
an immediate and bloody harvest.
While these blood curdIing outragos
were in progress in the parlor, the good
small boy kept himself ont Of the room.
He was not however, wasting his time in
idle rage. He, too, heard the melodious
inquiries as to tho harvest, and remai ked
to himself that they would find out about
the harvest if they would only wait few
minutes. Meanwhile, he was busily en-
gagged in carrying pals ofwater and emp
tying them on the front step and along
the walk loading from the front door TO
the gate. The night was cold, and the
water froze rapidly. Under his admira-
Bile management the ice acquired an unu-
sualy smooth ard slippery character, and
when the work vas thoroughly done. the
small boy retired to the second story front
window and waited for the surprise party
to break up.
The moon WINS at the full, and shone
brightly when the first pair OF miscrepnts
the young man who sat on the iclv.
cake and a.heavy young lady to whom he
was aflianced-issucd from lhe front door,
and instantly sat down with tremendous
emphasis. Close behind them came the
rest Of the raiders, who with one accord
strewed themselves over the ground, un-
three or four deep. The shrieks of the
ladies~and the stronger remarks of tho
men filed the air. No sooner would
struggling wretch regain his feet than he
would sit down again with renewed vio-
lence. The aifrighted Clergyman and his
wife gazed with wonder at the appalling
spectacle, and the good small boy never
ceased to sing, "What shall the harvest
be" at the very top OF his lungs-inter-
spersing that stirring hymn with wild
"whoop" whenever particularly bril-.
liant pair of stockings waved in the air.
Although only three persons sustained
fatal injuries, there was scarcely mem
Der Of the party who escaped without
more or less serious wounds, either of body
or clothing. Seventeen legs, two ribs,
six arms and nose were broken i've
ankles and six wrists we're sprained, and
one shoulder was disocated. The icy
pavement was strewn with fragments of
teeth, spectacles, coats, trousers and skirts,
md Master Sawyer picked up enough
copper and silver change the next morn