The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1878-06-05
a Big MISTAKE

with our people.
Therefore, i: happened that during
his pastoral calls he made several lu-
dicrous blunders.
One Of them is as follows;
The other evening be called upon
Mrs Hadden She had just lost hei
husband, sud naturally supposed
that his visit was relative to the sad
occurrence
So, after a few common-places had
been exchanged, she was not at all
surprised to hear him remark
"It was a sad bereavement, was il
not, Mrs. Hadden z"
Yes" faltered the widow
Totally unexpected ?"
"0b, yes | never dreamed of it,
"He died in the stable | supposed"
"Oh, no in the house"
"Ah-well, I suppose You must
have thought a good deal of him. .
"Of course, sir''-this with a vim.
The minister looked rather sur.
prised, crossed his legs. and renewed
the conversation.
Blind staggers was the disease, j
believe ?n he said.
"No, sir" snapped the widow,
"apoplexy"
Indeed; you must have fed him
too much"
"He was always capable Of feed
ing himself, sir"
avery intelligent he must have
been. Died hard, didn't be ?"
"He did,
'You had to hit him on the head
with an axe to put BIN out of misery,
| was told"
Mrs. Hadden's eyes snapped FIRE.
whoever told you so did not
speak the truth" she haughtiIy ut
tered. James died naturally"
"Yes, " repeated the minister, in q
perplexed tone, "he kicked
the side of the barn down in his last
agonies, did be not 2"
"No, sir, be didn't"
"Well, l have been misinformed, |
How old was he ?"
"Tbirty-fve."
"rhen be did not do much active
work Perhaps you are better with
out him, for you can easily supply
his place with another"
Never, sir-neyer will | see one
as good as be-"
"Oh, yes, you wall. He had the
heaSes bad you know"
Nothing Of the kind" "
why, | recollect | saw MIN, one
day, with you on his back, and i
recollect be had the heaves,
and walked as if he Fad the string
halt"
Mrs. Hadden stared at her rever-
end visitor as if she imagined that be
was crazy.
"He never could have had the
spring-hslt, for be had a cork leg"
she returned.
~ cork leg remarkable. But
really, now, didn't he have a danger
Gus trick Of suddenly stopping and
wagon all 10 pieces ?"
Never; be was not a madmaD,
sir"
Probably not. But there were
some good points about him"
81 should think so.
"The way in which be carried his
ears, for example"
Nobody else ever noticed that
particular merit" said the widow,
with much asperity he was warm.
hearted, generous end frank"
Good qualities" answered be un-
consciously. How long did it take
him to go q mile ?"
About fifteen minutes"
Not much of a goer Wasn't his
hair apt to fly ?"
"He hadn't any bair. He was bald
beaded"
"Quite a curiosity ?"
No, sir, no more of a curiosity
than you are"
The minister shifted uneasily, and
got red in the face But he returned
to the attack.
"Did you use the whip much on
him ?" be questioned
Never, sir"
went right along without it eh ?''
Yes"
'He must have been a good sort Of
a brute?"
Mrs. Hsdden turned white, and
made no reply.
Toe minister did not know what to
say, but finally blurted out.
What | most admired about him
was the beautiful waggle of his
tail"
Then the widow just sat down and
cried.
''Tbe idea of coming here and in-
sulting metz she sobbed. "If my
husband had lived, you wouldn't a
done it. Your remarks in reference
to my poor dead man have been but
a series Of insults. i won't stand
it,"
He colored and looked dumbfound-
ed.
"No, no."
"Ain't you Mrs BIinkers? ?" be
stammered.
"And had not your old gray horse
died?"
al never owned b horse, but my
husband d-died week ago ~
Ten minutes later the minister
came out of that house with the red
dest face ever seen on mortal man.
"And to think" he groaned, as be
strobe home, that / was talking
horse to that woman all the time and
she was talking husband"
Two brothers lived in a village in
Jersey. They were twins, aud theil
extraordinary resemblance to each 9th
er caused many queer mistakes. The