The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1878-09-18
"whe-e-ewn reasonded Jenisou;

lln. inc Uiu lciiOW keeps S1auy be-
fore folks, bat be used to swear like
a Botany Bay pirate. I've heard pa
say sou
The boys were shocked into mo-
mentary silence, but recovered them
selves soon.
Il don't believe IL" said positive
Dan.
"And if be ever did he don't now"
added reasonable Jack; "he's awful
good; he's a professor; he prays in
meetin' and to home. too, and he don't
swear nor nothin'. Skurcc ever be
licks a Teller; be did give Dan and
me q wailin', bot he'd orter hev,
that's a fact. Dan be told a thun-
derin' lie and | backed him up. | tell
ye we was sore for n spell ar:er he
found it out.n
"Well, | know be used to swear
aboard ship. I've heard pa tell
more stories about him They cali
ed him Still Jase,' to be sure, but
when be got riled the fur flew. III
bet my iack-knife | can make him
swear inside Of next week"
an bet my head you can't" re-
torted Dan.
81 don't know as | want your head
for anything, but I'll bet my kite
against that cake of maple sugar
yo've got in the cupboard, that I'll
set Uncle Jase to swearin' before
next weeks over"
The boys were so sure that moth
ing could make daddy swear, and so
pleased with the first bet Of any i'm
portanoe that they accepted the terms
at once, and Jenison began to cudgel
his brains for means of tripping up
Jason Carriers tongue.
One day he slyly let down he
bars into the field of clover, gepiug
up before light to do it; the two COWS
turned u Of the barn-yard to niI at
the roadside until Dan or Jack could
drive them to pasture, accepted the
bait, entered the clover aud rioted 10
its fragrant crimson spheres, half
killing themselves with greedy feed
ing. Jack found them half al hour
after chores were done, in the coudi-
ton that results ID cows from eating
green clover, aud Uncle Jason work
ed over the poor creatures all day,
without q word of impotence,
though he said more than once: al
wish | knew who lie: down them
bars; I'd kinder like to say a word
in season to him"
The pins were taken cut of the OK
yoke and never found; egg shells
s,rewed the NOW, while the family
never could have any eggs for their
own use, the nests being always
emptied; the great gray cats tail
was singed to baroness, and her ears
shipped, but Uncle Jason never swore
or lest his temper; his scythe-snath
disappeared, but he borrowed anoth-
er; the grindstone was soaped, the
hay-cutter broken, hoes and rakes dis
appeared when wanted, and reap
peared when useless; his razor was
mislayed and hopelessly dulled when
be found it, and q thousand petty an
noyanees heaped on him ia vain; be
only said to his wife: at does beat
all, Phoebe, what's got into things
this week; seems as if ] never was so
pestered. 1t amt in human nstur
for things to happen SO; somebody's
a dom of it, | feel 10 believe, for |
declare fort | can't see into't a
mite"
Jack and Dan began to triumph,
only one day more of the week was
available, and Jenison wa put on his
mettle, and laid plans accordingly.
They had prayers always before
breakfast, and the weather was SO
warm and the kitchen SO hot that
Jenison set the outer door open wide
this morning, and stepping out just
as his uncle laid down the Billie, IN
der pretext Of soaring an old hen
away, the boy opened a little side
gate into the lot where be had pre-
v%iously driven the old ram, and, lay.
ing d train Of salt to a big lump on
the doorstep. retreated speedily to the
kitchen and knelt down next TO Mr..
Carter, where he had left his chair.
Billy had seen the tin pan in Jeni-
sons hand, and knew it meant salt !;
he followed the trail surely to the
door, and, having begun to nibble at
the lump, heard an earaes: and nc
customed voice near by and looked
up into the kitchen door. Jason was
praying earnestly, and the rest had
their eyes closed and heads bent all
bat Jenisor, who was watching Billy
from under his arm. As be saw the
ram look in, he picked up q short
switch from under his chair and held
it threateningly over his uncle's back.
Billy gave n great leap across the
floor, charged Uncle Jase in the rear,
and sent him sprawling.
Ga that ram ? be roared, in a
voice Of thunder.
Jack and Dan sprsng up at once,
drove Billy out, and shu. the door,
but before they could speak their
father was On his knees again at pray
ing, pouring out such earnest, humble
confession Of the sin be had been be-
trayed into, such fearful petition for
pardon, such heartfelt contritiOn fora
lapse that seemed TO him dreadful,
after long years o. prayer and strug-
gle, that, hard and bad as Jenis0n
Wires was, be could NOS bear it il
was the turlIng point of the boys
life be got up from bis knees aud
confessed the whole thing to his IN
Gle, aud asked his forgiveness; and
the other boys cried heartily.
Jason Carter never forgot that day;
it was remembered with humility and
thankiclness both for years after,
Jenison told him, with deep feeling,
that be had learned then ana there 10
respect religion, and that is the first
step toward desiring and obtaining it
Jenison never claimed bis bet, but
when he went home gave Dan his
knife for a remembrance and years
after Deacon Jason Carter was dead
and gone his s~tep-sons recalled With
affection, reverence and amusement
mingled, the only cath they ever
heard him speak, and Tow il was
brought about by tensions btt
crime in Oregon
SAN FRANCISCO, September IA