The Findlay Jeffersonian. [volume] (Findlay, Hancock County, Ohio) 1870-1881, 1878-03-29

deity Jim fitted his story to the hearer.
With the curious instinct that some
times dwells in the souls of those we
conceitedly call half witted, he seemed
10 comprehend the characters he met, to
understand their wants and their ways;
land many was the word in season care
lessly dropped from his lips that did a
blessed errand, all the more because it
was uttered by athe foolishness of man"
"Did you stop to Harris to day." in
quired the deacon, as Jim rode up to the
gate one frosty morning, with Gathering
empty cans.
We'll, l expect l did"
"Left the quart, suppose, and didn't
git nothing for it?"
"No, sir, l give EN- something to
boot Ole Harris came to the door for
it, she's done up. Doctors gig was a
standing there, and he was clus up to
the winder a mixing mess, and ole
Harris sez: BE you Ellery's foolg Yes,
| be, you bet,' sez |, pooty cherk. Then
he larfed rough as bark. Give us
quart sez he; Il haint got no change to-
day Well, sez 1, it amt no matter as
long as you're at hum Deacon's will
ling to trust folks that stay to hum. He
looked awful beat and mad, and l see
the doctor larfing; but he took the milk,
and l whipped up, 1 tell YOU"
Jericho Jim never knew that Tim
Harris stayed at home through his wifeis
long illness, simply to be sure, since he
had no money to buy it with, that the
delicate baby, sole survivor of sixshould
have its regular food; for, drunkard and
idler as he was, he had a passionate,
reasonless fondness for his children, and
when one after another they died he
sought fresh consolation at the whisky
shop. But this one lived, thanks to its
sudden weaving from its heart broken,
worn out mother, whose bitter troubles
and meager food had poisoned even the
draught Of life for her babies, and sent
them to untimely graves. While she
lay helpless and raging with fever for
nine long weeks, Tim stayed at home,
nursed her as well as he could, tended
and fed the baby, who learned to cry for
him, instead of crying at the sight of
him as all the others had, and, getting
fat and rosy on the yellow milk that Jim
brought daily in little pail from the
deacon's Alderney, wound itself around
the fathers heart, kept him with bands
stronger than iron from his evil haunts,
taught him to live without his stimulant,
at least for so long; and established a
hold on him never lost. 1t was little
Rosy Harris who, in after years, coaxed
her father into good habits and made her
mothers last days bright and calm; but
it was Jericho Jim who began the good
work with his unauthorized statement
of the deacon's willingness to trust man
who stayed to hum"
Curious enough, too, were Jim's peace
making propensities. These clouded or
straying minds sometimes take GER
tain selfish delight In mischief, but his
desire and delight was peace. Miss
Nancy Vance was thin and somewhat
little old maid, yet gifted with a good
deal of sense, and tolerably reasonable
about half mile from her little brown
house, where she lived with bed ridden
mother and did tailoring, lived the Wild
ow Pyne, noisy, good -natured, high
tempered woman; quick to resent or to
fancy an injury, but equally quick to for
give. Between her and Miss Nancy
ragged feud of such strength and bit
terness as is only to be found in a little
country village between people whose
minds are narrowed by their limited
horizon and slight experience. They
were both church members, but they
would neither look at each other across
the meeting house, nor recognize each
other in the porch. Miss Nancy called
Mrs Pype "that pesky widow" and was
STYLED in return, with more vigor
than reticence, that darned old maid"
Jericho Jim was aware of this, and
many tune shrank, as if from pin
prick or blow, when one began to Wit
uperate the other, and openly evaded
the subject.
dispose old Nance Vance takes half a
pint o'milk on ye, don't she?' inquired
Mrs Pyne, with sniff
Land O. glory ! what splendid red
apples them be" CALCULATED Jim, his ears
shut to the question, but his eyes very
wide open to an Astrachan apple tree in
the corner of the yard.
Now this apple tree was Widow Pyne's
glory nobody in Sawyer had such a
tree, and she petted it like a baby, dug
aboutit with her own hands, manured it
every fall and gave it copious hbations
of dish water all through the summer.
No tentworms ever found lodgment in
its thrifty branches and in May it was
always pink with blossoms, for tree so
coddled had no @off year" but bloomed
and bore in every returning season.
1t was "a sight to behold" as its graft
fed owner remarked, and Jims admira
ton was SO fervent Mrs Pyne could not
do less than reward him with pocket
full of the glowing fruit. Jim was duly
gratified, and logged on his way revolv.
ing a scheme in his simple mind which
fructifed, literally, as he found himself
at Miss Vance's door. Miss Nancy came
out for her pint of milk, looking unusual
ly benign some of the small items that
make up lonely woman's life had been
gracious that morning: perhaps her
bread had risen just right, or her hens
had done their duty in the matter of
eggs; but, however that might be, she
had kindly word for Jim and he
poured her full pint with beaming
grin. stop a minnit, won't ye!" he
called after her. won't ye jest set down
that are milk an hold up your apern !;
here's some o. Miss Pyne's amazin' ap-
pies"
"Widder Pyne's apples" CALCULATED
the amazed spinster, as she received the
crimson spheres into her check apron.
"Yesi them's the fellers; she sent
'em along o me. Good-day!" With
which ambiguous statement Jim whip
ped up the old horse and went along be-
fore Miss Nancy had time to think.
@Well, here's nigh onto a merracle !"
she exclaimed to herself @Widder
Pyne's apples I've heerd she sot by 'em
dreadfully, and now she's been an sent
. 'em to me. Well well well I'd
oughter be ashamed g myself, that's a
fact; It's shameful for church members