The Findlay Jeffersonian. [volume] (Findlay, Hancock County, Ohio) 1870-1881, 1878-03-29
Selsrf Story.
JERICHO JIM.
Story OF a "NateraI Born" Christian

"Say, now, marml Lemme in. AIM t
half so smart's l look to be. 1 kin do
more'n four things to help We, and I'm
kinder onlucky jess now. Mothers dead,
ye see, nd
Here the simple creature blubbered
honestly, and drew his ragged sleeve
across his eyes. Mrs Ellery relented.
"WeIl, who be We, anyhow? Where dye
come from?"
"Ho, Jimmy! Where dye come from?
Flat fish n flunders, where dye come
from? I'm Jericho Jim; come from Jer-
icho straight Tuesday mornin'. No
place for Jim there. Dad broke his neck
last winter; drunk as David, nd slipped
up, md the sled fixed him out a goin'
over him; mother she cried some, but
he was dead, anyhow" and with sortof
furtive grin on his thin, sallow face, and
spark in the hitherto vacant gray eye,
Jericho Jim sent his stick spinning in
the air and caught it again dexterously.
Where be ye goin' to?" inquired the
old lady again, resting on her broom
handle, and looking over her spectacles
at the queer creature before her.
I'm goin' here, marin. They said
suthin' 'beut the poor-house, down to
Jericho; so l quit. Poor-houses amt
clean; and he gave a sidelong glance
into the kitchen, neat as a ladyis parlor,
not passing over the clean calico gown
and stainless cap of good Mrs Ellery.
@That's so; they're dirty holes. Well,
you come in and set down. I'll give you
some vittles, and you can stay till hus-
band comes home; he'll see to ye.7
So Jericho Jim was SET down to an
abundant supper of beans aud biscuit,
pie and ginger bread, and plenty of hot
tea. and proved beyond doubt that he
was hungry.
When Deacon Ellery came home he
growled little at the new inmate of his
family, more because it was his way to
growl than because he meant it; for his
keen eye for business descerned an in
Expensive helper whom his increasing
years and rheumatism made welcome if
not needful. Somebody was once over
heard by this worthy man to ask; "Why
does Deacon Ellery allars go grumblin'
round like an old gobbler?" and the
deacon saw fit to answer for himself, to
the great confusion of the enquirer, who
had not seen him coming: "Why, ye see
l have ter, SOS to average things. Wife's
oltul smoothly; comfortable as pump
kin in corn; alters a smilin' and a
chirpin'; and it stands to reason all mo
lasses amt good for this world; 8 got to
be some grind, SO l do the grinding
With which exposition of his unoonsci
ous heathenism the deacon gave grunt
and walked away. He was better than
his words, however, for his heart was
warm and his head clear; and poor Jer
Iicho Jim soon found that his home wa:
a haven of rest for his weary body, and
did his very best to reward the shelter
ing goodness that fed and clothed him
and beamed on him like sunshine in
kind looks ard words.
d declare for it," grumbled Deacon
ETery, at beats all to see that are fellel
work; / dono whether he's fool or not
See him pitching into the wood-pile
mother! Well, ye'd say there warn
no better feller to pile wood between
here and Danbury; but yesterday, wher
he was saving, all of a sudden he stop
ped short and jumped the fence and LAY
down in the sunshine and kicked hii
heels. Jim,' says /, what be We stop
ping for? Sos to grow sez he cooler
than cucumber Crow says /. Yes,
sez he, Its a real growing day; there
amt heap such days; sun shining
: birds a singing, wind blowing rec
soft; mostly we're friz to death in thi
world; kinder stunned, deacon; wan
, 10 grow whilst l can; there's more thar
forty DAYS in the wilderness to work, "
know Well, if L didn't let him be
, 'Taint no use talking to him when ht
gets a curious notion like that holt OF
, him."
There's something to most of his no
tons, that's fact" replied the old lady
Il kinder wonder whether or no he ain
got the right of it, Mr. Ellery? Mebhe i
we'd took more sunshine into us along
back, you and me wouldn't have been sc
dreadful rheumaticky."
Hes queer genious, anyhow" NUT
tered the deacon, walking off; but it wa
to be observed after this that the oil
man sat in the south doorway more thar
he ever had done; and that his wife lie
in all the sunshine into her bedroom
and kitchen that the green paned win
dows allowed. If they were too old Il
be cured of rheumatism, at least th,
, rooms grew CHEEKY and the air sweet
: and spectacles did them more good thar
usual.
Before many months Jim became
, sort of neighborhood courier; he ped
> died milk for the deacon, and dispensed
with his quarts and pints, all the new
r OF the village. Many good woman
waited eagerly for his coming, and rar
5 out with her apron over her head, no
merely for the nitcber of frosb s,,-oo,