Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1878-01-20
The Brooktield Harvest.


and think how unutterably tedious he
must have been, and how much his par
ents must have suffered from his incapac
ity to thrill them with the crash of turni
ture and sweet music Of the tin horn, we
can scarcely feel too thankful that he is
securely buried. The small boy in his
normal state is sufficiently exasperating.
but what parent is there who would not
be crushed to the earth with sorrow were
his small boy to suddenly model himself
upon the dead small boys OF Sunday school
literature, and at the same time refuse to
die? How true it is that we do not apnre-
ciate our blessings, and at times actually
murmur over the lack Of true goodness
among our boys.
Rev. Mr. Sawyer, of West B.ookfield,
vt, poss esses an unique treasure in the
person of small boy whose inventive
powers and devotion to his parents have
rarely been paralleled. "He is not pre-
cisely what you would call a good boy, "
remarked his father on one occasion,
when his son was led home by the ear by
an irate minister, charged with having
fastened thirty-two distinct cats IL the
minister's |study, .'but his heart
is full of love for whatever is just and
right" This eulogy was fully merited,
for, although Master Sawyer was in no
respect like the good small boy Of liter
AZURE, he lately did a 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
sssurprise party" but Of late commonly
called Bulgarian atrocity," is still la,
mentally frequent. On cold evening
in the first week Of the present month MIR.
Sawyer and his family were seated quiet
ly by their social hearth, enjoying one
another's society. The clergyman was
reading aloud the Bishops pastoral letter,
his wife was busily calculating how to
cut up her husbands old overcoat SO as
to supply him with new waistcoat, her.
self with her new overskirt, and master
Sawyer with pair Of trousers, while
that excellent small boy was reading
the improved adventures of an
eminent pirate, and wondering whether
he would ever be able to emulate him.
Not one Of the family was prepared to
receive visitors. Mr.. Sawyer had on his
dressing gown and slippers: Mrs. Sawyer
had let down her back hair to give free
dom TO her mental processes, and Master
Sawyer had temporarily slipped off his
trousers to supply his mother with pat
tern, while he wrapped the hearth-rug
about him. Suddenly, and without the
least warning, more than four dozen peo-
pie OF all kinds and sexes, Including men'
women, reformers and theological stu
dents, burst into the room, carrying cake
and devastation with them. Master Saw
yer fled bowling; the clergyman pushed
back bis spectaces and tried to smile a
CHASTITY smile; aud his heroic wife, by
hurricdly twisting her back hair with
both hands, and holding her
comb between her teeth, managed to
avoid uttering the welcome which the in
vaders expected, but which her conscience
forbade her to express.
The marauders conducted themselves
after the usual custom of their kind.
They conversed with one another with
great lilarity, ignoring the sufferings Of
the clergyman and his wife. They spread
their cake upon the table and devourlng
it without plates, scattered the crumbs
over the new carpet. One young man.
having laid Il large piece OF jellycake
on the sofa, subsequently sat down on it,
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 immed-
late and bloody harvest.
While these blood curdling outrages
were in progress n the parlor, the good
small boy kept himself carefully out Of
the room. He was not, however, wasting
bis time in Idle rage. He, too, heard the
melodious inquiries as to the harvest, and
remarked to himself that they would find
out all about the harvest if they would
only wait few minutes. Meanwhile. he
was busily engaged in carrying pals OF
water, and emptying them on the front
steps and along the walk leading from
the front door to the gate. The night
was cold, and the water froze rapidly.
Under his admirable management the ice
acquired an unusually smooth and slip
perry character, and when the work wa
thoroughly done, the small boy retired
to the second story front window and
waited for the surprise party to break
up.
The mooR was at the full, and shone
brightly when the first pair of miscreants
the young man who sat on the jelly
cake and a heavy young lady, to whom
he was aftianced-issued from the front
door, and instantly sat down with ire
mendous emphasis. Close behind them
came the rest ofthe raiders, who with one
accord strewed themselves over the ground
until in some places they were collected
three or four deep. The shrieks of the
ladies and the stranger remarks Of the men
filled the air. No sooner could strug-
Cling wretch regain his feet than he
would Sit down again with renewed VIC
lence. The afrighted clergyman and his
wife gazed with wonder at the appalling
spectacle, and the good small boy never
ceased to sing" What Shall the Harvest
Be2" at the very top of his lungs-inter--
spersing that stirring hymn with an oc-
casional wild "whoop."
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
fva onl,1nc aDd CT 1.,riotc ~,aro c,,ro;,oJ