The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1878-08-16

But the glory of the flock was a big
black-faced ram, who terrified maraud,
ing boys and intruding vagabonds, and
asked no better fun than to send some
body heels overhead whenever he had
a chance. Jack and Dan had brought
him up from lambhood, but he was no
longer lamb, and of his painstaking
education only one trait stayed by him,
distinct and angry recollection of the
rod that had not been spared on his early
and somewhat stupid youth. To the
day of Billy's death little stick, shaken
before anything, would send him,
"head. on" at that luckless object, and
the bows often amused themselves by
climbing the pine rail-fence and dang
ling small switch full in Billy's sight
against big post; the result was sudden
and severe to Billy, and he might have
seriously injured himself if daddy, as the
boys called Jason, had not found them
at this sport one day and strictly forbid
den it. Cruelty to animals was one of
the few things that reused his choler
and made him imperative.
One summer Mrs. Garter received a
letter from her brother asking her to
take his boy for few months; his wife
was so feeble that she was going home
to her fathers with the baby and a
young child, and Jenison could not go
with her for want of room. Mr.. Wires
did not want him in the city with him,
at boarding house, but was willing to
pay his board in Noppit; so he came.
Jenison Wires was sharp city-bred
boy, with very little faith in anybody's
goodness. His father was a pushing,
money-making, profane man and his
mother a meek cipher; he himself, at
the mature age of ii could smoke
and swear and talk sailor slang glibly,
for he had run about the wharves ever
since he could run anywhere. Mrs.
Carter was troubled and disguised to
find such boy on her hands. Jason
considered that Providence had sent the
lad there for his good, and resolved to
pray for him as for his own boys, to set
him as good an example as he tried to set
Jack and Dan, and to "deal with him, 4"
as he expressed it, "with view to his
eternal salvation" The boys thought
Jenison was wonderful. He knew so
much, he had seen 80 many things he
had such pocket knife, such marbles.
such a swagger! But when his first
round oath came out Jack and Dan were
startled.
"Look a-here |! said Jack; I" don't
let daddy hear no such talk as that !;
he'll tune We, eff he does, and no mis-
take" ~ n4
Whe-e-ew i" responded Jenison !;
81 amt baby; guess I'll swear if I
want to, for all him (; he amt 80 pious
himself, 1 bet, but what he rips out some
times |"
"He don't he don't never!" the
boys exclaimed in unison.
HIM guess you don't hear him !;
the old fellow keeps shady before folks,
but he used to swear like Botany bay
pirate. I've heerd pa say so I"
The boys were shocked into moment
airy silence but recovered themselves
soon.
81 don't believe it p said positive
Dan.
"And if he 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
never scold, nor swear, nor nothin'.
Scarce ever he ticks Teller he did give
Dan and me one whalin, but he'd
oughter hev, that's fact. Dan he told
a thunderin' lie and backed him up. 1
tell ye we was sore for one spell, arter
he found it out"
"Well, know know he used to swear
aboard ship. I've heard pa tell more
stories about him. They called him
Still Jase, to be sure, but when he got
riled, the fur flew I'll bet my jack
knife 1 can make him swear inside of
next week I"
"Ill bet my head you can't p retort-
ed Dan.
81 don't know as I want your head
for anything, butI'll bet my knife against
that cake of maple sugar you've got in
the closet, that. I'll set Uncle Jase
swearin' before next weeks over"
The boys were so sure that nothing
could make daddy swear, and so pleased
with their first bet of any Importance,
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 the bars
into field of clover, getting up before
light to do it; the two cows, turned out
of the barnyard to nip at the roadside
until Dan or Jack could drive them to
pasture, accepted the bait, entered the
clover, and rioted in it's fragrant crimson
spheres, half killing themselves with
greedy feeding. Jack found them half
an hour after chores were done, in the
condition that results to COWS from eat
ing green clover, and uncle Jason
worked over the poor creatures all day,
without word of impotence, though
he said more than once CT wish I
knew who let down them bars; I'd
kinder like to say word in season to
him."
The pins were taken out of the OK
yoke and never found, egg-shells strewed
the NOV, while the family never could
have any eggs for their own use, the
nests being always empty; the great
gray cats tail was singed to baroness,
and her ears shipped, but Uncle Jase
never swore or lost his temper; his
scythe-snath disappeared, but he Dor
rowed another; the grindstone was
soaped, the haycutter broken, hoes and
rakes disappeared when wanted, and re-
appeared when useless; his razor was
x,o,a1o.l 81 lx~-o1ocoI~ l,.I1ol -. 4