The Lamoille news. (Hyde Park, Vt.) 1877-1881, 1878-07-10

4 NSN InBlahut MeIt bl 10 means COM
mon in the country; there was no reason
for keeping them, and farmers had
money and mutton instead of hydropho-
bia and horrors. The wool sold well
always and kept the family in socks, for
Jason's wife could spin and knit with
wonderful rapidity; the lambs he had
not room TO raise were sent to Hartford
and sold 10 the butchers, and now and
then fat old wether went TO the meat
mans cart in the shape of iuicy quarters.
But the glory OF the aock was a big
black-faced nam, who terrified maraud-
ing boys and intruding vagabonds, and
asked no better fun than 10 send some
body heels overhead whenever he had
a chance. Jack and Dan had brought
him up from lambhood, but he was no
longer a lamb, and of his painstakiDg
education only one trait staid by him, a
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 boys 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
forbidden it. Cruelty to animals was
one of the few things that reused his
choler and made him imperative.
One summer Mrs. Carter 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 q
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 clearinghouse, but was willing to
pay his board in Noppit; 50 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 meek cipher; he himself, at
the mature age of fourteen could smok-
and swear and talk sailor slang glibly,
for he had run about the wharves ever
since he could run anywhere Mrs. Car
ter was troubled and disgusted to find
such boy on her hands. Jason con-
sidered 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 aud Dan, and to "deal with him, 4"
as he expressed it, "with a view to his
eternal salvation" " The boys thought
Jenison was wonderful. He knew so
much, he had seen so many things; he
had such n pocket-knife, such marbles,
such swaggerl But when his first
round oath came out Jack and Dan were
startled.
"Look-a-here!' said Jack; "don't you
let daddy hear no such talk as that
he'll tune ye, ef he does, and no mis-
teke."
"Whe-e-ew!" responded Jenison; 81
amt baby; guess I'll swear if want
to, for all him; he amt SO pious him
self, I bet, but what he rips out some
timesW
'He don't! he don't neverl" the boys
exclaimed in unison.
"H'ml / 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 sol'
The boys were shocked into moment
ary silence; but recovered themselves
soon.
s"I don't believeit!" said positive Dan.
"And if he ever did, he don't now,"
added reasonable Jack; "he's awful
good; he's professor; he prays in
meetin' and to home too, and he don't
never scold, nor swear, nor nothin'.
Scarce ever he licks feller; he did give
Dan and me one whalin', but he'd
oughter hev, that's fact. Dan he
told thunderin' lie and I backed him
up. L tell ye! we was sore for one
spell, arter he found it out. "
"Well, I 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 few I'll bet my jack
knife 1 can make him swear inside of
aneKt weekP'
"I'll bet my head you can'tl" re-
torted Dan.
"I don't know as want your head
for anything, but I'll bet my knife
against that cake O. 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 oudgel his brains
for means of tripping up Jason Carriers
tongue. eer- p
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
,,,t;l nor or Iaok eould drive them tn
pasture, accepted the bait, entered the
clover, and rioted in its fragrant crimson
nnLnrna haIf killing tharnseluaa with