The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1879-10-01
Burdette and Some Mosquitoes Attend
Church.



But down at Musquash. Last Sunday
night we all went to church down at Mus
qu,sh, and heard Mr.. Hopper preach,
pleasure that all Burlington will envy us.
Mr.. IL. was down there helping the rest of
us enjoy ourselves, and the Baptists of
Musquash just pressed him into their service
for one day. Well, had been trout fishing
all the day before, and had waded down the
river few miles, and Saturday night 1
poured bushel and half of oats into each
Of my boots, and all the bright, sunny Sab
bath day they set out in the sun and basked,
while l lounged around loosely shod in slip
pers and extremely happy. 1 went to
church in the evening, and you can't imag
inc how easy, and comfortable were my slip
pered feet. / thrust them out before me and
admired them. In moment or two a mos
quito came sailing along, humming the re-
frain of hymn the congregation had just
ceased singing. This startled me little,
but not very much, because 1 always be-
| lieved that the STD ohm mosquitoes could sing
| if they would. Well, this fellow sailed on,
passed me, then he turned and came back
and / observed that he had a
rather wicked look in his eyes,
although, reasoned, that was 40 more than
one might expect of mosquito that flew
around on the Sabbath. Presently, still
humming "Broad is the road that leads to
| death" the bird made few circles and light
ed on my slippered foot, making his landing
about an inch above the slipper.
"Now, son." I said, 'this is little too
much / admire cheek but you fairly gorge
my admiration. 1 am sorry for you, because
| know your harmlessness and your stupidity.
| But your impudence is more detestable than
! your imbecility is touching, and 1 am COM
| PEELED to mash YOU"
| I'll e l.. L l.
hope 1 may live 1000 years if that
mosquito didn't get the drop on me.
1 haven't felt anything like it since seven
years ago, when / tried to mend the family
washboiler. and poured tablespoonful o.
sizzling, glowing, bubbling solder down in.
side my shoe.
AS l am a truthful man, when 1 felt the
| shot, I looked down, and that mosquito had
his hind legs bent under him, his front legs
stretched out and braced against my foot
while the venomous wretch, holding hi
mouth full of epiderms and stocking, leaned
back, pulled and shook his head savagely
like bull terrier, without ever breaking hi
hold Just before kicked him he let go an,
sailed around behind my head, while he join
ed the congregation in singing
ssBrethren, while we sojourn here,
Fight must but need not fear
sat in silent enduring agony, wondering
what manner of bird the Musquash mosquit
+ was, when suddenly another one came benin
me- caught me by the heel and thought i
my soul it would pull the leg off me before
could shake and kick it loose. And then
lodged about my ears, swapping at them 8
it went by, and humming with great affects
ton of feeling,
'sI would live Away"
5 / was glad that it felt that way about it.
Il, &c, all thrc
; All through the service this inhuman banqu,
3 went on. The mosquitoes that came lai
e didn't stand on ceremony, but drew right u
f and helped themselves. "Cut little clost
e to the bone," the old ones would say to til
e newcomers, you'll find the meat sweeter
n And close to the bone it was. l kept up
e regular tattoo with my feet, until the semi.
S deacon came over and whispered to me TIL
/, the Dominion churches had not adopted Il
3 New York custom of applauding the goo
e points in a Sermon Then / held N
n straight out every time
y new mosquito got the drop on me and mac
IS a bull's-eye, until man sitting in front
d me turned around and sternly assured n
d that if didn't quit kicking his wife al
is children he'd throw me out of the windo
+ had wondered several times in an abstrae
lie ed sort of way, what the children were or
h ing for. Once, in my suffering, / got n
d feet up on the pew and tried to sit on the
IN but the maneuvre seemed to afford t
to young ladies in that vicinity so much anu.
,e ment that had to give it up. got hold
u a window stick and tried spearing the m,
N quitoes with it, like eels but it attracted I
al much attention, and, owing to my nervo,
II. ness, was failure anyhow. At last, eth
n, because they had enough, or because it v