Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1879-04-18
r. u N =

A STRANGE ADvENTURE.-An ex-
change has an article headed: "Bees and
their Work for Man. The heading re-
minds us, writes Milwaukee reporter, of
a man that bee worked for last summer.
It was out to the Soldiers Home. There
was picnic anda dance, and lunch, and
everything on the grass. Among the gen
tlemen present was MIR. Severance. He
was around in the crowd, seeing that every
body was happy, and when lunch time
came he found himself seated Oh the green
grass, with white pants on, in a party of
ladies, some of whom he did not know
from Eve.
It is alleged that General Hicks the
governor Of the home, is deslrous of break
ing up this picnic business, and to this end
he has caused the Commissioner of Agri-
culture to send him quantity of the sas-
siest bees KIN own to science, regular Sit
ting Bull bees, that are repeaters, and
know no such word as fail to work the
singing utensil. This may not be true,
but anyway. bees have been turned into
the home grounds to pasture, and though
Gen. Hicks may be innocent, he is respon-
sible.
Well, Severance was sitting on the
ground dissecting sandwich and wonder
ing what was in the bottle that was look
ing over the edge of a basket, when he felt
something crawling up the inside of his
trowsers. He is not as demonstrative as
some, but he noticed it, and as he looked
at the strange woman opposite, his mind
wandered to his trowsers leg, and the ex-
preston on his face was one of anxiety.
He was calm to all outward appearance,
but within him there was Vague longing
TO know the nature of the beast. 1t kept
on crawling.
Severance is not wealthy, but he would
have given his note if he could have known
the species of bug that was going up him
with SO deliberate and business-like a
tread. He knew it was not an ant. be-
cause it was not small enough, and it was
not big enough for a hen, though when it
stopped and scratched with its hind feet
he thought it resembled hen.
His thoughts seemed far away, and
when the lady asked him what tire it
was, he said from the feeling he should
think it was about three inches below the
knee. He alluded to the bug, Of course.
She blushed and stuffed her emotions with
pickle. MI. Severance was becoming
nervous. He wouldn't begrudge poor
bug the right of way along his shin, but
when it went too far his manhood was
aroused. He thought, Here am allow
ing an insect to trihe with my feelings and
spoil my days enjoyment. l will REBEL
He laid down sandwich that he had
Just bitten camel's track out of. and
smiled. He did not feel like smiling, but
he thought he would laugh at something
that was said, and slap his knee at the
same time, as though tickled, and thus
kill the bug, and no one in the party would
know ANYTHING about it. One Of the wo-
men said something cunning, just as The
insect was going up Severance's thigh, by
easy stages, and he broke out into laugh
and slapping his leg. His face was wreath
ed into No. s smile, his lips were parted
as though he was the happiest man in
America; and when his hand struck his
hind leg he jumped up about four feet and
came down on a lemon pie The smile
froze to his face, and his mouth remained
open as thought he had the lockjaw. He
felt as though bar of railroad iron had
been shot through his leg out of a cannon.
The women looked at him scared, the
strange woman particularly whispering to
q COMPANION that he was evidently in the
last stages.
He was about to excuse himself, to go
AND see a man, when the strange woman
also Jumped up, grabbed her skirts and
shook them, ran around tree and said
aGet out!'' started across the road on a
run. and went up to one of the houses. 1t
il a supposed case that there were just
bees enough for two.
When she went away Severance went up
behind the cook house and investigated
the matter. and Tom Williams said he
kicked something into the ground with his
boot heel and jumped OF. it eight or nine
times During the dance that occurred in
the afternoon there was one violin player
that played with great animation, and
strange woman danced as though she WIS
hired to.
There is a certain pathos mingled with
the politeness of the little boy who, Oil be-
ing asked by his Sunday school teacher
who made these everlasting hills which we
are surrounded, replied: 81 really don't
sir. / have only lived in the village about
ten days. and haven't made any acauain-
tances.'
A very old lady on her death bed, in a
<Den:tentiai mood, said 'sI have been a
great sinner for more than eighty years
and didn't know it," An Old colored wo-
man. who had lived with her a long time.
exclaimed: ssLors! I knoWed it all the
time.