Sharp County record., 1880-08-26
DOD AND DAN.

Our folks and Mr., Gregory's haven't
got on very well together till lately,
though they've been our next door
neighbors for four or five years.
Near as | can find out, the trouble be-
gan aboutour monkey Sim. Mr.. Gregory
said that people hadn't any business to
keep such mischievous animals! But if
Sims any worse than the Gregory
twins, I'd like to know it!
1t was all Mr. Gregory's fault, any
way. You wouldn't hardly think that
lOng-legged, stif-backed man with a
white choker-a party that S forgot how
to smile-would poke monkey with a
stick, now would youP
Well, that's what Mr.. Gregory did.
He said he did it to please the twins.
o, yes. But I notice Sim didn't look
at it that way! He just went for the
calf of Mr.. Gregory'S leg as lively as he
would for anybody's-just as | told Mr..
G. he would
Laugh! Well, who could help itp l
didn't know that Mr., Gregory had any
Joint iR his back bone before. And
uos'd have laughed to have heard him
holler and see him skip round on one
leg.
He didn't come near the house for
ever so long after that. But every once
and a while, he'd send bod or Dan
over of morning to say with his COM
pliments, that if Miss Ellen-that's sis
ter Nell-would cease practicing that
frivolous dance music for little while,
SO he could collect his thoughts while
he was looking over the Sunday school
lesson, he'd be much obliged.
Some girls would up and get mad
right off, whether they was church
member or not But that isn't our Nell.
/ believe in the kind of Christian she
is. She fits it right into the little places
in life. Nell always used to shut the
piano right up without word, when
he sent over that way.
"Mr. Gregory is one of my disci-
plines," she said, laughing, once-and
l should think he was. It's all over
noW, but he used to be catching her up
all the time on the foolishest things,
Just because she was teacher in the
Sunday-school where he is superin-
tendent He'd tell some one, that he
didn't think it was quite consistent for
a church member to 90 into company
where there was dancing or whist. And
he didn't exactly approve of croquet.
And he was particularly down on Nelrs
rowing about the harbor an hour or two
every day-he thought a young lady
seventeen years old might be betterem
ployed, he said. Of course this would
get to Nell's ears and she'd feel real
bad about it for a while, but mother'd
comfort her up and tell her it would all
come out right some day-only be
patient. If it hadn't been for her I'd
a given Mr.. Gregory a piece of my
mind, now l tell you. But mother was
right, as she most always is-and Pm
glad now | held my tongue.
But I'd like to know which was worse
for Sim to bite Mr.. Gregory's leg or
for those twins to get our pig dead
drunkp Come, now! You see, that
year they didn't keep pig and we did.
So Mrs. Gregory, who's just as clever
as the day is long, used to send pail
of stale bread and things, over for him
every day. Well, one Saturday after
noon she went down town and forgot all
about it. So bod and Dan thought
they'd take the business into their own
hands. bod got loaf of cake out OF
the buttery, and Dan poured some OF
Mrs. Gregory's nice currant wine over
it. Then they mushed it all up in a
pail, and put itin our pig trough with
out saying word to anybody. | was
off trouting. When 1 got back at sup
per time, there was pretty how-do-
you-do round the pig pen. The folks
had found poor piggie laying on his
side, for all the world as though he was
dead. Father and | got him out on the
grass, but he didn't seem to breathe,
hardly. He'd kick one leg little once
in a while, but that was all. Mother
said, may be it was collie, and wanted to
give him Jamaica ginger. But Mr..
Bates, that boards with us, and is study
ing for a doctor, said not seemed
more like an apoplectic fit. And finally
he thought he'd bleed him, so he cut
the tip end of his tail of, which they
say is the only way of bleeding pig.
But poor piggie didn't notice it a bit, so
at last we gave it up and left him for
dead.
But / thought there was considerable
life in him next morning, after I'd