The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1880-09-24
ABRAMS BOY AND THE Ugly GUN.
BY REV: e. A. RAND.

81 wonder what's dati'
1t was Abrams boy looking through
a fence knot-hole Into Uncle Lisba's
yard. Sometimes they called him
Abrams boy and sometimes "littlc
Abram."
81 saw, saw
Saw what, honey2" asked Abram
senior.
Saw a long, long, black
"Get froO sometime, chile. Saw
something long an black, sort of bari'l
like? OATS gun; an ugly one, too"
ga gunW
"Sartin, honey. 1t shoots people and
knocks him ODER"
"Whar's de place the shoot comes out
OBJ"
"Oh, dar's hole In front. Cotch I'm
Gle 'Lisha to hab barr'l in his yard
widout hole in it'll" rr
Here Abram declared that he should
ode a-laffin" at The ideal
"Why, chile, you's insun. as l was
fore got into de primer"
That gun in Uncle Lisha's yard was
q great mystery to Abrams boy, and
oftentimes no planted a big wondering
eye at the fence-hole to view this piece
of ordnance. Several times he saw
Uncle 'Lisha's tall stately form bowling
over the gun, big yellow mug in his
hand, and then little Abrain heard what
lie called ga sizzlin' sound"
"Dat sizzlin' sound, honey? Pears to
me dat must be do powder workin' its
way out OBJ the gum" was the cxplana-
ton of his father.
The gun IN Uncle 'Lisha's yard was
a cider barrel. Its shape was rather
peculiar. 1t was very long, and looked
something like surly Columbad
thrusting its black muzzle out from I'M
der shelter Uncle 'Lisha had made for
it.
at shows 1t must be dangerous, or he
would keep it in the house" said Abram
senior, triumphamtly. Uncle 'Lisha
was the proud owner of an apple tree,
Its fruit was so sour that Abram told
his boy II would "puckcr ones mouf out
OBJ shape for n month";" and the apples
were wormy enough to satisfy the most
inveterate drinker. Uncle 'Lisha refus-
ed to see any harm in the beverage,
and he wanted Abram "jest to keep his
Temperance stuff 10 hum"
"IIoney," said Abram one day, "do
| yOu w aht W ~ WIN tDC anu Stc WIlul
such gun as dat will doT
Little Abram was glad enough to
have the invitation, and his father led
him down to a neighborhood cursed by
cider drinking. 1t was called "Scrubby
Lane"
"Dsr, chilei Dat is a poor fellei
knocked ODER by de cider guns" and
Abrain pointed out man stupidity
sleeping not far from pig-sty.
at would serve him right to be pen
ned in a while. An see his house
Dat was battered by the cider-gun."
The house was ragged and rough as
the pitiful sleeper on the ground. The
chimney had lost its top, the shingles
were rotting out of the roof. The win
dows were broken and rag stuffed, the
door was offits hinges. A woman's sac
face appeared at one of the windows
and was then hastily with drawn.
"Chile, do you wonder l don't like
Uncle Lisha's clder-gun? know iusI
what misery comes from de stuff. A
man might as we'll haul q battery from
OBJ his house an let it beng away.
know, know, fur hab seen an car
tell what will happen when de cider. gun
comes," and Abram shook his heac
with all the positiveness of a prophet
| Uncle Elisha took quite a fancy tC
Abrams boy, though he disliked the
fathers principles, and he told the little
fellow one day that his son Lemuel was
coming from the city, and he kept in g
confectionery store, and he would bring
little Abram sugar horse, big, big
his eyes steadily growing-big huff to
ride on, most!
Every day young Abram planted an
eye ut the fence hole to SEQ if the sugar
horse had arrived and was prancinp
round in Uncle 'Lisha's yard. Alas, he
saw a different sight one day. He ran
into the house screaming: ga man shot
by de gunl A man shot by de gun i'
Abrams father was not at home. He
had stepped into Uncle 'Lisha's house
On an errand, but he was not able to &C.
complish 1t. Uncle Elisha was sitting
in his old leather bottomed armchair,
his Bible in his lap. Uncle Elisha wish.
ed to DO considered very religious, he
did have an ugly gun in his yard. APP
parently he was reading. but really he
had gone to sleep. His head was bob
bling up and down, and fly perched on
his Hat nose was seesawing away, EN-.
joying his free ride very much. Abram
senior was looking on, grinning from
ear to ear.
Suddenly little Abram came running
In, screaming: "Uncle Elisha, Uncle
'Lisha, a man shot out in your yard !'
Uncle 'Lisha's head came to halt. He
rubbed his nose and opened his eyes.
"What, whatW he asked.
"a man shotl"
"Whar, WHARF"
"In your yard"
"My yardf" and saying this, Uncle
Elisha sprang ont of the house. And
there before the "barr'l" was a man
stretched out, drunk! How long he
had been there, no one could say. I'm
Gle Elisha had been away for half a
day, and all that time the strange man
may have been there ia the yard, a tar
get for the merciless shooting of the
gun.
ono WONDER" said Abram to his lit
tie boy; "Nuf charge in that old ON,
to kill knock ober de whole villij.n
At the strangers side was Uncle lii
sha's big yellow mug, and around his
pocket were the fragments Off sugar
horse.
"Bery likely dat was a Temperance
hoss," suggested Abran to his boy, can
he strained SO hard to get away from
bad company, he jest strained hisseli
in pieces.n
It was Uncle 'Lisha's son Lcmuel who
was the victim of the shooting. The
man was 80 mortified, and in the pres
ence too OF the little fellow whom he
intended to make SO happy with the
sugar horse Abram saw tears on the
old mans cheeks, and he pitied him
thoroughly.
IL spec" he whispered to little Alb
ram, "dat Uncle Lisha am badly hit
by de gun also, an he is struck in de
heart. OATS what makes me 'spise a