Daily Republican., 1881-01-05
Hornets.

i There ID an old woman on Catharin'
street who delights TO fnd case tina
all the doctors have failed TO cure ant
then 70 10 work with herbs and root
and strange things and try to effect q
least an improvement. A few days sgt
she got hold Of q girl with q stiff neck,
aud she offered an old negro named
Uncle Tom Kelly twenty cents TO 60 tC
the woods and bring her hornets nest
This was 10 be stepped in vinegar and
applied to the neck. The old man
spent several days along the Holden
road, and one morning he secured his
prlze and brought 1t home in basket.
When he reached Central market he
had q few little purchases to make,
and after getting some tea at grocery
he PLACED his basket on barrel near
the stove and went out TO look for q
beef bone.
1t was a dull day for trade. The
grocer sat by the stove rubbing his
bald head. His clerk stood at the desk
balancing accounts, aud three or four
men lounged around. II was serene
hour. One hundred and fifty hornets
had gone TO roost in that nest for the
winter. The genial atmosphere began
to Timber them up. One old veteran
opened his eyes, rubbed his legs and
said II was the shortest winter he had
ever known in all his hornet days. A
second shook of his lethargy and sec.
onded the motion and in five minutes
the whole nest was alive and its own
ers were ready 10 sail out and investi
gate. You don't have 10 hit hornet
with the broadside Of an ak TO make
him mad. He's mad all ever all the
the time, and he doesn't care q plea
yune whether he tackles q humming-
bird or an elephant.
The grocer was telling one Of the
men that he and General Grant were
boys together, when he gave sudden
start OF surprise. This was followed
by several other starts. Then he
jumped over q barrel Of sugar, and
yelled like Pawnee.
Some smiled, thinking he was after
q funny climax, but 1t was only a min
ute before a solemn old farmer jumped
about three feet high and came down
to roll over q job lot Of washboards.
Then the clerk duoked his lead and
made rush for the door. He didn't
got there. One Of the other men who
had been looking up and down to ses
what could be the matter, felt sudden
ly called upon to go home. He was
going at the rate Of forty mile an hour
when he collided With the clerk and
hey rolled on the floor. There was no
lse to tell the people in that store to
move on. They couldn't tarry to save
EN-. They all felt that the rent was
100 high, and that they must vacate
he premises. A yell over by the
'heese-box was answered by war.
vhoop from the showcase. A howl
rom the kerosine barrel near the back
loor was answered by wild gestures
round the show.window.
The crowd went out together. I'm. |
le Tom was just coming in with his
'sef bone. When larger body meets 1
smaller one the larger body knocks IL
nto the middle Of next week. The old {
lan laid around in the slush until
had stepped on him all they t
'anted to, and the set up and asked:
"Hey dey got de fab all put out
itH"
Some of the hornets sailed out Of doors
, fall by the wayside, and others wait
d around on top OF barrels and baskets I
nd jars to be slaughtered. II was
alf an hour before the last one was
isposed Of, and then Uncle Tom walk
In, picked up the nest, and said:
"Mebbe dis will cure de stiffness In 0
at gals neck, jest de same, bat tell J
on PIE got banged, an bumped, an
IT down on til! will take hull medi.
II college all winter long to get me 50 I
kin jump off street kyar."-Detroit q
rec Press.