The Hickman courier. [volume] (Hickman, Ky.) 1859-current, 1881-06-10
DUFF AND THE BEE.
a sabbath Tale of Nature and
knowledge.


From the San Francisco Chroniclel
The Duff family, pater, mater and lit
tie ones. picnicked on the beach beyond
Fort Point yesterday. Il do love ma
tlure, " remarked Patrick Duff, who is
proud and frequent voter of the Seventh
ward, as he unhitched the dray-horse
from the family carryall, which bore
the family arms, Duff S Xpress.
. The cares av political loif and gineral
expressing require that man shud relax
= his moind midst the grand reposh av
tireless nathure's reshtful bosom. I'll
ring that sentiment into me next warrud
club spache, Mary Helen be me sowl,
/ viii. Lave hould avthat cowld boiled
ham, James Henry, or III throw ye into
the trackless tide. ?
The lunch basket was safely deposited
IN tire shade OF aeroelx. tiIe you-asuf
Duffs disported bare-legged in the mild
surf, and Mr. and Mrs. Duff wandered,
free from care, DER the green hillside.
Presently Mrs. Duff discovered a bum
ble-bee IN the deep recess of a wild flower
she had plucked. Alas, she had never
seen bumble-bee before LUX here,
Patrick, " she exclaimed, Yez never saw
the loike av that IN Kerry, Pat.
Mr.. Duff was too much of a politician
to commit himself as to his knowledge,
or lack of it, without first considering
the subject. Taking the flower from ms
wife's hand, he eyed the bee critically
and then asseuted: at is purity bur
Iid. Mary Helen" Then he carefully
picked the bee ont OF the flower between
his thumb and forefinger and repeated
slowly
Yes, it Is very purity burrid l
think il Is a."
Before Mr.. Duff had explained what
he was pleased to think the bee was, he
had dashed the flower in his amazed
wife's face jumped eXcitedly IN the air,
landed hatless and with hair erect, aud
again repeated, still slowly, but with
popping, glaring eyes, and III u voice
husky with pam and anger
1t Is purity bulTid, bus, holy muir
ther, now hot its little fut is p
Patrick Duff, have you been hitting
that whisky-bottle III the lunch basket %
exclaimed the indignant Mrs. Duff.
Patrick, III dumb bewilderment, gaZed
ON his swelling and inhamed thumb and
then at the wife of his bosom before he
replied
a. Hod yez run yer needle through that
burrid, Mary Helen, befoor yez CAV it
TO me p
Don't yez be too funny. Pat, said
Mrs Duff, testify.
.Shure, I'm not funny at all, Mary
Helen. and yez needn't look that way at
me, nather, or I'll break yer yartebre, -
said Mr. Duff, getting madder as his
thumb got bigger.
'Yez had better not be thrying your
thricks wild me, or III land We wan side
av that ugly jaw of yours that 'ull tach
We whois boss of the Duff family" Mr..
Duff's voice rose as he realized the full
extent of his hurt.
"Yez have been drinking yerself into
transitory jim jams, Pat, and yez had
better Shape 1t off before lunch, % replied
the lady IN a concihatory tone, which
only served to aggravate the gentle
mans temper into exact sympathy with
his thumb, for with an irresistible i'm
pulse he made good his threat, and in d
moment the sweet solitude of the spot
and day was rudely broken by blows
which fell with unconlugal force and ra-
pidity on both the heads OF the Duff
family, while the humble bee hummed
drowsily of, moralizing over greatness
Of evils when unknown.