Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1881-12-16

wouldn't you give toward n charityY
"Meetin' houses are no charity"
'Tll tell you what III do" said the priest /;
'if you'll add ten dollars to the amount in
my hat, I'll agree TO show you before next
New Years day, IL you are alive, that It is
charity, or 1 will on that day pay you back
the money and two per cent month interest !;
or IL you die before that day, the money shall
be paid toward your funeral expenses. Come
now, what do you say?
~ don't say nothing to that But I'll tell
you what I'll do"
"What?" asked his reverence.
"Tll put up twenty dollars against any
mans twenty, that | can throw any man in
the house, best two falls out of three, and il
I lose, the money will go in the hat"
"O.a-ah !" growled some one, Eyer don't
want to challenge priest, do ye2'
"Whist Wait moment" said Father
Ryan, interrupting the speaker. Then turn
ing to the challenger, who still sat in his cor
ner: when aud where do you propose to
wrestle p
Fright now and aud right here, in the back
yard, on the stone floor"
"what hold?"
"Collar and elbow"
"Gentlemen," said Father Ryan, blandly,
as he turned to the crowd, 'if one among
you will be kind enough to put up the mon
win it,
Here's your money !" said the barkeeper,
plankng the heavy gold twenty on the board.
"And here's the mate to it," said Nate,
rising from his place In the corner and strik-
ing second twenty on top Of the first
Now all was excitement The egg-nog was
forgotten, while betting became the order of
the hour.
Twenty dollars even that the padre wins
l bet my last dollar on religion every pop"
1.-Two to one on Nate Smith-from ten
dollars to a hundred"
The preliminaries being all settled, the
impromptu athletes stepped TO the centre,
shook hands, and then standing front to
front, took each other by the collar with one
hand, and by the elbow Of each with the
other hand, and the muscular bout began.
The collar and elbow wrestle between
skilled contestants is really, 80 to speak,
fist fight with the feet. One would think in
viewing the kicks OF the mailed feet, that
shins would be broken like pipe-stems, but
1t is not often that one wrestler is permitted
to get square-toed kick upon the shins of
the other, where there is science on both
sides.
But to really describe the tripping, kicking,
feeding, foiling, and muscular writhiug OF the
contestants ON this New Years day in the
stone amphitheatre behind the long saloon, is
not in the power Of this pen, nor in any pow
er slower than Muybridge's lightning photo
grapher, but the result was that, after poising
on the brink Of alternate success and defeat,
Nate Smith went down, solid, on the fiat of
his back, taking care, however, TO stiffen his
neck against sounding rap of his conscious
c05esd on the hard floor.
Score one for the church :" shouted
knowing fellow in the crowd.
"Hurrah for the padre-he's a little bull
with the clay on his horns !"
Once again the strugglers came TO the CEN
tire, and now again the contest was waged
with all the vigor Of the human animal, sup
plemented by that essence of Immortality
known as the intellect. This second bout
was even more warily worked through than
the first-each man having already tested the
skill of the other-but it ended in drawn
battle, both men coming down together with
terrific fall upon the floor. This time there
were serious inquiries to know if either man
was hurt.
Hurt, is itY Yis, indade am; but I'm
not injured"
I'm not injured either, but I've got as
much of this thing as | want at present, said
Nate, and then added, "we'll postpone the 9TH
er fall till next New Years"
mo, wewont!" shouted the crowd; "thats
a dead give away"
"All right, boys Father, are you ready ?"
asked Nate.
Ready, please God" and he stepped to
his place. 'Tm here among the tigers, like
an early martyr in the amphitheatre."
Nate extended his hand, which the martyr
grasped good naturedly, but instead of tax.
ing hold Of his collar, Nate holding tho
priest by tie hand, turned to tho crowd and
said;
'Boys, here's a man that has throwed me
once, and tied me once. Fve done my level
best to save my money and TO win his, but it
can't be done. The best l can do is to fall
with him. l throw up the sponge. The
money goes in the hat"
At this speech there were cheers and grum-
bling, but the cheers predominated.
Gentlemen" " said the father, my oppo-
nent has acted throughout this just like a
Christian knight, and ohivAlrous spirit, and
wish to say that, if there is dissatisfaction with
his conclusions, will waive any claim that
may have upon the sum Of money at issue in
this wager and, further, If he is willing We
will, turn and turn about, wrestle with any dis
satisfied person, one at a time of course, until
there is no shadow of complaint of unfairness.
But want it understood that all that we both
earn goes into the hat"
'Im willin', f" said Nate, ''and I'm agreeable
to that last prop, but my twenty goes into the
nat All the same, ana no more laW-oone ABOUT
it,"
There being no takers of the last PROPOSE
ton, the wrestlers resumed their ordinary
garments. The egg-nog drinking began again,
while the priest, after slowing the collected
money away in his various pockets placed
his hat upon his head, took another light
glass Of wine in compliment of the season,
then shook hands all around and said:
Gentleman, let mirth be seasoned with
moderation, all your contests with kindness,
and SO strive, in season and out, that all your
days shall produce good citizenship. 1 am
deeply obliged TO you all for the hearty fair
ness and squareness of my reception to-day.
Good-by."
1t is needless to add that the ''bit of a chap
el' was entirely finished, and that Nate Smith,
with the boys" drops in now and then on
Sunday-"not" as he says, THAT l care for
hallelujah in Latin, but just to give the padre
a send-off."