, 1881-10-28
Duff and the Bee.

The Duff family, pater, mater and lit
tie ones, picnicked on the beach beyond
Fort Point yesterday. Il do not love
nathure, remarked Patrick Duff, who Is
a 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 'Npress. The
cares av political loif and gineral ex-
pressing require that man should relax
his moind midst the grand reposh ay
tireless nathure's reshtful bosom. Ill
ring that sentiment INTO me next Warrud
club spache. Mary Helen, be my sowl,
| will Lave hould av that cowld boiled
ham, James Henry, or I'll throw We into
the trackless tide"
The lunch basket was safely deposited
in the shade of q rock, the youthful Duffs
disported bare-Iegged in the mild surf,
and Mr. and Mrs. Duff wandered, free
from care, DER the green hillside. Pres
emily Mrs. Duff discovered bumble-bee
in the deep recesses of wild flower she
had plucked. Alas, she had never seen
a bumbIe-bee beforei LUX here, Pat
rick" she exclaimed, ''yeZ never saw the
loike av that in Kerry, Pat.
Mr.. Duff was too much of politician
to commit himself as to his knowledge,
or lack of it, without first considering the
subject. Taking the flower from his
wife's hand, he eyed the bee critically,
and then assented:
Its a purity burrid, Mary Helen"
Then he carefully picked the bee out
of the flower between his thumb and fore
finger and repeated slowly:
Yes, it is a very purity burrid; think
it 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 eXcjtedly IN the air,
landed hatless and with hair erect, and
again repeated, still slowly. but with
popping. glaring eyes, and in a Voice
| husky with pain and anger:
at is purity burrid, but, holy MUIR
ther, how hot It's little fut Isl"
Patrick Duff, have you been hitting
! that whisky bottle in the lunch basket
| exclaimed the indignant Mrs. Duff.
| Patrick, IN dumb bewilderment, gaZed
! on his swelling and intiamed thumb and
| then at the wife of his bosom before he
replied:
'Hod yez run yer needle through that
burrid, Mary Helen, befoor yez gav' it
to me?"
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 vartebra, u
said Mr.. Duff, getting madder AS his
thumb got bigger.
''YeZ had better not be thrying your
thricks wId me, or I'll land We wan side
av that ugly jaw of yours that all tach
We who is 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 iim-iams, Pat, and yez had
better slape it off before lunch" replied
tho lady in a couciliatory tone. which
only served to aggravate the gentleman +
| semper into exact sympathy with his
thumb, for with an irresistible impulse
he made good his threat, and in a mo-
ment the sweet solitude of the spot and
day was rudely broken by blows which
fell with unconjugal force and rapidity
on both the heads of the Duff family
while the humble bee hummed drowsily
off, moralizing over greatness of evils
when unknown San Francisco Chron.
icle.