The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1882-08-31
HOW THEY HELPED THE DEACON.

HOW THEY HELPED THE DEACON.
.'CherriesP should say so! There's
no end TO 'em-trees are loaded, and
red $ burning-bush. l was by there
to-day"
1t was an intensely eager voice, and
Davy Kent, the speaker. ended his lit
tile speech with an expressive smack Of
the lips.
He'd never missed the few we'd
take, would he, boysP" That was Ned
Rogers. 1t was upon a straw pile be-
hind Mr.. Rogers barn that the boys
were holding an earnest consultation.
Miss emp No, not if we took twice
Rs many as we viii"
"A bushel will be enough to treat the
whole crowd, won't itP''
''Oh, any amount J"
'.Now see here, boys and Glenn
Goodrich lifted himself into sitting
posture and knitted his brows thought
fully as he spoke-''I think-isn't this
doesn't it seem little bit like steal
ing? Don't you suppose he'd give us a
few if we were to ask him? 1t looks TO
me-
But right here Clem's mild voice was
drowned in a roaring, boisterous
chorus.
''It's not stating, me boy" said Con
O'Brien, with the faintest brogue in the
world; ''it's only helping ourselves to
few cherries, that otherwise might
spoil for want o. the picking, and so be
wasted intirely And if Deacon Gam
mon don't know it, he'll be none the
wiser, for he's got piles and hapes
more he can take care of. Ten to
one he'll be obliged to us for helping
him out little-he isn't bad old
gintleman at heart, you know. And
It's for the fun of it as well as the ating
we take 'em, that's the truth"
$50 tis.' echoed good many of the
boys.
As for Glenn, he gazed into Cons
serious face doubtfully, yet, it must be
confessed. very willing TO be convinced.
81 suppose you know BEST" said he
''you fellows that have lived here all
| your lives"
.'Of course,'' laughed Jerry Parker
"Why, my father says he always plants
an extra melon seed for us boys as well
as for the bugs"
So they reasoned away their doubts
and made their plans; and somehow,
before the little party broke up, each
| boy had pretty nearly succeeded in
persuading himself that he would be
doing the Deacon a favor by helping
him make away with a small portion of
his fruit. All the same. Ned Rogers
couldn't resist o little feeling of guilt,
not unmingled with dread, when his
father said at the tea table that evening:
81 wonder what Deacon Cannon
thought of that NOV of early-cut tim
OthyP He was up to look at it this aft
ernoon."
Nobody could tell what the Deacon
thought of the hay, for nobody had seen
him. But Ned was thinking that he
would give something TO know just at
what time in the afternoon the Deacon
came to look at that haymow.
That was what he said to his friends
when they met next night all ready for
the proposed raid ON the Deacon's cher
ries. There were not few blank faces
in the little crowd when he told his
story.
"He might have heard us if he was
there when we were talking" said Ned,
beating lively tattoo on the bottom of
his basket "I don't say he did, but he
might
7Oh. pshawi'' exclaimed Con
O. Brien. . The Deacon's deaf little,
and don't believe he could hear what
we were a-saying. Why didn't you go
round, me boy, to the straw hape,
and see if you could hear yourself into
the bar-rnp''
A shout went up at that, which, to be
sure, was exactly what Con wanted,
since there is nothing better than a
jolly-sounding laugh to put a boy on
good terms with himself and everybody
else.
ats all right said he. s'Come on,
now, and don't you be afraid o
nothin'.''
Not a boy among them was afraid; but
a good many Of them couldn't keep their
hearts from fluttering in a very queer
way when they came, with their baskets
and bags, to the gap In Deacon Gam
mons orchard wall. The orchard was
near the house, and the cherry-trees
were scattered about among the apple
trees in a hap-hazard fashion. The
house looked dark and still.
'Its Just as 1 told YOU" whispered
| Con OBrien, triumphantly. "The
Deacon and his wife have gone to
prayer-mating, and the coast is clear
Rah for wei Look at 'em, me boysP'
They did more than look at the
( great, delicious, clustering cherries,
! hanging from boughs which bent low
down with their weight. They pulled
/ them by handfuls, and bags and baskets
werc rapidly filed.
".But there don't look to be any less
n there was when we begun" said
| Con. with merry chuckle. Now,
boys, isn't this a big help TO the old
/ gintleman? He'd nivcr get away with
'em alone, sure"
There was no sound except the voices
Of the frogs I'M the marsh under the hill
while the work went briskly or II was
when the boys were nearly ready TO
leave that they heard a voice in the
direction Of the Deacon's domicile:
II don't know, but I'll walk out and
see.
. It's ould Mrs. Cannon herselfi''
sounded Cons excited whisper. $50
for the gap. me boys, and don't spill
your cherries oyer. Go, newp'
They were all only too ready to obey.
Away they skurried. with long leaps,
like frightened rabbits, through the
orchard grass to the break in the wall
But they did not go beyond il. Up rose
| the Deacon on the other side, as cool
| so Jerry Barker afterward said-as q
frozen cucumber.
"Good-cvening. boys" said be. He