Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1883-02-06

head thoughtfully; land 1 can't wait
to-day, anyway haint the time. But
I'm terribly hungry. If. could, I'd
stay to dinner, miss. However, under
the, circumstances, perhaps you had
better give me q light lunch before I go
a piece of pie, and cup of tea, and a
little cold meat, or something of that
sort"
"Oh, certainly; only can't give you
the meat, for we haven'tit In the house, ("
said Carrie, rising; "but I will find
something" And she brought from the
pantry whole apple pie. which she
placed before him, with a knife and
fork. =.
"If you will help yourself, I'll have
the tea ready in three minutes"
"All right, my dear!" said the man.
seizing the knife and drawing the pie
towards him. II will act upon your
advice, The last time I took dinner
with Gen. Grant," he continued. as he
cut q great piece, and began to eat. she
said to- me, Governor, Governor said
he, never disregard lady's advice and
| have always remembered what be
said )" and he chuckled merrily, and
nodded his head at the delicious looking
pastry before him.
manners of the man who had dined
with Grant, but she stepped his tea, fla.
vOred 1t with rich cream and sugar, and
passed it TO him.
II am not much of hand for tea, !"
said the man as he drained the cup. "but
my.doctor says that must drink it for
my digestion. Ruined my digestion
while.I was in the army, see," and he
winked solemnly. "By the way" he
continued, picking up the silver tea
spoon from the saucer, "have you any
more of these? They are as neat pat
tern as l ever saw, and odd, too.
should like to see the rest of the dozen
if you have them"
mother has only eleven" said Car
rie, in her innocence. land she is very
proud of them but will show them to
you"
Then she brought the little box with
the precious table silver-eleven tea
spoons. four tablespoons, and an ancient
cream jug, all pure silver. and shining
brightly. and placed them before her
inquisitive visitor to admire
He had finished his Light lunch. u
That is, the pie was demolished, and
the teapot empty. AS the little girl
handed him the treasures, he arose, took
the box to the window, examined its
contents with critical eye for a mo-
ment. and then as if in joyful surprise,
cried:
II am right! They are the very
spoons! The very same identical spoons
that my friend lost when he was boy
How lucky 1t is that l have found them
at last!"
With these words, and very low
bow, the rascal opened the door and
slipped away with the spoons and q
silver cream pitcher down the path to-
wards the gate.
For an Instant Carrie stood motion
less then, rushing after him, she shrek
ed:
"Give me those spoons! They are
my mothers spoons, and you are trying
to steal them! You are thief, thief!
Brins them back, bring them back !"
The man, however, paid no attention
to the child's cries, but ran rapidly down
the path, carrying the box in his arms ;
been lost forever if new party had not
appeared on the scene.
Old Dan was quietly nibbling the
grass near the gateway. Hearing his
little mistress voice, he looked up at
the very instant that the tramp passed
What he saw about The man that. dis
turbed him, don't know; but erecting
his lead with hoarse "Ba J" he shot
after him like cannon bail.
The man turned TO receive him and
defend himself, but the ram struck him
fairly in front, and knocked him half
senseless fiat on his back, scattering the
silver in all directions.
For an instant the fellow remained
sprawliDg in the dust. but he slowly
arose limping and groaning, and with
out a glance at his enemy, began to
gather up bis stolen spoils
He had partly completed his task
when Old Dan, who all this time had
been watching the proceedings from
beneath his shaggy eyebrows, shook his
long beard, and with another tremen
dous "Baa.a !" dashed at him again, and
over he went second time, his treasures
flying from his hands.
And now began q strange battle
With cries of rage and pain, the man
recovered his feet and turned upon the
ram, kicking and striking at him furi.
ously, while Dan, accustomed to such
warfare from years experience with the
boys of. the country side, easily, eluded
him, and in return butted him to the
earth again and again.
The spoons and cream-pitcher were
knocked hither and thither, as the com
batants struggled, the road was trampled
into something like race course, the
air was filled with very bad language,
very angry baas, and a great cloud of
dust.
But after some five minutes, victory
declared itself upon the side of the
quadruped and bruised and bleeding,
with clothes in, rags, minus hat and
shoe, the vanquished man suddenly
turned away, and ran limping down the
road, leaving his antagonist in full pos
session of the field, and the stolen silver
Old Dan remained motionless, gazing
after his enemy, until he disappeared
around distant turn in the road, then,
shaking the dust from his coarse wool,
be gave utterance to low grumble OF
satisfaction, and wagging his tail, re-
turned to his dinner in front of the
house.
Half an hour later, as Carrie washed
the coveted spoons and the bright little
pitcher, and laid them carefully away
once more, she told her brother the
story, and how the robber was fOiled !;
and Ned, full of enthusiasm, cried =
"We will not kill Old Dan at all, for
l do not believe that father would shoot
him now for hundred dollars ="
And the boy was right. The old ram
won more than heknew when he fought
the tramp and conquered him. He won
his masters regard, and free, happy
life for the remainder of his days.
F. e. HAMILTON.
4 good Baptist clergyman of Bergen,
N. Y, a strong temperance man. suf-
fered with kidney trouble, neuralgia,
and dizziness almost to blindness, over