Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1883-04-04
Two Young Missionaries and their
Sunday Dog Fight.


house. She was taken away from it and
sent to live with a woman who had pink
wart on her nose, and was always making
her sew on bingham aprons. Nice book for
boys What do | care bout poor-house
girls or women with pink warts and ging
ham aprons 2" and Ted's nose took a celes-
tial turn as he thus showed his disgust.
"Well, my book ia one we've had before,
we liked it-dont you remember-the mis-
sionary who got wrecked on one of the
Pacific islands 2 n"
"Oh yes. It was real jolly. Only the
last part wasn't, where he got eaten by the
Cannibals, mean"
1t was nice where he built his hut out
of the things from the shipwreck, and when
he went fishing. Then | liked the place
where it told about his tanning the monkey"
"Awfnlly exciting, wasn't it'll say, Ned"
and Teddy's eyes sparkled, wouldn't it be
jolly to be wrecked on a coral island 2"
"Yes, If we found things to make us
comfortable there. Kidd Of nice to be mis-
sionaries, too" said Ned, musingly.
"Come, now, 'spose we play, make
believer"
"But it's Sunday" doubtiully.
eyes, but it's just the right kind of a play
for the day.
"Well, where should we go 2"
"Don't you see the Brian boys down in
the meadow They've been there quite a
long time. Playing humble he.peg, guess.
'Spose we go down there ?"
smother doesn't like us to 'ssociate with
the OBrians."
But we don't 60 down there to play
with them We only go as missionaries.
Don't you remember what Miss Prentiss
told us to-day about doing all the good we
could Now we can teach the O'Brians
lots of things. III warrant they don't know
one bit about the Bible. Aud if we're
polite to them who knows but what we can
get them SO interested that they will come
to church. Come, let us get some lesson
papers and things and go down -
Ted was an impetuou' little fellow, full
of earnestness about anything he under
took, and quieter Ned was generally swept
away by his brothers enthusiasm.
In few minutes the two boys, laden
with Bibles, catechism and illustrated les
son papers had reached the meadow. Here,
stretched beneath wide-spresding butter.
nut tree, they found the O'Brisns-two
dirty, tangled-baired, young 1rishmen of a
dozen years or thereabouts, whose clothes
were more on the principle of good ventila
tion than anything else. Qnite startling
contrast did they present to the young Ora
hams, with their fresh, white suits, neat
sailor collars, and jaunty cardinal stockings
and neckties. But the O'Brisns were Evil
IDENTIFY not at all abashed by the fine attire
OF their visitors.
"Hullo there, Ned An you, Ted What
yer gwine ter do ? Start book store Z"
"No, we only came down to have a little
visit with you," said Ted in concilatory
manner. awe thought maybe you'd like
to read and study with u.s."
"What yer got G,od dime novel ?
What's that little red book ? iii A Bible
-true's live Gwine ter be minister, b.
We Ho no Rev. Edward Graham, DID
PIG. |" and, uttering a loud whoop,
Tommy O'Brian flung up his brown heels in
summersault, while his brother Billy
joined in the burst of derisive laughter.
"Now look here, boys" said Ned in his
gentle way, "we didn't mean one bit of
harm. It's Sunday, and these are the books
here and thought we'd come, too, and maybe
you'd like TO hear some Stories"
"All right, sonny" said Tommy, plant.
ing his ten toes on bit of moss, " all right
only we didn't want to be preached to or
pstronized like. Stop your scoulin', an
you, Parson Ned go on an read us suthin.
You needn't tell us anything about Adam,
an Eve, an the snake, though we've heard
bout them over'n over agin |"
After some consultation, Ted assisted
by Ned, began to tell the story of Joseph,
which Biblical character both the o 'Brians
pronounced "a regular brick" Then the
account of David staying Goliath was also
given, to which they listened attentively.
But when the story of the lying pair, Ana
MAS, and his wife Sapphira, was read, 10th
Tommy and Billy WINGED little, and rolled
unessily on the grass. Evidently the story
recalled certain talsehoods of their own
"Never mind them ere fbbn' fellers,
said Billy. "Tell us about that chap with
a crown on his head"
Whereupon Ned proceeded to relate the
story of that wonderful monarch, Solomon.
How he was a very wise man and rich
one, too, with lots Of horses, oxen, men.
servants, aud maid-servants, and-seven
hundred wives and three hundred Gu
| cumbers."
"Cucumbers p cried Tom, in amazement.
at says so here" said Ned gravely.
"Taint spelled exactly like cucumbers,
though"
The other boys looked over his shoulders,
and came to the conclusion that the word
| did mean cucumbers."
81 'spose his wife liked pickles." said
Teddy, soberly. "Go on, Ned"
Aud Ned was "going on" but Just then
something happened that put an end to the
Scriptural lessons.
There was rustling in the bushes, then a
sharp, quick bark, and the next instant a
black, shaggy dog leaped upon Ted's lap.
1t was their pet, Barkis," who had
found his way down to his little masters
They gave him hearty welcome, but there
was some one else who resented the intru
sion. This was Stub" the homely, vel
low, bob-tailed cur of the O'Brians, who al
this time had been sleeping III the grass
With low growl, that showed his white
teeth behind his ugly jaws, he advanced
toward Barkis," evidently on hostile
thoughts intent.
"Call off your dog, Tom - cried Teddy.
But dog fight was great fun for the
O'Bisns. They knew full well the war
like qualities of their pet, aud were dis
posed to have them exhibited.
Sho what yer fraid of 2" said Tom
am give your purp jest as fair a chance al
mine Lstm fight it out III bet your
,ck knife 'gainst mine that our Stubl
beat r.
alt isn't right to bet. Besides l dom
want Barkis to fight" said Nd.
"'Fraid be ye Sho wouldn't keep q
dorg what didn't have no spirit Better
post petticoat on him and make a dolly OF
him
Barkis evidently resented this insolent
remark, for, with one convulsive bound, he
sprang from Ted's arms where he had fol
the last minute been struggling, and with 4
defiant yelp, ran toward Stub.
Ted and Ned, seeing that there was to b,
an actual fight, were, OF course, DESTROYS tina
their favorite should win, aud began to en-
courage him, clapping their hands auC
shouting as wildly as did the younl
0'Brians.
There was a snarling, and yelping, anc
a confused tumble OF two bundles of fur
one yellow, the other black-snd how i
would have ended | know not, but fortu
nately just then there came striding across
the field tall, familiar figure.
1t was Papa Graham, returning from
|