Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1883-01-03
OHIO CIDER.


nOCent Ratsin. ..-.9s
John Snyder in st. Louis Post. Dispatch.
II never knew" said the parson, ssswhethar
somebody played q trick on the deacon OF not.
He was q pretty close-mouthed old fellow:
rather proud Of his shrewdness and not ant to
publish the tact if anybody got the better ofhirh
in trade" 80
''But this wasn't trade, was IT." asked one
of the trustees 'sstz>.
"No," responded the parson. with = ghost of .
twinkle In his right eye. ''No, 1t was q present
the deacon got from relatives Of his out west;
out In Central Ohio. They sent him barrel Of
splendid new cider" :
Tell US about the trick, doctor"
"Well, l don't know that it was trick" said
the parson. dropping into a warm chair by the
CRATE. "But it was very funny bit of expe-
rience the deacon had. Ha! ha! These folks of
his sent him this cider and sent him letter say
ing that it made the best bottled cider In the
world. telling him that all he had to do was to
pour the cider into small bottles and drop
raisin into each bottle just before he fastened
in the cork. Well. Hezekiah followed the direc-
lions very carefully, and piled the bottles in
that little cellar of his just back of the furnace.
OF course the cider went very slowly. as the
deacon's family is quite small. Besides, he had
notion that this cider. being extra fine, ought
to be kept for company or Christmas or mince
pies. and what not. So it was lying in
the cellar two or three months. One
evening my wife and myself dropped in to
spend the evening with the deacon. NY
wife said she hadn't been there for five or six
months, and SO Mrs. Chace wouldn't be satisfied
with mere formal CALL Deacon was delighted
to see us-dear old tellow-he Just beamed with
hospitality. Told his wife to bring in some OF
her special company dOughnuts, and said ewas
going to open bottle of that splendid Ohio
cider. Well. demonstrated with him. told him
he had better keep the cider for real company
as we felt like members of the family, you know
Fact is thought the cider must be pretty hard
in spite OF the raisns. and hard cider always
gives me little tit of indigestion. But Deacon
wouldn't take any excuse. He was bound to
open some of that Ohio cider. So he brought
out three bottles. My wife was talking with
Mrs Chace about calling on the new folks-the
BroWns-that had just come into town from
Warren. Her face was turned away from the
Deacon, who stood by the table chatting with
me and twisting the wire off one of the corks
'''Oh, yes said the Deacon, Il knew the
Browns long before they went to Warren. The
old man used to do business in Providence and
Julius Caesar. what's that? ? The cork flew
out OF the bottle as if it had been shot out of q
gun, just skinning the end of the DeacOn's nose
on its way to the ceiling. My wife turned
quickly as she heard the Deacon's quick excla-
nation. and the cider Cooking like churned soap
suds) caught her full In the eyes, Being wo-
man OF great presence Of mind. as you know,
she jumped on her chair and began to scream
Firer The rest of the cider was playing like
fountain over her new silk dress, for the Dea-
con was so dazed that he stood holding the bot
tie out at arms length. l suppose it was sinful
under the circumstances, but fell back on the
sofa and laughed till l Cried even if that silk
dress was spoiled There wasn't drop left in
that bottle when the fountain stopped playing.
| wish l could have a photograph of
the old Deacon as he stood holding it out
at arms length. Ha! Ha! Hal" And the
Parson laughed heartily at the recollection
BY this time," continued the Parson, 1.-The
care for the cider just before going to bed Some
of that cider we must have. That bottle Dea-
con said was a trfe lively. but he didn't believe
there was another one like that in the whole lot.
But he grasped the other bottle little more
firmly, pressed his thumb on the cork and began
to pry off the wire Mrs. Chace was down on
her knees trying with dry towel to make the
SILK dress look trifle more respectable, and
noticed that my wife began to edge over into
the corner and wink her eyes as one does who
expects to hear a cannon go off. Quick as a
flash Deacon turned the neck Of the bottle into
glass as the cork few across the room and
stirred up the cat, and almost every drop of that
cider danced out of the glass onto the parlor
tableclOth. About two tableSpOonfulS STAYED in
the tumbler. - -.
Hadn't better get the umbrella, Hezekiah.
if you are going to open any more?' said Mrs.
Chace, In that patient, meek way Of hers. with
out the slightest flavor of fun in her voice.
:" Yes said Deacon with little tritie of irri-
tatiOn in his tone. Better have the Salvage
Corps come. hadn't your
After had smoOthed down my voice into
t0lerable cOmpOsure, l suggested that if the
Deacon was going to continue the experiment
irrepressible cider might galop around
in less expensive fashion! Deacon's
wife began to say that she thought the hired
man had better go along In case Of acct
dents. but l quietly nudged her arm. and
she held her peace Strange thing, isn't It.
that the best wife in the world will often
rasp mans feelings more than his bitterest
| enemy can do! Well, Deacon went out alone
with the cider. We heard loud report which nv
wife said she hoped wouldn't raise the neghbors,
| and when he came back he had the glass nearly
half full of cider. The old man looked flushed
| and unhappy, as if he had cOnfded his private
feelings to the cider in a more earnest manner
than he was accustomed to do with his pastor
was actually aching to get out into the street
where | could laugh it out So after tasting the
mercurial liquid. and pronouncing it superb,
wife and hurried out of the house. III. : ,
:" Wen. on Wednesday evening, after PRAYER
| meeting, Deacon HeZekiah insisted that l should
drop in as was going home, and taste that
cider
"' But. Deacon said, the last time l saw
| that cider it acted like evil spirits uncorked.
| How did you manage to tame it?
"'You stop in and see.' responded Hezekiah
| with mysterious twinkle in his eye.
$50 dropped in at the Deacon's on my way
home. While sat talking to Sister Chace. the
Deacon left the room and presently returned
attired as if he intended to take trip in surf
boat He had on an oil-skin hat fastened under
| the chin and his rubber OvercOat butt oned up
| to the throat. l noticed also that his sleeves
| were fastened at the wrists with rubber bands
g. Why, Deacon l said. what in the wide
| world is the matter? Has it begun 20 snow, or
| are you going to tire?'
He made no reply. but beckoned me to fol-
| low him into the kitchen Then saw that he
had the matter reduced to what the newspapers
call "a fine point On the kitchen table stood a
large wash tub tilted up on one edge, and be-
side it were arranged two glasses and a dozen
| bottles of cider.
Deacon. l remarked. do you think / am
going to drink half gallon Of
I Now, just walt said the Deacon, 'mebbe
| you won't get as much as you want With
that he grasped one Of the bottles. held its
neck down into the tub, and, turning his head
sideways DIS il he expected shell to ex-
4 MIN t.tr III