Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1883-01-25
THE SLEIGH-RIDE:
Or Two Ways of Telling a Story.


Or Two Ways of Telling a Story.
IThe following story is as good this
year as in 1884, when il was written and
published by one still among US, and as
read Y as ever with graceful pen in every
good cause - .-s'. ,ts.' .~= ntl
Young people commit more faults
from thoughtlessncsst than from intent to
do wrong; and want of reelection leads
children astray much oftener than want
of principle. Indifference to the feel
ipgs OF the aged, preneness to make
light of pee lliarities, are. however. oc-
.casionally INDUCED in by the young,
and in the excitement of the momentary
qualification which such merriment may
produce, all thought Of the wrong and
all sense of the right are equally forgot
ten.a The proyarb, of the wisest man
saith: 1.-The glory of young men is their
strength and the beauty of Old men, is
their gray head" The strength of the
young should protect and defend the
beauty Of the old. The hoary head
should ever be protected, whatever may
be the outward condition of its pos
SCISSOR; and neither sport nor ridicule
should be thrown upon him whose en-
feebled strength scarce sutfices to bear
the weight OF the many years with
which time has burdened him.
The following narrative, which lis
strictly true. illustrates what has been
observed. and provesstha the Just rec
ompense of q thoughtless fault may be
more speedily repaid to those who com
NIT it than may be. either expected or
desired by them. The common saying
Of waking up the wrong passenger
is peculiarly applicable to the case. So"
In one OF the most popuious cities Of
New England, a few years since. a
party of lads. all members of the same
school, got up u grand sleigh-ride.
There We're about twenty-five or thirty
boys engaged IN the frolic. The sleigh
was very large and splendid establish,
ment, drawn by six gray horses. The
afternoon was as beautiful as anybody
could desire, and the merry group en-
joyed themselves in the highest degree.
1t was a common custom of the school
to which they belonged, and on
previous occasions their teacher had
accompanied them. Some engagement
upon important business, however oc-
cupyinr him, he was not at this time
with them. 1t is quite likely, had it
been otherwise. that the restraining in
fluence of his presence would have pre-
vented the scene which is the main
feature of the present story.
On the day Il lowing the rifle. as he
entered the S hool-ro m, he found his
pupils groupat about the st we, AMI in
high n errimeat. as they chattel about
the fun an frol C of the exrrrsion.
He stopye awhile and Stoned. and in
answer to some inquiries viii h he
ma !e a out the matter. one of the lads,
n fine, frank and manly boy, whose
heart was in the r ght place, though his
love OF sport sometimes led HIM astrav.
volunteered to give narrative of their
trip, and it's vario>is in idents. AS he
drew near the end of his story, he ex-
claimed: "Oh. sir, there was one little
cir III stan which l had al most for
ten to tell YOU. Toward the latter
part of the afternoon, as we were com
ing home, we saw, at some distance
ahead of us, queer-looking affair in
the road. We could not exactly make
out what it was. 1t SCENE to be sort
OF half-and-hdf mo nstrositv. AS we
approached it, it proved to be a rasty
old sleigh, fastened beh MI a covere-i
wagon, pro ee, ing at a slow rate, and
taking up the whole road. Finding
that he owjer was not disposed 10
turn out, we determined u.on
vol:e of snow-halls and
COOL hlrrah. These we ga e with
reUsh. and they produced the right
effect and little more, for the crazy
machine turned out INTO the deep snow
by the side of the road, and the skinny
old pony started on a full trot. AS we
passed, some one who had the whip
gave the old iilt of horse good crack,
which made him run faster than he ever
did before, I'll warrant. And so, with
an other volley of snow-balls, pitched
into the front of the wagon. and three
times three cheers, we rushed by. With
that, an old tetioW in the wagon. who
was buried up under an old hat and be-
meath rusty cloak, and who had
dropped the reins, bawled out: why
do you frigh,en my horse?' why
don't you turn out. them SAYS the
driver. So we gave him three rousing
cheers more; his horse was frightened
again. an ran Up against loaded
team, and, l believe. almost capsized
the old creature-and so we left him"
"Well, boys replied the instructor,
I" that is quite an incident. But take
youI sSst' ., siueis dlteE our IuOI1lfuS SEW
ice is ended. l will take my turn and
tell you story, and all about sleigh
ride, too
Having finished the reading of
chapter in The Bib e, and after all had
joined in the Lords Prayer. he COM
menced as follows:
. Yesterday afternoon very veneer
able aud respectable old man, and a
clergyman by procession. was on his
way rom Boston to Salem, to pass the
residue of the winter at the use OF
his son. That he might be prepared for
iourneying. as he proposed to do in the
spring. he took with him his light
wagon and for the winter his sleigh.
which he fastened behind the wagon
He was, as l have told you. very old
and in nm; his temples were covered
with thinned locks, which the irosts OF
eighty years had VIII tened; his sight
and hearing, too. We're somewhat blunt