Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1889-12-19
for the tllsH urth American
Grandfather Almanaos.

| STAYED down at Grandfather Ma,'s
one winter and helped him do cnorcs and
went 20 school lie j. good story teller
and used To enjoy hi> stories in the even
iugs after had learned my lessons, and
he had taken hi> nap cue evening after
the wear had come in hung up the
new almanac. ana as did 50 took down
the old one. aud was tearing Of little hii-
Of it, and throwing thcm into the stove
when gradfaiher e>pcd me and said cI
citcdly, Boy, don't do that l want to
keep II
He never would call me anything but
boy, why do you want To keep i,:~
asked. Boy, wouldn't hey you destroy
that book for consider bic" said he Il
allu- lake special pains 70 keep all my old
almanac and hey now for nigh onto for
Il years loull hnd them slowed away
up attic IN that Old haIr-covercd trunk
You asked me why We'll, do YOU see
them marks all up and down on the left
: lie Of the leaves: We'll. them marks
mean considerable to me, but guess
they're Greek to YOU said be Iaughine
and to most everybody else but the, for
the matter Of that But I'll explain one Of
them and youll see why like to keep my
old slmanacs DO you remember old Pete
vane that lives down by the brickyard and
goes to sea sometimes"
On my replying in the affirmative he
went on. You've noticed. perhaps how
much he looks like jew Well he used
10 resemble that race in his dealings too
but he's got all over that, so YOU wouldn't
take him for the same man. sold him
cow once, and remember what he said
when he signed the note. just plain
if it had only bin this mornin And
kinder m-trusted that | should lose both
the cow and money and his yes-yes Kind
of way made me mistrust him MORN his
words. But didn't say anythin' about II
10 snl body, not even to your grandmother.
| thought tha, If Id made a bad bargain.
the best thing To do was 10 hold my
tongue about il. But that's all passed aud
there amt anybody in this place I'd trust
any quicker than Pete. Well. on the
night Of the fourth of January-see the
mark on that datc:- Parson Worth give
Us a sermon on cheatin' Twan't none Of
your high h-hown ones. mostly resp pnsive
readin and tony sipgin'; but good sound,
gospel sermon, boy, such as We don't GIT
very often now-a-day. It struck right in-
ter the hearts of most of Us, but ii brought
Pete onter his feet before the parson had
got all done preachn, and sez he, 'Cap'n
! Worth and shipmates, | hope you'll excuse
me bat it seems as if | really couldn't sit
here any longer without lettin' of you
know ihet I've made up my mind, fair and
square, to turn over new leaf, and dp the
best kin to make good what I've done
wrong in my past life and ask you TO
pray for old Pete
We'll, the parson didn't preach any
more that night, but We had one of the
best prayer meetin's that ! ever went TO,
or ever expect to go to agin. 1t was real
heart stirrin'. and lots more OF US with
Pete made up eur minds TO do better
forgot all about that COW trade then, and
all the other mean things Pete he'd done,
and only thought of the mean, despisabe
things that I, John May, he'd bin adoin' all
nv life Well next mornin' bright and
early. who should come over to my place
but old Pete
Neighbor May sez he, I've come
with the money for that COW. Well, !
was took amazn'. Look here Pete seq
/. that notes outlawed long ago, didn't
YOU know it? Know it, sez he, course
know it, but thet don't hinder my payn'
| it, if want ter does it, and the interest
| too: You'll let me square the account all
up, wont your sez he, kinder plesdin' like
why. the man actually seemed to be afraid
that wouldn't let him pay. thought
| then. and I've bin thinkin' SO ever since,
that Pete's got holt Of religion with good
grip and guess he'll hang on. ! wouldn't
take no interest, but the principal gave
your grandmother, so she could go up TO
Lyuu and see your uncle Joe, my Oldest
son. There, my boy, guess you see now
why | keep all my old almanacs. Ey'ry one
of them marks breaches sermon to me.
| Sometimes git them out and look them
over. and it does me good. Put the book
away now, and some other time I'll give
YOU another sermon from one of my al
manac texts" L. >. D.