Custer chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, Black Hills, D.T. [S.D.]) 1880-1890, 1889-07-06
HOW PONTO WENT TO CHURCH

family that Ponto was a pious dog, for
he Away followed the carryall tochurch,
and fingered to return home with his
friends after service. This was consid-
cred a rather decorous trait in the grizzly
old dog, and even Deacon Jerry was
known 0 .crack 9 mild joke on Ponto's
regularity in assembling himself TO-
gether" on Sunday morning.
But one bright Sabbath, when the APP
ple trees were in blossom, and the fac
tory girls had donned their new straw
hoRnets, and all the more fortunate boys
were looking so fresh in their fresh spring
suits that il was a pleasure as well as
a duty TO present themselves at the
quaint village church, Ponto resolved
20 be no longer a door.keeper in the
house Of the Lord, and accordingly he
sided up the aisle after his mistress
and followed her into the pew. When he
showed 10 disposition to regard her hint
To go out as he came in, the timid lady
concluded 10 let him be where he was,
hoping against hope that he would dis
turb no one. Uncle Jerry owned two
one or them. IFS aemfssslHi0ofr vas aa r ZEE;
erential enough for q time; but when the
immemorial seamstress OF the family ap
peared at the door Of the pew, escorted
by q sutton from q distance, who wa,
Hospitality entertained at the deacon
house, in view Of the fact that he was (
man Of substance and q class leade,
withal, Ponto challenged the latter with
. few gruf notes that decided the worthy
couple 10 retire TO another seat. He had
taken q n obstinate dislike to SARAH
choice, based, it was limited, on canine
i~ealeusly, and this was his opportunity
to show 1t. The embarrassment of the
devoted pair was increased by the signih
cant glances OF the younger members OF
the congregation; but il was of brief
duration, being effectually relieved by
Pento himself.
When the organ voluntary Zone Of
Mendelssohn' songs without werds) be
gan, he arose On his hind legs, placed
his fore paws on the back of the pew
and resting his nose on them, sent forth
q series Of penitential bowls that must
have come from the inmost recesses OF
his dog soul. All the lapses Of his ma
ture life, all the forgotten peccadillos of
his youth, the very vagaries Of his pup
pyhood, passed before him in fearful ar
ray. The lace bonnet Of Abbey's that
he shook to pieces; that melodeon cover
that he chewed up aud hid in the cur.
rant bushes, That kitten that he kept
trembling in the top OF the pear tree all
N morning-Misererei
bis mistress, at the first utterance of
his confession, strove TO divert his mind
from the painful subject by inviting him
out into the sunshine and free air; but
not an inch would he bulge till he had
made a clean breast Of il, and had ruined
Miss Simkin's beautiful voluntary in the
process.
Then, with the assistance Of his young
master, just arrived ct the dignity of a
cane and tail coat, ne was toled out into
the aisle, but inetesd of turning toward
the door Of egress, he made for the puI.
pit, which he invaded with a bound, and
quilted with equal precipitancy on the
other side. Before anyone had the pres.
ence OF mind to open the east deor for
him, around he came into the deacon's
aisle again, and by that time his pursuers
had crossed in front OF the psws to the
other side.
Two or three turns like this for that
modest dame, the dcacon's wife, and that
sensitive young man, the deacon's son. in
the face of a congregation at once litter
ing and awe-struck, constituted an OK.
p%erience to be remembered for a lifetime.
"Ob, | can laugh now" said the dea-
cons wife, in recalling the incident fer
the enlivtnnert IF her grandchildren.
"'but | thought / should die then"
A fortunate doubling on the intruder.
an open door. a waving tail, a brandished
cane, and then a sudden exit of two Of
the actors, left the exhausted matron free
80 drop into a rear pew and collect her
thoughts az best she might.
That new rattan cane was never seen
thereafter, and there were those who be.
Iieved that Ponto had a taste for it's dual
ity that em5ittered his ecclesiastical
vie VS. 10 the end of his life.
After the service Deacon Jerry said:
boys, you must tie Ponte up next Sun
day morning"
Sunday morning came, but no Ponto
was to be found. On the arrival of the
family at the church there he was. await
ing them; but he showed no inclination
TO enter with them.
From that time until the day Of his
death Ponto never failed 10 disappear
early Sunday morning, and to reappear
in the churchyard at.h1f.past 10. And
never again did hAapoos the threshold OF
The church door. Portland Transcript.