Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-09-08
THE LITTLE WHITE BIBLE.

Gt\NE will send him little white Bible, John"
said the mother. ut won't cost much
and it will please the boy, for he will know his
mother sent it"
The parents were looking through little
bookstore for suitable present for their boy.
1t would have to be inexpensive, for they were
poor. A little white Bible was the thing then.
1t meant great deal to the mothers heart,
and 1t somehow seemed all right to the father.
81 guess you're right" he said; 1T looks like
poor sort of birthday present but guess the
boyll know"
1t was sent away in its little brown paste
board box, with line on the inside of the
cover IA present from mother" Two weeks
passed away, and one day man who worked
by Johns side in the big factory brought him
paper, There was piece marked in it-a little
ten-line notice with side head" Hero is
the item:
"a Bit of Pathos-At the inquest to-day
over the body of the youth found in the river
last night, a small white Bible was taken from
the coat worn by the CORPSE. 1t was wet
through and through, and the gilt letters and
delicate tracery of flowers were worn off, but a
line in ink on the inside of the cover was still
plain "A present from mother it said; and
while the jury and the Coroner looked at it
their eyes became as moist as the leaves of
the little book that lay before them"
ON THE SHELF.
A SHoRT-sIGHTED Wylie avenue pater-
familias agreed to erecS a shelf in the
kitchen, on which to keep the carbon oil lamps,
SO that they would not flavor the eatables in
the pantry. He was saving piece of wood on
a kitchen chair
Look out John you don't cut that chair"
said the wife.
Now he had already hit his thumb three
times with the hammer, and there was no
wonder that he looked daggers at her.
"Do look like fool, Mary? Is it your can
did opinion that am an idiot? 1 like people
to speak their minds Say al once that am a
donkey, and that 1 don't know how 10 use
saw. Might as well say so as think So"
1t was tough job. and ere he got through
the perspiration was copiously flowing. Never
had he seen such hard pine board. At last he
achieved success.
There" he exclaimed, "how does that strike
you? Anything wrong about that?'
NO." she replied, nothing particular. Have
you penci?'
"Yes; why?"
"Oh, nothing; 1 only wanted to scribe the
shape of the piece Of wood you have sawed off
the corner of the chair so that the other one
can be cut to correspond with it"
John stopped down, put his eyes cl ose to the
one long look of whitening agony at his wife,
banged the street door, and went to the lodge. |
PROVED AN ALIBL
ENTICK DURFEE." said the court sternly, you |
have been convicted of stealing Major |
Ransom's prize merino ram. Have you any
thing to say why you should not be sentenced |
to the penitentiary for one year? ?'
"Yas. sab; kin prove Ell alibi."
"Prove an alibi q? Wasn't the rams skin found |
under your bed And didn't you tell the Major |
that you stole the ann"
"Yas, sab, 1 did fer sho But twuz jes' like |
dis, iedge: went over ter de MajeI's dat night |
ter borrow er lam. But de MaJer he war n dar, |
an ies' ez wuz comm way 1 run up gin dis |
hyar ole ram. l didn' want no truck wild dat |
ram, kase done knowed i'm gwine on ten year. |
But dat ar ram wuz er ferroshus beaS', he wuz,
an dar wuz wild er l2-rail fence berhine me
IN dis ragin' mad ram right in front Nv me. !
Wat could do? Jedge, what would you er
lone? Would you er stood dar an let dat will
beas 'stroy you off N de face NV de yuth an
nuver do nothin' ter save yo'sef? De onlies'
thing could do wuz ter kill dat ram right on
lie spot. had ter do it, Jedge. er he would a.
killed me, had ter do it in self-defense."
"But what did you carry him home for ?"
"Hi, jedge! fou,' er white gemman wild |
eddycation AK question like dat. T'wouldn't
been right fer me ter leave dat kyarcase dar
ter rot vile de Majer wuz way FUN home.
TUX it long wild me. An wuz jes gittin' ready
ter go over an tell de Majer bout it wen he
come wild de constable. Yas. sab; l kin prove
alibl"