Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1891-09-05
DEACON JOSH'S VISITOR.

Of inc 'JObdlnhu lillJ IL was ever my
good fortune TO come across. / will
endeayor to portray the old fellow as /
saw him FIRST but words are hardly
equal to the task IN order TO appre-
ciate all his peeuliaritles, it is ueces-
sary to actually see and hear him at
bis own home-as | did.
Imagine q little short dried-up old
man with handy legs crooked enough
for croquet wckots and so hump
backed that his battered straw-hat
seemed only thatchcd roof for his
shoulder-hiddes. His lean and leath-
cry face was wrinkled and un-scorch-
cd till it looked like a shriveled-up
chunk Of dried beef A stubby hedge
OF white whiskers about an inch In
length ran around under his chin from
sar TO ear. striking out In an direc-
tions like the feathers In turkey
gobbler's tail. Low down on the end
OF his hooked nose hung o. pair OF
huge, iron bowed spectacles that Noah
probably wore when he was running
out town lines over the top OF Mt
Ararat Over the top Of this ponder
Gus ornament whose round glasses
were about as big around as silver
dollars peered two greenish-gray eyes
iwinkling with look OF shrewd In
Qulry.
A new duck frock Of n dark brown
hue oontrasted oddly enough with his
blue drilling overals These last
were rather the worse for wear, for ono
mourning knee was covered with a
huge black patch; while their seat had
also been repaired extensively. appar-
emily with breadth out Of some red
flannel petticoat One suspendor was
dangling and tapping about his heels
like the forked tail Of his Satanic
Majesty besides.
One trousers-Ieg was tucked into tho
top OF au old cow-hide boot the exact
size OF which the Arabic system OF
notation probably has no number sut-
ficiently large to designate; while the
other foot was enclosed in rubber
shoe like Jorsoy Tory-boat The
hiatus between It and his high-water
pants Was briaged over 10y a stocking
OF as brilliant q yellow us one of his
own pumpkins. Such was the comioal-
looking old codger who stopped work
aud leaned upon his hcc-haudle when
be saw me approaching,
Fearing Q might take the alarm and
refuse to talk II ! declared myself a
newspaper correspondent the first
thing, ! simply inquired If | could
board with him for a day or two.
A curious pucker that with him did
duty for a smile convulsed his leathery
lips, and his grey eyes twinkled with
good humOr ais ne answered with a
volatility that showed fears as to his
being disinclinod TO talk were utterly
gromdless In fact | only found
chance to slip in "A little word occa-
sionally sharp end foremost during
tho whole time he was roeling of the
following reminiscence;
Wall dunno. le see il ponds
mostly ON heow big hol,er there Is in
ye, an the state o the old womans
cupboard. Some o. those ERE city
fellers thul wantcr wrastle hash with
US summers air Ike the snake that
swallowed tho woodchuck, bigger in
side than they air aout
II remember one chap that kim
deoGd from Eostu ter make as a vlsi-
tation some tew year ago poorly toll
srbla we'll Tie tolls us his unc.es faith
er's swiios sister iust husband was a
"ecout cousin ter my son Johns wiie's
4, tep mother, an as he wacn't very
well ant hadn 3 no appetite he kind