Blackfoot news. (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1891-1902, 1896-02-15
| THE ENGLISH PARSON.
ny 5. A. Crockett.

ssNa," said Muckle Rob, as he led
the way from the quoting green,
where he had stopped the game, Ma.
I dinna baud wi the Papishes-nor
yet WI the Englishers. And | wadna
advise .ony one o. We to say that l
do. Bnt-shats nae reason for you to
disturb the lads bit serbice wi your
sweerin' an the iingling o your
qIoits,"
The miner folk of Lochfinny were
not specially inclined to religion at
any time. AS Muckle Rob would have
said. no men in Scotland had clearer
sense of what was the right and chi
salrous thing to do.
But the new English priest" with
his daily services and early commun-
ion. his incense pot and aeolyte. his
Friday for confession and his out
spoken contempt for their own quiet,
steady going Presbyterian ministers.
was certainly more than a little hard
10 bear. There had indeed been for
long time Catholic ChaypeP' cow
ering hack among outhouses in quiet
corner OF the yillege But as Muckle
Rob said, "Frae oot-an'oot Papishes,
ye kenned what TO expec'. So he
looked for nae betterr'
Ii was, therefore considered as, at
the worst, a sort of half-deseryed jest
that the Lockhnny Quoting club
should have started four of it's young
est and noisiest Kinks on a vacant
piece of ground just outside the new
Enclosure of the EnSlishers. Eustace
Challoner, priest of the mission
Church of St Ethelreda the Less,
celebrated evensong at the hour when
the game was apt to be briskest.
And the gravity of the choir boys and
even the acolyte (who for many rea-
sons had bad time of il outside.
til the parson made him his gar
dener and hell-ringerl. was liable to
be upset by the jests of Wull Sproat.
the champion of the village. While
the solemnity of the obseryances was
not improved by the Language of
the .'shankers' who were sinking the
shaft of new pit. The settled min
erS looked down little upon these
shankers as wild asses. who are here
to-day and away TO another job to-
morrow. But they make big money"
and expected the license of cavalry
Colonel as to language.
The Rev EuStace had indeed pro-
tested first mildly and then veh-
mentlg, over the wire fence. But
Tam Galletly and Pate Miller. young
and iil-set looms both OF them. had
stood at the ringend. and, as the vii
lage, put 1t, had set up n manner o.
lip an back-talk TO the man in the
white sark.a The village did not in
deed entirely approve. 1t considered
that there was nae need for the like
o that" But no active measures Of
prevention Were taken, till Muckle
Rob came home. 1t was currently re-
ported that Rob could lick any two
men in the village with one hand tied
behind his back 1t is not clear that
this particular wager of battle was
ever brought to an issue: but the fact
that with his two hands normally
free, Rob could handle a large pro
portion of the male population of the
village TO their damage, was sufficient
IN give the weight of full bench Of
judges to his slightest utterances.
Muckle Rob had been away on a
visit to place sin the I.owdons'
where there was good Job. and had
Jt@<71 at tut ffll III HIS COLI
tract with full pockets and an air Of
prosperity which in any other person
would have been considered exceed
ingly offensive.
When any of the inha bitauts went
upon a jaunt, It always took a day
to accustom them to Lochfinny upon
their return, so Rob took the time out
In a tour of inspection. He heard
that Andrew Grieve was lying up
again, and sending out his wife 10
do washing. So he called on Andrew
and swore by the powers above and
below, that he would break every
bone In his body If he was not found
working on the face by the first
shift tomorrow. Andrew complained
of pain In the sma' of his back.
-'The pain will be in the braid o.
your back, gin We are no forrit wi
your tools as soon as the lave o. us
the Inorn!" said Rob, as he slouched
out. with elbows very wide of his
sides in the position in which he held
them when he was MAILING ready for
q fight
howard shutdown Rob. in his com
prehensiye survey Of I.ochfinny, ar
rived az the new quoting green. He