Clarke courier. [volume] (Berryville, Va.) 1869-1997, 1902-09-17


sions and found simon pure. He had
been known TO put a feather bed in
the honhouSe on cold night for use
of the fowls ana to make Il special
brand OF ice water for his pigs in hot
weather. Nobody could remember Of
his being ON OF temper or having Il
word TO say against anybody, and the
good man was jogging along toward
his reward when a calamity happened.
y wedding and 4 funeral were the
same thing 10 Deacon Brady. He
expected a glass Of cider and a fried
cake on either occasion. and he always
arose az the proper time and OBJ
served that man dieth and fadeth
away and that our loss is his gain.
Hearing that Farmer Dan Skinner
was going TO he married to Lucy Ran
dali on n certain Gay. the deacon drove
seven miles TO be present He was
made welcome and kindly entertained.
, In honor OF the suspicious occasion
peach brandy had been literally mixed
with the hard cider and Deacon Brad
ly hung on 10 n good thing. He was
more loQuaciOus than usual. and he
tried TO tell a funny story, but his legs
were fairly steady when he started
for home. Half the journey had been
completed when the good man met n
wandering barber. The barber pleaded
misfortune and poverty and offered to
cut the deacon's hair for 10 cents. and
the offer was accepted. Deacon Brad
~ sat down under 4 iusdside tree.
and the barber went TO work. While
the deacon hummed the barber clip
ped, and il WAS winning combina-
tion. At the end OF half an hour there
was no longer any Deacon Brady of
Jericho. In his stead there was q fell
low with his chin cooked up. n sQuint
TO his left eye and hair cut of such
pugilistic excellence that John l.. Sui
Iivan would have bowed before II. The
long locks had hidden n head as round
rs n cannon ball, and when the hair
had been clipped close the head seemed
ready TO duck "a right hand swing.
you've got n head on you. you have.
old man" said the barber as he stood
back and admired his handiwOrk, and
the deacon almost winked ut him rs
he climbed into his buggy to drive on.
he hadn't gone n mile before he met
load OF hay. The farmer stuck for
the whole OF the road and yelled out
that he'd have it or die but when he
took notice of that fighting cut he
apolOgized ut once and drew clear into
the fence. Ten minutes later n hos
driver was encountered. He began tC
rip and cuss about folks frightening
his hogs, but rs the deacon held up 9
warning finger his words died away
in his throat. He knew scrapper
when he saw one. and he didn't ache
for broken jaw. When the deacon
reached home. his wife looked at him
for full minute before she recog
nized him. Then she clasped her hands
over her heart and walled out:
ooh, Deacon Brady, what have vol
went and done TO change you so? YoT
look just like the picture Of the Oma
Ia Kid saw in the paper the Other
day.
The deacon explained that 1t was
nothing but hair cut, but that was g
house Of mourning and lamentations
Mrs. Brady sent for Deacon Taylor t.
come over and see if anything could bt
done. and the neighbor came, took &
look at that bullet head and gently
murmured:
Il don't think 1 will say anything t.
Brother Brady about it. He appear.
TO be ready to hit out with both hand.
If provoked"
The news of the hair cut flew owe,
the town of Jericho in an hour, an(
the excitement was greater than If {
barn had been burned. The effects OF
the brandy cider lad worn off by
O'Clock in the evening, and the deacon
looked ut himself in the glass and shed
tears. but everybody insisted on mis-
understanding him. Deacon Jones
who had known him for forty-fivC
years and never heard Of his harminl
grasshopper, looked at that head an(
noted the pose of it and said:
Deacon Brady, you are wolf il
Sleeps clothing. l never saw but ont
picture Of prizefight, but you cam
deceive Inc. You are a slugSer an(
gave been lying low on us all these
years"
tin peddler was stopping at the
ho.el over night, and, hearing the post
ofiic" crowd talking of the event. he
clipped ia with:
I've done little scrapping myself
in my day. and you can't fool me ON
pug. You can't judge by the hair
cut alone. II YOU boys will 20 up
and &c; the deacon outdoors, I'll soon
fad ont whether he can put up his
dukes or not"
Three OF four of the crowd called
at the dcacon's and got him out TO
thc gate. and the peddler came along
and gave him the yah"
Every man commended that the good
man instinctively squared off for a
row. and the peddler backed water
and solemnly said:
Don't any of you boys try any
monkey work on that old codger. He's
ace high and all there, and if lac
breaks loose you'll need an addition
TO your cemetery"
There was some talk of calling q
public meeting ut the town hall, but
the idea WAS abandoned for fear of
exciting the deacon. He didn't want
10 give up Thursday night prayer meet
ings. but he had 10, and another
brother look his place in passing the