West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1902-11-27
MRS. p0!BYS TALKS.
The Deacon Is Hard Hit. but Man
ages to Maintain a Discreet
Silence.

oikouSo.
Several little things happened dur
ing the day to cause Deacon Dolby
to look forward to seance after the
supper dishes had been cleared
away, and when the hour finally ar
rived he was as ready as he could be
to take what was in store for him.
He sat down in his rocking chair in
the sitting room, pulled off his shoes
and had been reading testimon
about new patent windmill for 10
minutes when Mrs. Dolby softly be-
gan:
"Samuel Dolby, just after break
fast this morning you went to the
barn. Something was the matter
with the stable door. When it
would not open you banged and
kicked and muttered, and after five
minutes you picked up big stone
and smashed at the door with all
your might. At the same time you
said something. I was too far off
and you saw me and didn't repeat
1t but / want you to tell me right
here and now what it was. Certain
rumors have reached my ears and l
want to know if there is any truth
in them. Did you say 'pshaw' 'su-
gar or--or-"
The deacon had reached testimo-
NAL No. 4 and he became so deeply
interested that he forgot to answer
the question. Had it been other
wise he might have been compelled
to admit that his exclamation had
neither ''pshaw" nor sugar" in it.
Mrs. Dolby sat looking at three
quarter view of him for two or three
minutes and then continued:
"At the dinner table today ask
ed you TO pass the fried eggs. The
plate was hot and you burned your
fingers and dropped it with a crash.
II was bad enough to have the plate
broken and the contents spilled all
over the tablecloth but that was
nothing TO what you said. AS the
plate fell you yelled AS | didn't
say anything at the time you pro.
badly thought | didn't pay attention
butt want you to know that / did
Samuel Dolby, you are man 90
years old a deacon of the church
and supposed to be living example
before the world and yet when you
burned your fingers you yelled out
"Ihunderationl" Don't deny il
sir. not only heard il but wrote
1t down on the pantry door as soon
as | got up. II will remain there as
long as we live in this house and |
shall never see it without having
cold chills go over me. What have
you got to say for YOURSELF"
He had nothing whatever to say
but something like a smile appear
ed at the corners of his mouth. He
was thinking what he would have
said had he studded his toe instead
OF burning his fingers. He could
have defended the word 'thunder.
alton" as perfectly proper under all
occasions Of sudden excitement but
before he had made up his mind to
do 50 Mrs. Dolby went on:
"At 3 O'Clock this afternoon
asked you to go up into the garret
and get down my quilt frames while
vent over to see Mrs. Green a.
bout fall pickles. Just as returned
you fell downstairs with such a clat.
ter that for moment I thought the
house had been struck by cyclone.
was 50 excited and ! came so near
fainiing away that l don'i remember
what you said but know you veil
ed out at least four times. Samuel
want you to tell me exactly what
YOU asid. II was something dread
fOl but perhaps under the circum-
sifnces ! can excuse it.and you can
make fresh start. I know that
faH downstairs is a sudden thing and
q Is liable 10 throw even deacon
of his balance. Did one Of your
expressions refer to the bad place
Samuel.
al four Of his yells we're directly
connected with the locality mention.
ed as he distinctly remembered but
the deacon didn't propose to enter
into any arguments or discussions
He bad said what he had said and
II Mrs. Dolby bad any doubts about
q then al the better for him and he
bad made a safe escape oft. He
tried his best 70 become deeply in
teresied 10 testimonial No. 6 which
stated that the None Such Wind
mill" only needed the breath Of
sleeping babe 20 set il in notion
AID after heaying a few sishs over