The Lexington dispatch. [volume] (Lexington, South Carolina) 1870-1917, 1902-09-17

S1OQS ana rOunQ simon pure. lie -tl
been known to put a feather bed in
the henhouse on cold night for use
of the fowls and to make a special
brand of ice water for his pigs in hot
weather. Nobody could remember of
his being out Of temper or having a
word to say against anybody, and the
good man was jogging along toward
his reward when a calamity happened.
A wedding and a funeral were the
same thing to Deacon Brady. He
expected glass Of cider and fried
cake on either occasion, and he always
arose at the proper time and ob-
served that man dieth and fadeth
away and that our loss is his gain.
Hearing that Farmer Dan Skinner
was going to be married to Lucy Ran
dali on certain day, the deacon drove
seven miles to be present. He was
made welcome and kindly entertained.
In honor Of the auspicious occasion
peach brandy had been literally mixed
with the hard cider, and Deacon Brad
" hung on to good thing. He was
more loquacious than usual. and he
tried to tell funny story, but his legs
were fairly steady when he started
for home. Half the journey had been
completed when the good man met a
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
ly sat down under roadside tree,
and the barber went to work. While
the deacon hummed the barber clip
ped, and it 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 fel-
low with his chin cooked up, a squint
to his left eye and hair cut Of such
pugilistic excellence that John L. Sui
Ivan would have bowed before it. The
long locks had hidden head as round
as cannon ball. and when the hair
had been clipped close the head seemed
ready to duck right hand swing.
you've got head on you, you have.
old man" said the barber as he stood
back and admired his handiwork. and
the deacon almost winked at him as
be climbed into his buggy to drive on.
He hadn't gone a 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 at once and drew clear into
the fence. Ten minutes later hog
driver was encountered. He began to
rip and cuss about folks frightening
his hogs. but as the deacon held up
warning finger his words died away
in his throat. He knew a scrapper
when he saw one. and he didn't ache
for broken jaw. When the deacon
reached home, his wife looked at him
for a full minute before she recog-
nized him. Then she clasped her hands
over her heart and walled out:
"Oh, Deacon Brady. what have you
went and done to change you so? You
look Just like the picture Of the Oma-
ha Kid I saw in the paper the other
day.
The deacon explained that it was
nothing but hair cut, but that was
house of mourning and lamentations.
Mrs. Brady sent for Deacon Taylor to
come over and see if anything could be
done, and the neighbor came. took a
look at that bullet head and gently
murmured:
Il don't think I will say anything to
Brother Brady about it. He appears
to be ready to hit out with both hands
if provoked"
The news of the hair cut few over
the town of Jericho in an hour, and
the excitement was greater than if a
barn had been burned. The effects of
the brandy cider had worn off by I
O'Clock in the evening, and the deacon
looked at himself in the glass and shed
tears. but everybody insisted on mis-
understanding him. Deacon Jones,
who had known him for forty-flve
wears and never heard of his harming
q grasshopper, looked at that head and
noted the pose of it and said:
Deacon Brady, you are wolf In
sleeps clothing. I never saw but one
picture OF n prize6ght, but you can't
deceive ME. You are a slugger and