The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1902-08-28
MRS. DOLBY'S TALK.
More of the Deacon's Shortcomings
Exposed to Public Gaze.

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Deacon Dolby was working among
the young cabbages in his back yard
the other afternoon when Mrs. Dolby
appeared at the kitchen door with her
sewing in hand, and when she had TAX
en- a seat on the step she called:
Deacon Dolby, 1 have a few words
to say to you, and I want you to come
and sit down here"
The deacon looked up at the sky and
around the yard, and in deliberate
way he hung the hoe on the limb of a
cherry tree and sat down with jar
and a sigh.
II am no hand to scold or lecture or
nag, began Mrs. Dolby, land 1 never
a feeling of duty. One day last week
you took the wheelbarrow to the black
smith shop to be repaired. You were
gone over two hours, and when you
come home you didn't look me square
in the face for a long time.I thought
mebbe you had been playing humble
ty-te-peg or marbles and was a little
ashamed of it, but I know now what it
was. Don't dispute me. deacon, for
the evidence Is overwhelming. The
blacksmith has parrot. That parrot
swears like a pirate. You were hang
ing around there to hear that parrot
rip and tear"
The deacon gave start of surprise,
and a blush mantled his cheek, but he
attempted no words in defense.
Yes, long after the wheelbarrow had
Deeu liked, COnIlnueQ MIS-. bOlDy, you
stood around and listened to language
from that bird which ought to have
made your blood run cold. Mrs. Parsons
heard and saw everything from her
kitchen window, and she wrote most OF
it down You stood in front of that
parrots cage and never uttered a word
of reDroof while he said:
Get on to his shape
Fill 'em up again
Go way back and sit down.
Who struck Billy Patterson
You not only uttered no words OF
reproof, but you actually grinned ar
the parrot and encouraged him to &C
on and shout out as many as fifteen
swear words. Mebbe there was more,
but when Mrs. Parsons had counted up
to fifteen she tainted away I want to
know what you have got to say for
yourself in this matter"
Deacon Dolby reached down for a
handful of grass and opened his mouth
as if to speak, but closed it again after
few seconds without having spoken.
There was chance for him to rise to
the occasion, but he didn't rise. Mrs
Dolby gave him three long minutes to
clear his reputation and then proceed
ed:
Last Tuesday you went over to
John Taylor's to borrow his scythe.
When you had got along to the school
house, two dogs began to fight. One
was a brindled dog, the other yell
low. Mrs. Shaw was upstairs making
awful sounds of conflict she looked
out of the window. Nobody was
around except you and the dogs. She
expected to see you rush in and stop
You just leaned up against the fence
and let 'em bite and claw and roll
each other in the dust for a good ten
minutes. They wanted to stop once
or twice, but Mrs. Shaw heard you
go Z-z-z-z-z!' to encourage them to
keep on. If it had been Mrs Harri-
son, who is cross eyed and little dear.
1 might have believed her mistaken,
but with Mrs. Shaw there is no loop
hole for you. Deacon Dolby, you en-
joyed that dogfight, and it's no use
for you to say you didn't Think OF IT.
Think of you standing by and seeing
round like a top when Mrs. Shaw told
me of it. and I don't know why
didn't faint away and fall over. Have
you anything to say about it?'
at the bed of hollyhocks and wonder
ing why there was no green ones
among the white and purple, and he
missed another golden opportunity.
flict that broke out with suddenness
and ended in a victory for the yellow
dog, but he could not go into exDlana-
tons, and even the best of men have
an aching to see the smaller dog get
the best of it.
Another thing" continued Mrs. Dol
by as she reached over and killed a
horse fly that had settled on the back
of the deacOn'S neck. 1.-TWO weeks ago
Moses Harper asked you to come over
and help him break a balky horse. You
was so anxious to go that you couldn' t
hardly wait for dinner. You did't get
back till near SHUTDOWN, and / noticed
that you slammed things around a good
deal and was short spoken to me. I
didn't know what to make of it then.
but do now. I've heard all about it.
mani I've got witnesses to prove that
you lost your temper as many as ten
times that afternoon. You began by
saying pshaw' and sugar., but how
did you end? What did you say when
that balky horse finally kicked up be-
hind and landed you against the fence
Don't try to wriggle out of it, for your
words was plain and made folks catch
their breath. I sit here feeling as cold
as ice to think of it. All that after
noon there was swearing going on, and
you never once raised your voice against
it. No wonder you come home to slam
bang thingsi No wonder you had the
nightmare that night! No wonder you
almost kicked the cat out of doorsl Can
you say one single word in extenuation
of such conduct?"
The deacon couldn't. Knowing that
he couldn't. he set himself to watching,
a robin which was trying to pick up a
grasshopper, and in a dim, underlined
way he bet two shillings that the hop
per would escape.
And while am about it," said Mrs
Dolby as her tones grew harder, 81