Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1902-10-16

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legged damsels poised on bareback
horses or jumping through paper-cov-
cred hoops. He stood and gazed and
felt cold chills go up his back. he
drove on to the farmhouse, half ex-
pecting to find the Widow Bebee try
ing to turn handsprings over kitchen
chair.
81 wouldn't a believed it, widder
i wouldn't a believed it !" he be-
gan as he entered the house. "1t's
the awfulest thing 1 ever heard OF, and
you know I've bin in Chicago twice
and seen some awful things"
The widow had a reply ready. 1t
began with hyenas and worked up to
elephants, taking in lions, tigers, griz-
zly bears and sea lions as it rose up
ward. She talked so earnestly and
well that when Deacon Burton was
ready to go he reluctantly admitted:
mo, don't 'spose it's any more
harm to look at lion than to look at
a woodchuck if you don't git mad and
swear over it.
There were others besides the dea-
cons. There was old Mrs. Gaynor
for instance. She wasn't exactly a
zealot, but she never took dozen
eggs to market without asking Heaven
to bless them and make the price IA
cents a dozen. She wasn't a bigot
but she contended that her own brand
of religion was the only one to be
saved by. She wasn't narrow minded,
but when she heard of those circus
posters she went down to see Aunt
Sarah and to say
i've Just stopped in mint to say
that if you 90 to that circus | can t
never let you enter my doors ag'in.
Aunt Sarah started in to argue, but
old Mrs. Gaynor was on her guard
against the wiles Of Satan and wouldn't
.s.l e.. (,.tLo. 90 n,
The day of the circus arrived, and
the widow drove into Medina to at
tend it. For some reason not to be
explained dozen farmers around her
had business in town that day and
made an early stsrt-some Of them
before daylight. Some OF them also
fingered and drove home after dark.
1t was all over the neighborhood
that Aunt Sarah defed public opinion,
and it was old Mrs. Gaynor who de-
termined to bring her to book. She
went about it in malevolence. She
got up what she called quilting bee
and asked the three deacons and their
wives and three or four others, and at
a proper hour Aunt Sarah was sent
for to be crushed. She arrived, and
when asked if she had anything to say
she very calmly replied:
Il didn't intend to see nuthin but
the animals, but when l got in there
Satan beckoned me into the circus
tent, and l went. The jokes Of the
clown tickled me almost to death.
That's all I've got to say"
deacon Danforth, what do you
think of such conduct" asked Mrs.
Gaynor as she folded Ler arms and
rolled up her eyes.
"Nuthin', 'cept that I sat jest be-
hind Aunt Sarah and was tickled,
tool" he replied.
"And you, Deacon Bidweli?"
"Waal, the hosses was wonderfully
trained-wonderfully. Ican't skarse-
ly make out how they do it.
"And you, Deacon Burton? You
amt going to tell me you was there
too -
81 got kind of tired looking at the
two-hump camels, and as one ticket
admitted to all l went into the cir
Gus part" admitted the deacon.
"And where did you git tickets? ?"
demanded the accuser as a sudden
thought flashed across her mind.
Aunt Sarah gave US deadheadsr
answered the three deacons in chorus.
"And left me out, when che knew l
was jest dyin' to see the whole thing !
Well, now, you can all go home with
out any supper, and if 1 ever speak to
one of you ag'iu 1 hope to fall dead
on my own doorstep"