Waterbury evening Democrat., 1903-09-03
The Wedding Boots of Eli's Sam
bAnRovIDENCE or not" said the

 ; Sam got his weddin' boots; but if they don't give him corns, then Cyrus is the Roreivin est feller-citizen that ever dis app'inted his ownself to 'commooate a neighbor.
 NOV, I like to fish, myself, and I'd go fshin' now and then 1T didn't know so many feller-citizens, most Of 'em keepin' two or three yaller dogs, at that, who spend seven days in the week settin' on a stump vexin' the water in the stream with a worm on hook, while their wives is to home vexin' the water In the washtub so as to keep the house a-goin'. That sort O spiles fishin' for me. -f
 But this here case O Cyrus was diff ferent. and Els Sam ought to be ashamed O his inconsiderateness and selfshness in settin' that day for his weddin' when that was the day that Cyrus had laid out to go to the pond for two or three days fishin', and comin' to Cyrus the day before and sayin' that them boots O his'n that Cyrus had had on the last for couple O weeks back was to be his widdin' boots, and that he must have 'em next day.
 'Eli's Sam was so one-sided and un- neighborly that he wouldn't oblige Cyrus and put the weddin' off till he got back from fishin', and so Cyrus couldn't see no way out of it but to finish the boots, though he was outrageous put out and disapp'inted.
 Them boots O. Ellis Sam was all done but solein', but Cyrus had to foot it in to the tannery to get the sole leather for hnishin' of lem. He took his flshpole llong, thinkin' that he mowt leastways ketch mess O trout for supper, and on his walk back, when he come to the deep hole in the creek. jest below the alders, be stopped and put in his hook, baited with live minny.
 His bait run along till it got down to the lower end O the hole, and Cyrus was gittin' ready to give the trout that was on the pint of bitin' it a chance to try whether he was the best feller or whether Cyrus was, when Cyrus heerd a splash in the water up the creek. With out lookin' round, Cyrus says to hisself: Now who can the unmannerly feller- citizen be as'll jump in the water to rile it up on me, when I'm fishin', and spile my gittin' bite? - With that he turned and looked round to see who the unmannerly neighbor could be, and he seensthat it was great big don't-give-a-continen bear!@
 Now, Cyrus is a law-abiding citizen, out when he see that unmannerly bear standin' there and rilyin' up the water on him and spilin' his gittin' that bite, he pulled his pistol and p'inted it straight at the bear and fired. The bear kind O. , give hump as if he felt somethin' eat in him worse than woodtick; and he squealed little, and snorted He seemed s'prised, but he give a few more kicks in the water, rilyin' it up more than ever, and didn't move step.
 | !" See here!' said Cyrus. This pistol Is a six-shooter!' he says and want to ketch some trout! You better ve,on!' he says. "But that bear never moved a step, f4e jest stamped and stamped his feet in the water and kept rilyin' of 1t up. Then Cyrus pulled up and give him another shot.
 "The bear bumped hisseI1 ag'in and sqnealed and snorted, but didn't move on. Then Cyrus did getmad! And he plunked into him every one O them shots he had left.
 ''The bear headed for him them and seemed as if he was goin' to show Cyrus that he didn't approve O bein' peppered in the way that Cyrus had been pepperin' of him. Then Cyrus was moved to say. sort O positive-like:
 'fIf Providence or somethin' don't take a hand in this here,' he says, somebody else will have to finish them weddini boots for Ellis Sam!' he says
 Whatever changed the bears mind Cyrus says he won't swear to. Provi. dence maybe, he says. Anyhow the bears mind was changed, and he turned around short, clum the bank, and trotted away I into the woods.
 While Cyrus stood staring after him the water the bear had made rily cleared up and Cyrus got his bit He didn't only get his bite He ketched the trout that done it, and a slammer 1t was. Three pounds, Cyrus says they told him after. ward that 1t weighed.
 But he couldn't get over being made 90 mad-so mad, and unlawful like.
 That bear says Cyrus. done some. inln that mowt~a-Sp' by gett1n that bite, he says. And mebbe he mowt do it again. That bear must be settled, he says, and over he goes to Joe's lum- Der camp, berries Joe's rife, and comes back to the creek.
 'It was his belief not knowin' much about bear, that this aggravatin' old fel- Ter had headed for the swamp up the creek mile or so, and so Cyrus took a short cut through the down timber fo1 the swamp. When he got there he didn't see no sign Q bear, but pretty soon he heerd snort and grunt, and lookin toward where they came from, he see bears head stickin' up out of muck hole at the edge of an old log road.
 When the bear see that Cyrus see him too he stuck his head a little further out of the hole, and snorted a louder snort
 Rily up the creek on me when I'm dshin' will your says Cyrus, n he KUhanpad awau