The Montgomery advertiser., 1904-03-13

deacon was long time in making the trip back with the oxen, and he ar4 rived with the look of a man who had been in trouble. The widow noticed hls perturbation and solieitiously inquired:
 Did you stub your toe or lose your hat or anything?"
 "of course not. What makes you aslST'
 Because you look so frustrated. Meb- be you are going to break out with the hives. If I was you I would take the blowing kind O easy"
 The deacon muttercd some reply under hls breath, and after brief rest the work of blowing tEe garden began. That is. he thought 1t had. but he was ms tai.en. The blow point had scarcely ent- cred the rich soil of the old tomato bed when the oxen turned to the left with rash and would have gone clear across the garden had they not been stopped by g. plum tree.
 By hen, but did anybody ever see the likes of that!" exclaimed the deacon, as he held on to the blow handles and followed along on the jump. "If I own- ed these critteers I'd have their hides cn the fence within half an hourt'
 Whats tho matter, deacon?" asked the widow, from the open kitchen win dow
 'rJuthin'-nuthin' tall" was the reply. "The oxen jest come over here to see whether this was a peach or a piun tree"
 'oh. they did, eh? Pear to be pret- ty smart yoke of oxen. Mebbe they Il next be trying to find out the difference between apple sass and pumpkin pie. The three of you seemed 10 be in great hurry about it.
 Toh aA fhaf vii would sometimes do the business, and Deacon Shortwell proceeded to coax. Af- tel he had made use of about 5000 of ths most honeyed words In the English lar guage he got the oxen back to the starting polnt. and then plowe6 furrOw almost ten feet long before making their next rush. This time they turned to the riett and fled over the spot where the crcumbers used to grow and brought up against the fence with bang.
 Now, by gum, but what they need is to have their horns knocked off with a club!" muttered the deacon, as he stood anC grlttcd his teeth and felt that he was being humiliated.
 Hey, but was that thunder?' asked tho widow. as she thrust her head cut agsin.
 q didn't hear no thunder" the blow man replied, knowing that she referred to the crash against the fence.
 well, this IS the month for thunder storms and didn't know but one was over there?" coming up. What are the oxen doing
 Looking over the fence"
 Well, let 'em look. I suppose that oxen want to look around and sec what's going on as well as other folks. I'd take it easy if was you: your face is as req as paint. and you are breathing as if cider barrel had rolled over you" The deacon thought of shotguns anc bowie .nives and rawhldes as he turned to the oxen again: but he got grip on hin sels and suavelY and blandly arS,. ca tho case until Buck and Bright" con clrded to lengthen out that furrow TSeir Httitude was all humility as they dragged the blow to the spot and noth- ing indicated a strike for shorter hcdrs as they started of. They had wandered along for a distance of fifteen feet and three or four inches, and the deacon wal saying to himself that he who controlled his own temper was greater than the jawbone of an ass, when there was . | third rush. This time it was straight ahead and the full length of the garden and as the plowman sought to keep Ias' hold he was flung this way and that and finally found himself tangled uI Wth an old strawberry bed
 Now, by the horn spoon of the horned 1aekass, but this is too much--too much! he shouted as he scrambled up and. found a club which Providence seemed to have carted to that very spot
 "Is 1t thunder after all, deacon?' sweet ly inquired the widow, as she appeared in the kitchen door, this time with nonl on her hands and apron.
 Yes. it's thunder and lightning, too. he almosI shouted, as he moistened hli hands to get grip on the club.