The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1904-06-05
I'D sycamore where we kin eat our din

| ner."
Half an hour later they were at the
old sycamore, whose nisshapen trunk
hung for out over the pool OF water
where, rs boys, they had fished and
batfed on many a happy summer day.
"Im glad there's no boys here to-day"
sighed Uncle Billy. 1T does seem awful
to me that boys as lis brought up by
respectable, God-fearin' parents will be
| so wicked as to fish an swim on the
Sabbath day."
boy nature an boss nature Is purity
much alike the world over" sagely re-
sponded Uncle Joe. II don't see that
boys is any"wuss Tran they was when We
was boys. Bill, you know you've been
licked like sixty fertile same Identical
| tricks. An'glicked fer what? Jest cause
YOU was a-havin' the only downright.
-rale good time YOU ever got \ a chance
| to have. I never had any boys or my
own, but Ill tell YOU. right here that II
| l had forty boys an they all wanted tc
i &c swimmin on Sunday, why. they coult
/ go, an what's more, I'D go with EN-
| The audacious wickedness of such a
sentiment fairly took away Uncle Billy's
breath.
why. Joseph! You--yo,, shorely
| wouldn't think o. bein' so wlcked!" 5s
Wicked nothin.! That's Jest the way
you used to talk when we was boys
pardners. TWAS Joseph! an, .Joseph!'
An you was Into asTmuch dAx.lnent as
| T was, too! An always maxim, folks be-
/ lieve at led you Into it!--Dog my skin!
| I'm gon' to have that fish 'ifsI have to
! wade in an chase him out on the bank!''
| Uncle Joe had. while talking, taken a
| hook and line from his pocket and fasten-
| ed II to an abandoned pole. Then he
managed to catch n grasshopper. He
! mpaed it to his satisfaction, and gave
cast that showed he had once been a
not unsoientifc angler. But. dexterous
as was the cast, the bass refused to rise
to the alluring hopper. Uncle Billy sat
In the shade and looked ON withs grave,
troubled face. What would old Brother
Meecham say If he were to hear Of his
deviation from the straight and narrow
path? No doubt at this moment Brother
Meecham was standing up before the
Glass" telling his hopes and fears, his
temptations and triumphs.
H''Brethren, the SHOWS of many winters
lie upon my head. / am GROWN feeble
in body. and we'll I know that soon the
Master will call for me. oh, brethren,
pray for me that / may be found at the
post of duty when my summons comes
to give an account Of my stewardship
Uncle Billy could hear Brother Nee
cham say it just as plainly as if he We're
sitting there In class, listening. lie al
ways gave in his testimony after Brother
Mceciiam. He felt a chilly sensation.
J"What II the Lord should call me right
now. nm find me here at the river
fshin|'
The agony of the thought made Uncle
Billy groan aloud.
.Shet up, Bill! Fish won't bite e you
make so much noise"
81 don't care if they don't! Joe, you're
old enough to know better than to fish
on Sunday"
.Well stop that clatter, or I'll come
back there an make you"
Now, 1t had been Uncle Blly's falling
when a boy not to be able to take Il
dare He always got the worst of ply
steal encounters. But the very next time
he was dared" he would again lead a
forlorn hope, because he was coward
q moral coward
So little wonder is 1t that, under the
old feeling of moral cowardicc. he re-
Piled:
"oh, you will. will you? Mebby YOU'D
like to try 1t right now"
| bill, II you don't shet your old fool
mouth IN come up there an make you
\ eat dirt!"
,'You will. will you!" yelled the now
properly infurated William. You will,
| MIL you! I'd like to see you try II on,
| Try 1t on right now!'
| Uncle Joe stuck his fish pole In the
| sand, spat .cn his hands and walked up
to his bellicoso "pardner." He mado a
grab for Uncle Bl!lys collar, but Uncle
Billy slid under his arm, caught him side
holts," and under hollis at that AS a
boy tussle 1t would have been commons
place But when old men wrestle--!
Each MANS face showed tense. set
jaws and watchful eyes.
IA that instant, Uncle Billy happened
To glance toward the river, He wonder
ed if any one was watching. His glance
caught the violent sway Of the fishing
pole He broke "holts' and exclaimed.
Joe, you've got int
Uncle Joe madea clumsy, rheumatic old
run. and was inst in time to grasp the
pole as Ii pulled out of tho sand. Dex-
torously he guided the Ash. for his mus
cular sepse told him that the line was not
strong enough 10 draw the game captive
from the water, lie played it as well as
! he could, hoping To tire It, But his prey
kept dashing wildly from side to side Of
the pool, Uncle Joes cid arms grew
| tired.
%Bnl, Bill You'll have to spell me q
bit I'm tuckered out I'll go hslvers
with yor"
Uncle Billy had FORGOTTEN his late mis-