Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1905-06-01
SAVING jim PETERS.

In every village IN the lanu lueIe
is ne'er-do-well who is pitied and
condemned in the same breath. In the
village of Glenville Jim Peters was
the man. He was constitutionally
lazy, was a topper from head to heel,
and his wife and two children often
wanted for clothes and food. Mr..
Peters had been struggled with on
numerous occasions. Women had
given him tongue lashings and men
had limited at tar and feathers. He
had been induced to sign the temper
ance pledge on 20 different occasions,
only to break it each time anybody
offered him drink, and he had been
provided with work many times over,
only to show his general laziness.
One day when the Woman's Mis-
sion Society was holding its monthly
meeting, Aunt Hannah Davis brought
up Jim Peters case anew, and declar-
ed that something should be done.
She was given license to 60 ahead,
and she proceeded to 60 over the old
beaten track. Jim signed the pledge,
agreed to stop chewing plug tobacco
and 60 to work, and he even expressed
an anxiety to get religion" and be-
come in time deacon OF the church.
His good resolutions carried him along
for two weeks, and then he fell down 4,
and he fell hard. Not only that, but
he boasted around that Aunt Hannah
was an easy person to deal with.
The good woman lived about
mile out of the village, having farm
of her own and enjoying the life of a
spinster, and one morning she got up
to be told by the hired man that some
body had robbed the smokehouse
over night. Jim Peters was the only
person for 10 miles around who could
be suspected, and when the hired
man told his news he added that jim
ought to be arrested and his house
searched for the plunder.
1--WE must not accuse anyone with
out evidence" replied Aunt Hannah.
ut may have been Jim Peters or it
may have been a dog. I'm rather Of
the opinion that it was dog, and l
would suggest that you get out the
old bear trap and set it in front Of
the smokehouse tonight. If dog
steals meat once he will twice, wont
hep"
That's what l have heard" OBJ
served the hired man, as he started
for the barn to hunt for the old trap.
Aunt Hannah had started in to re-
form jim Peters in earnest mood and
she Dragged that she would accom-
plish what others had failed to do.
When the man backslid she was re-
buked and criticised on all sides, and,
although she seemed to take it in
good part, she felt something of a
spirit of revenge.
The bear trap was oiled and set,
but it was week before any game
appeared. 1t was the hired man
again who brought her news. AS
he came into the kitchen with the
pals he observed laconically:
} "Well, Mrs. Davis, we have caught
J the dog.
| 81 see, she replied after look
from the window.
"It's dog that looks exactly like
Jim Peters.
Eyes ? I'll go out after breakfast
and have closer look. l wish you
would cut me three or four switches
from peach tree before you go to
work. If you hear the dog bowling
you needn't stop hoeing corn on that
account"
The woman fingered over her break
fast as long as she could, and when
she finally donned her sunbonnet and
wandered out to the smokehouse she
had several switches, pail of water
and dipper in her hands.
GOOD morning, Mr.. Peters" she
saluted when she had come to a halt.
Il was looking for my jackknife
here last night, and I walked into
this old trap he said by the way of
explanation.
Eyes, ! see. Is Mrs. Peters well ?"
About the same as usual.
"And the children p
Hang it, why don't you call Joe
up and tell him to get me out of this.
This internal trap has about cut my
leg of. If twas anybody but you
I'd have the law on EN-. Who knows
how long I'll be laid up with this leg2''
"Mr. Peters," said Aunt Hannah
in very sober tones, "Do you remem-