The Marion daily mirror. (Marion, Ohio) 1892-1912, 1908-01-25


shed fourteen tears and then asked:
Don't you. want to know what the
blow whs. Samuel? You are going to
say you do, but shaIl tell you. One
day last week you went over to MIR.
Johnson's to borrow hoe to dig
taters with. You came back without
the hoe, and you were looking us pale
AZ, ghost and not snying anything. I
didn't pester you with any questions.
just waited. Now know all. sam.
uel. do you want to 60 down on your
knees and say that It was the sudden
surprise that made you do 1t and ask
my forgiveness?"
The question was direct, but the
deacon paid no attention to 1t. He had
found the geographical statement that
the rivers of China supported a popu.
lation Of 100000. and he was not to
be switched off on any side issues. He
was given two minutes to answer in,
and then Mrs. Dolby said:
"Nlr. Johnson has calf about
year old. You were crossing the lot
when the calf took you for his father
and came founding at you and struck
you IN the stomach with his head.
You wefe knocked about ten feet, and
Mrs. Johnson. WHO was looking on,
threw up her hands and tainted away.
She thought you had been killed stone
dead. While you were down the calf
tried to bite your ears. You can't deny
this, Samuel. for Mrs. johnson Is
woman that won't lie. She was Of
fered yoke of oxen when she was
girl If she would tell falsehood, but
she refused. She says you were un-
conscious for Mt least ten minutes.
Her faint lasted her at least seven or
eight, and yon hadn't moved when she
caine out Of it. You were lying In the
same place. ind the calf was fun
bling for your ears. You were the
same as dead. Samuel. and perhaps It
would have been better had the Lord
taken you then and there. Don't you
want to press me to your heart and
say that 1t shall never happen againY
The deacon didn't. Every incident
In the tragedy under discussion Jrose
up before him as clear as day, but he
had no forgiveness to ask for. Be
sides, he was interested in the state
ment that John Smith settled James
town instead Of Henry Smith, as he
had always been led to believe, and he
wanted to work It out In his mind.
"You lay there one moment, Samuel,
with Mrs. Johnson thinking you dead
and remembering how many picked
peaches | had put up for the winter.
and the next you was OH your feet.
The calf stood there looking ut you out
of his innocent eyes. and you jumped
up and down and abused his father.
"Then you called his mother q
wretch.
"Then yon called him forty different
names as fast as you could speak. 1
"Then you threatened to knock his
blamed head Off and to break every
bone In his blasted body.
What the Deacon Told The Calf.
'Then you said that any Internal calf |
that didn't know better than to come
frolIckIng around and bat man In !
the stomach with his - head ought |
to be murdered on the spot, and blast |
your eyes you were the one to do IT. |
You said that. Samuel-you said ev- |
cry word of 1t.
"And then, not even looking around |
or caring who heard or saw, you pick
cd M n club ana basted and swatted |
ard pounded that poor calf all over
the lot. ana every time you swatted |
him yon shouted out something. That |
made Mrs. Johnson faint |
away again. and when she came to you
were gone and the calf was looking |
so honieslck that she never expected |
1t to live. Oh. deacon, are you going |
to stick it out like Captain Kidd did |
or are you-you"-
The deacon read from the geography |
that the soil carried down by the Mis-
souri, river every year was equal to
that Of the state OF Rhode Island and |
then closed the book and rose up and
returned to where the hinge awaited
him. During the next hour he found
himself whlstling and singing at In
fervals. and he had just got the door
mp when a voice called from the kitch-
en- door again:
Samuel. Oh, Samuel, supper is all
ready, and have got hot biscuit and
honey for your
Mrs. Dolby had been drawn back
from the grave again. M. QUAD.
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