The log cabin Democrat., 1910-01-13
Uncle Bentley and
 the Roosters
Copyright, by J. B. Lippincott :o.)
By Hayden Csruth

| to he has made other people uuSi- | ness his own, and looked after 1t ln
 season and out-especially out. II | there is a thing which nobody wants | done, to this Uncle Bentley applies his | busy hand.
 One warm summer Sunday we wSfe | all at church Our pastor had taken | the passage on turning the other ! cheek. or one akin to it, for his text | and was preaching on peace and qulet and non-resistance. He soon nao us in a devout mood which must nave been beautiful to see and encouraging 10 the good man.
 Of course, Uncle Bentley was there he always was, and forever Ill front pew, with his neck craned up looking backward to see If there was anything that didn't need doing which he could do. He always tinkered with the fires in the winter and fussed with the windows in the summer, and dlo his worst with each. His strongest church point was ushering. Not con tent to usher she stranger within our gates. he would usher all of us, and always thrust us into pews with Just the people we didn't want to sit with If you failed to follow him when he took you in tow, he would stop and look back responsibility, describing mighty indrawing curves with his
 arm; and if you pretended not to see
 .t,im he would give low whistle to attract your attention, the arm work ing right along, like a Holland wind >mill.
 On this particular warm summer
 Sunday Uncle Bentley was in place
 wearing his long, full-skirted coat.
 queer, dark bottlegreen, purplish
 blue. He had ushered to his own ex
 ceeding joy, and got two men in one
 pew, and given them single hymn
 book, who wouldn't on weekdays
 speak to each other. I ought to men
 ton th2t we had long before made verb of Uncle Bentley. To unclebent'
 ley was te do the wrong thing.
 The minister was floating along smoothly on the subject of peace when Uncle Bentley was observed to
 throw up his head. He had heard
 sound outside. It was really nothing hut one of Deacon Runners young
 ,oosters growing. The deacon lived
 uear. and vocal offerings from hie
 poultry were frequent and had ceased
 70 interest anyone except Uncle Bent
 ey. Then in the pauSes between the
 preachers periods we heard the flap
 ping of wings, with sudden stoppings
 and startings. Those unregenerate fowls, unable to understand the good mans words, were fighting. Even this didn't interest us-we were committed iso peace But Uncle Bentley shot up like jack-in- a-box and cantered down
 the aisle. Of course, his notion Was X that the roosters were disturbing tn. services and that 1t was his duty tc go out and stop them. We heard wig orous 'Shoos." and Take thats!" and ,"Consairn yous!" and then Uncle Bentley came back looking very i'm portant, and as he stalked up the aisle \ he glanced around and nodded hi \ head, saying as clearly as words: There, where would you be without mel" Another defiant crow floated 1T
 at the window.
 E The next moment the rushing and beating of wings began again, anC down the aisle went Uncle Bentley the long tails of that coat fairly float ing like a cloud behind him. There \ was further uproar outside, and Uncle Bentley was back in his place, this time turning around and whispering hoarsely: T fixed 'em." But sucl was not the case, for twice more tht very same thing was repeated. The last time Uncle Bentley came back ht wore calm, snug expression. 1s wht r should say: Now l have fixed m! We should have liked it better if the roosters had fixed Uncle Bentley. Bu' nobody paid much attention excep, Deacon Hummer. The thought oc cured to him that perhaps Uncle
 Bentley had killed the fowls. But h. hadn't
 However, there was no more dis turbance without, and after a time the
 sermon closed. There was some sor' of a special collection to be taken up | Of course, Uncle Bentley always in
 sisted on taking up all the collections He hopped up on this occasion ant seized the plate with more than usua vigor. His struggles with the rooster.
 had evidently stimulated him. He soon made the rounds and approached the table in front of the pulpit to de | posit his harvest. As he did so vt | saw to our horror that tbe long taik l of that ridiculous coat were violently agitated. sickening suspicion cam, l over us. The next moment one O | those belligerent young roosteri thrust head out of either of those coat-tail pockets. One uttered rat cous crow, the other made a viciou, dab. Uncle Bentey dropped the plat, with scattering of coin, seized coa skirt in each hand and drew it front This dumped both fowls out on th' floor. where they went at it hamme