The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1913-01-15
Cats and Coons
BY M. QUAD 49,.
Copyright. 1912. by Associated Lit
erary Press.
BY M. QUAD


IN way that was powerful unpleasant
Some o us are sot in our ways un
EQme o. us hain't. | used to be one
The sot kind. IL | said anything. II
matter If | l6nowed was wrong. l.
stick to 1t to the last. Sich critic
comes mighty nigh bein' u plumb ful'
but no one could have made me believ
1t years ago.
Zone Sunday, years ago, the old we
man wanted me to go to the preachir
with her. 1t was nice fall day, an
l wanted to loaf around and see il tn
coons was comm down from the noun
tings.
"She was huffy when she got back
and not word was said at the suppe
table. AFTER she'd cleared things ava,
she got down the Bible and said.
"'Zeb White, the preacher, wa
preachin' 80 us today about DAM il
the lions den. and | want to Ak yol
some questions
AK away / said.
"'Was them regular lions, with teeth
and clawsY
Cant say
"Do you know why the lions didn'
eat DanIY
Nope
land you don't keer. do your
"'Not whop.'
Wall, you keep right on bein' mean
and see how you'll come out. A man
may be sot ag'in his wife and not sur.
fer too much, but when he's sot ag'in
the Bible that's different thing.
wish you'd find the place about joiner
and the whale and read it to me-
"T hain't pinin' to read this evenin', :
says 1.
But you believe that the whale
swallered him, don't you?
II hain't sayin' as / do or don't.
What I'm thinkin of is whether them
coons will come down In my co'nfield
tonight
"'And Sunday night, too. she
gasps. 'Zeb, thar's suahly rod OF
punishment laid up for you You was
sot ag'in Dan'l. and now you are sot
ag'in joiner, and don't you be thinkin
you'll see the end of it without trou-
BILE. Will you read me about the chill
dren who was devoured by the b'ars?'
Not Jest now. I'm waitin' to hear
the old dawg bark to show that the
coons have arrove.'
but how many children do you
think thar WASP
~ hain't countin'.'
"'Waal, how many bars?
"'Can't say. Might not have been a
single child or bar
"'Then yo're agin them too. l.
wouldn't be In your shoes fur this
we're hull Cumberland mountains. II
don't reckon you believe about the
children of Israel passin' across the
Red sea dry shod!
Il hain't saying as do
"Jest then my old dawg begun tc
bark and rush around. and took
down my gun and went out. | heard
a great rustlin' and spittin' and scat.
term, and reckoned that mo- than a
hundred coons was movin' down on
the CON.
II called to the dawg to sick 'em,
but he drapped his tail and sneaked
into the house. Feared like funny
thing for him to do. but went down
among the con without him I had |
skassly got thar when ! heard sun I
thin movin' about and fired at it
"That was one of the blunders OF
my life. The powder smoke was still
hangin' In the air when half dozen
began to climb all over me.
THE only thing / could do was to
start for the house, and as / stag
yered along kept up yellin.
II was clawed and bit aud scratched
from head to heel. and / hadn't nun
clothes on me to cover a silver dollar
! was Jest that scared and done W
that | tainted away and fell in heap,
and when / cum to l was on the bed
md the old woman was dressin' my
hurts.
"She had to begin at my scalp and I
work down TO my heels, and it took hei
Ill the rest of the night | felt bad
nuff, l kin tell you, but she made me
eel a heap wuss. She didn't say o
Jingle word to me fur hours. but when
he had about finished me up she /,
tarted off with:
"'Zeb, do you reckon them was reg {
ar lions in the cage with Dan1?' /
"'with all my heart. do ] says. I
"'And them children of Israel and {
he Red Seag !
81 believe every last word of II,
linda
"'And is the dawg TO be whopped foi
lot maxim as big a fule of himself as
on didT ]
a. Not a whop. | reckoned on whop . .
in him for not mixin' in, but I'll LEI :
! go this time. Anything mo-? :
"'Nuthin' mo-. Zeb.' she says as she =
ums over and kisses me. ''cept that c
on hadn't better git too frisky ag'in t
n think you are bigger man than
rovidence.'
Linda says |, I suah thought them
as coons'
"'Of co'se you dId-of co'se'
"'And reckoned on gettin' FIVE or
x prime pelts.'
"'Yes. you did
"'Do you think Providence kin turn
,ons into wildcats at a minfts no.
ceT
"'Of co'se he kin. Whenever arter