Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1914-09-30
WHEN CALMNESS GOES.
TALES OF EXCITEMENT THAT Ac1
4 WI COMPANY A FIRE.
Old Man Peasiee's Story Probably the
Best Of Good Ones Related After
the confagratIon Had Been @
Suhdued. - -

The little village Of Dilmouth had
suffered from fre-Ethan Nudd's low.
er; barn, where he had stored his farm
ing tools, had burned flat, and a large
part Of the community had gathered
about the ruins. The men were busAy
recounting their own exploits, and Wig.
| orously criticizing the behavior. OF
others who had gone home. Jed Clip
son was speaking. ID
1T REILLY takes a 1re to bring out
the last mite of foolishness there 10
in a man." he asserted, with convicr
tion. err instance, did any Of you
folks notice one Of: them Bentley
twins, to see what he was dom!
Didn't, hey? Well, I did, and he was
over at that, dry we'll, south Of the
barn, with a pail and a rope, tryin'
to get water out of it-and there amt
been a drop OF water in that well for
more'n ten year!"
"Sho, now, Jeddie!" soothed Mr.,
Peaslee. Don't be hash in your jedg.
ment. Mebbe the twin didn't, know II
was a dry we'll"
Course he knew IT." scoffed Jed,
impatiently. That well went dry
when Bentley blasted out for that
deep well Of his-cut into the vein
and sucked Nudd's well dry as an ash
heap. No, sir! It's Jest as I tell YOU
Ia IRE brings out all the foolishness
there is in q Teller, and he'll do things.
there amt a mite Of sense In. You
notice, and see IL I amt right"
"Bentley's twin didn't do all the
foolish and useless things that was
done there" broke in Wendall Cooper,
FOR to my mind the capsheaf Of fool
ishness was when that passed. Of Junk.
heads from the lower road broke into
the farther end OF the barn and
dragged out that old hayrack full Of
bean straw. They got it just outside
the barn. and then they dropped the
pole and left it t~here-right where It 9
would ketch. Course 1t would have
burnt in the barn, but 1t wouldn't have
burnt any quicker than 1t did where
It was. They might Jest as we'll left
1t in the barn."
Here Caleb Peaslee's mild oldGvoices
interrupted again. s4
Under strain Of excitement, same's}
at a fire" he observed, moderately;
Eve noticed, Jest as Jeddie says, that
folks do things that mebbe they
wouldn't do II they cam; but I've
noticed this besides-and 1t don't
seem to have struck Jeddie at all-4s
the things they do any time like that
amt things that hender or help much.
That is to say, even II they do seem
to be useless and foolish, the chances
are they amt right down h%urtful---
they're Jest cases Of poor Judgment"
He twirled his ash stick in his hand
a moment and then went on again as
Iif he had not stopped talking.
Folks like that" he Illuminated, as
II to himself, always put me in mind
of old Aunt billy &Peterby, the time
her husband had that fit. Folks down
on the river road heard her screechih',
and came up to e what the matter
was, and they found Aunt billy bend.
In over him, ticklin' him underneath
the chin with q stra~ Doctor White
was there: and he asked her what her
idea was, and Aunt Dilly told him
that she REILLY want sure what she
was dom it for.
but says she, real decided for
her, i wanted to do somethin', and j
knew that If that didn't do any good,
IT couldn't do q great deal of hurt !
YOUTHS Companion. II