Year: 1867

JACK SPROUTS CONVERSION.


Jack Sprout swore terrible OATH In fact he
swore number Of oaths for he was very angry
1t was nothing wonderfulfor Jack Sprout to swear,
given to the habit of using profane language And
yet Jack was a good husband an indulgent father
an honest, industrious man; an accommodating
neighbor; and he possessed many other excelen-
cies of character which might have made him q
valuable member of society had not been tor GER
tain loose habits which had marked his course
from childhood. His parents had been careless and
profane before him his father had been tough,
rough customer; so Jack naturally enough came
up in the same track. But he was good looking,
and kind hearted, and genial and social, and so he
had gained for wife one of the very best maidens
of our country town, as well as one OF the hand
soonest.


Master Freddy Sprout, aged FIVE years, stood by
his mothers side, with q sadly begrimmed and
tear-streaked face, and his story was that Solomon
Gordon had whipped him with stick, and the
boys legs still bore few slight tokens Of the cas-
tigation. Two other boys had come home with
Master Freddy, and their testimony coToborated
that which the sufferer had given. Freddy, with
some of his playmates, had been throwing stones
at Mr.. Gordon's dog and one Of the missiles hurl-
ed by Freddy had hit the animal and caused him
to howl with pain. Of course the stone thrown by
such tiny hand could not have inflicted much in
jury upon the canine brute; but Solomon Gordon
loved his dog, and when he saw what had been
done, he caught Master Freddy and gave him a
thrashing; for, be it known, Solomon Gordon was
just such another man as Jack Sprout- warm
hearted, generous and neighborly, but rough, un-
educated, strong -wiIed, and impulsive.


Jack Sprout put on his hat and prepared to sally
forth. His lips were pale and tightly compressed,
and the huge muscles in his arms worked like bun


Dear Jack" pleaded his wife, "dont go out
now"


"Let me alone, Abby No man shall strike a
child of mine without having chance to strike
me. shall go and see Sol. Gordon, and III give
him such licking he won't forget it in a hurry u
And Jack closed the sentence with terrible oath.


"No, no, Jack; don't 60. What good will it
do? Wait until you are more cool !"


"Pshawl Go away, ABBY. There is not e.
nough power on earth to save Sol. Gordon from a
drubbing; and I'll give it to him before the sun
goes down." 49,.


And as Jack Sprout looked, at the moment, he
gave awful evidence that he was physically able to
make good his word for more magnificent struc--
ture of framework and muscle was not to be found
in the town.


"Dear jack" cried the wife, taking her hus-
band by the arm, "Oh, do listen to me one mo-
ment. Freddy is not much hurt, and he ought
not to have thrown stones at Gordons dog You
know both Solomon and his wife set everything by
the little animal, and he would not bark at the
boys if they did not plague him. Fyou go and
find Gordon as you are now, you will only make
matters worse. Oh, wish you would drop it"


Jack only shook his head, and smiled one Of
those smiles which are terrible upon the face of
an angry man.


"Oh, Jack, if you would only try the effect of
kindness upon Solomon! He is good man at
heart


Jack interrupted his wife with derisive sneer


"Don't laugh at ME, Jack. tell you it would
be better to do so than to resort to blows. If you
were attacked, I should not blame you for fighting
to protect yourself but this is not case that calls
for your strength of muscle. There is higher
and nobler strength that you can use now"


"Oho'' uttered Jack, ''you are preaching.-
You are giving me, some Of your Sunday school
lessons. But don't want 'em. You may expe-
rience religion as much as you please, but you
mustn't preach the stuff to me.


"Jack," spoke the wife, with stern solemnity,
"have been any worse since began to have an
interest in religious things?"


''No, Abby-you were always good"


''Then why will you not listen to me? Ryou
will stay with me now-if you will wait until your
anger is cooled land then so and speak kindly to
Solomon Gordon, give you my solemn pledge
that you will feel thousand times better than you
will if you"


But Jack would not hear his wife out He had
sworn that he would keep his word. His temper
was at the boiling point, and he was fairly aching
to get his hands upon the man who had dared to
strike his boy; for Freddy was his pet, and every
blow that had been laid upon the child body had
made mark of fire upon his own heart. So he
put his wife away from him and hurried from the
house, slamming the door after him.


Away went Jack Sprout with rapid, heavy
strides; and had Solomon Gordon fallen in his way
just then, he would most assuredly have been Sc
verely beaten; for though Solomon was stout,
bold man, yet Jack was very Hercules.


But Jack was destined to get pretty thoroughly
cooled off before he met the object Of his wrath.
As he approached the bridge that spanned the
river just below the falls, he heard loud cries of
alarm, and upon hurrying forward he found that
bers into the water. He looked over the railing
and saw the little fellow just coming to the surface
of the foaming, boiling food "a curly headed boy,
Just about the age Of his own darling Freddy
stretching forth his tiny hands in an agony of des
pair It was terrible place, that seething, roar
ing pool, where the waters of the great river came
pouring down from over the high dam; but Jack
did not hesitate He forgot his enemy-forgot ev-
erythng but the danger Of the little one-and only
stopping to kick off his boots and throw aside his
coat he leaped down into the angry flood. HeE
caught the boy in his arms, and then struck for
the shore. 1t was mighty, mighty conflict, but
the strong man persevered More than once those
who had gathered upon the bridge and upon the
rocks had reason to fear that neither the man nor
the boy would come forth alive; but Jack held his
own against the mighty torrent and finally reached
the shore, where many hands were ready to help
him. AS for himself, few minutes action assur-
ed him that he was able to walk; and he had sus-
tanned no injuries save few trihing bruises. AS
for the boy he had come forth in safety; for Jack
had held him high above the water during all the
time of his struggle.


And when Jack Sprout had regained his strength, |
and was able to speak, he looked to see the boy
that he had saved, and he saw that it was Andy
Gordon, abrght-eyed, curly haired, airfaced boy,
not wear older than was his own son Freddy


"Where's papa" asked the dripping child.


"He is coming" answered some one in the
crowd.


Jack looked up and saw Solomon Gordon COM
ing-S Solomon, pale and terror stricken-and with
ali possible haste he seized his coat and boots and
hurried away He could not meet Solomon Cor
don then.


''Mercyl What is it, Jack?''


Mrs. Sprout was alarmed. Her husband was
dripping wet, his step was totterng, his breathing
was labored, and there was livid mark upon his
forehead as though he had received heavy blow.


1T is nothing, ABBY"