He put me in mind of a squirrel I once shot in our wood
location. The little critter got a hickory nut in his mouth; well, he
found it too hard to crack, and too big to swaller, and for the life
and soul of him, he couldn't spit it out agin. If he didn't look
like a proper fool, you may depend. We had a pond back of our barn
about the bigness of a good sizeable wash-tub, and it was chock
full of frogs. Well, one of these little critters fancied himself a
bull-frog, and he puffed out his cheeks, and took a real 'blowin'
time' of it; he roared away like thunder; at last he puffed and
puffed out till he bust like a b'iler. If I see the Speaker this
winter (and I shall see him to a sartainty if they don't send for him
to London, to teach their new Speaker; and he's up to snuff, that
'ere man; he knows how to cipher), I'll jist say to him, 'Speaker,'
says I, 'if any of your folks in the House go to swell out like
dropsy, give 'em a hint in time.' Says you, 'if you have are a little
safety valve about you, let off a little steam now and then, or
you'll go for it; recollect the Clockmaker's story of the "Blowin'
time".'"
No. XXIV
Father John O'Shaughnessy.
"Tomorrow will be Sabbath day," said the Clockmaker; "I guess we'll
bide where we be till Monday. I like a Sabbath in the country; all
natur' seems at rest.
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