Pa's feet somehow slipped backwards, and he turned a
summersault and struck full length on his back, and one heel was across
the minister's neck, and he slid down the steps, and the other deacon fell
all over the other three, and Pa swore at them, and it was the worst
looking lot of pious people I ever saw. I think if the minister had been
in the woods somewhere, where nobody could have heard him, he would have
used language. They all seemed mad at each other. The hired girl told Ma
there was three tramps out on the sidewalk fighting Pa, and Ma she took
the broom and started to help Pa, and I tried to stop Ma, 'cause her
constitution is not very strong and I didn't want her to do any flying
trapeze business, but I couldn't stop her, and she went out with the broom
and a towel tied around her head. Well, I don't know where Ma did strike,
but when she came in she said she had palpitation of the heart, but that
was not the place where she put the arnica. O, but she _did_ go through
the air like a bullet through cheese, and when she went down the steps
a-bumpity-bump, I felt sorry for Ma. The minister had got so he could set
up on the sidewalk, with his back against the lower step, when Ma came
sliding down, and one of the heels of her gaiters hit the minister in the
hair, and the other foot went right through between his arm and his side,
and the broom liked to pushed his teeth down his throat.
Pages:
148
149
150
151
152
153
154
155
156
157
158
159
160
161
162
163
164
165
166
167
168
169
170
171
172