Democratic Sentinel, Volume 17, Number 42, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 3 November 1893 — MISCHIEVOUS ROBERT. [ARTICLE]

MISCHIEVOUS ROBERT.

Young Hawke* Also Had a Fair Share of Conceit. Robert S. Hawkes, always known as “the Vicar of Morwenstowe,” and 3 poet of no mean ability, was brought up by tyfs grandfather, a very learned and religious man. In the church where this old gentlemen preached the evening service always closed with a hymn, “Lord, dismiss us with thy blessing,” which was composed by Doctor Hawkes himself.. His grandson, who did not know the authorship of the hymn, came to the Doctor one day with a paper in his hand, saying: “Grandfather, I don’t altogether like that hymn, ‘Lord, dismiss us with thy blessing.’ I think it might be improved in metre and.language, and that it would be better if it were somewhat longer.” “Oh, indeed!” said Doctor Hawkes, reddening. “And pray, Robert, what improvements commend themselves to your precious wisdom?” “This is my improved version,” said Robert, and he read aloud a very creditable hymn, after which he repeated the old version, saying innocently, “This one is crude and fiat; don’t you think so, grandfather?” “Crude and flat, sir! Young puppy, it is mine! I wrote that hymn!” “Oh, I beg your pardon, grandfather! I didn’t know that. It’s a very nice hymn, indeed, but—” as he went out of the door—“mine is better!” Some people think he was right In his judgment, though not, perhaps, in expressing it. Such a mischievous fellow was Robert that the parish clerk once exclaimed:

“I doan’t care whether I ring the bells on the king’s birthday, but if I never touch the ropes again, I’ll give a peal when Robert goes to school and leaves Stratton folks in peace!” “I don’t know how it Is,” said his brother one day, “but when I go out nutting with Robert, he gets all the nuts; when Igo rabbiting, he gets all the rabbits, and when we go out fishing together, he catches all the fish.” “Come with me fishing to-morrow,” said Robert, “and see :f you don’t have luck.” Next day he slyly fastened a red herring to his brother’s hook. “There," he exclaimed, when it was drawn out of the water, “you are twice as lucky as I am! My fish are all raw, and yours is ready-cleaned, smoked and salted!”—Youth’s Companion.