Daily American telegraph. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1851-1852, 1852-04-07

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of water they came across, put his finger on his
lip in token of silence, then lazily flung himself
on the grass under willow, to watch the sport.
The little sheet of water was nothing but a
frog-pond, weedy and muddy, where fish had
never made their appearance. Tom had heard
that trout were exceedingly shy, and went very
softly to work, never speaking above whisper
to Frank. After about an hour, he concluded
flies were not inviting bait and, by Frank'sad-
vice. used worms instead
"Do they bite now?" whispered Frank,
yawning, for he had taken q nice nap in the
shade of the willow.
NO. said Tom, but they begin to nibble;"
and in minute after he cried, ,ioyfully, "Now
| have ono! Come, Frank and help me out
with it. | think it must be a salmon trout"
| But before Frank reached him. he pulled mp
a great mud-turtlc, which he had hooked by
the leg Frank rolled on tho ground with
! laughter aud Tom did not soon hear the last
OF his fine "salmon-trout"
The day, however Frank took his cousin
to real trout stream, some miles distant and
taught him how to capture that most shy and
delicious fish.
Not long after this, Tom proposed II hunt
Now, Frank was good shot, but Tom knew
about as much of hunting as he had known Of
trouting. Yet you would have supposed from
his way of talking, that he was q perfect MIN.
rod-a mighty hunter" He had an elegant
little fowling-piece, and all the accoutremcnts,
even to huntingjacket of tho latest English
fashion. But alas his fine outfit brought him
neither skill nor luck he popped away inces-
sanity, and, rs the boys say, killed nothing
but powder" At last Frank, who had sepa-
rated from him, and had nearly filed his game
bag with squirrels and partridges, took pity on
tbn faII Ia ~ ho,t,
shot an old OWL and, climbing tree, he fixed
this on u large limb, 50 that it looked very life
like and natural Then going for Tom, he led
him softly within sight of the game, telling him
that there was big bird of some sort, he
might have for the shooting, Thinking that a
big bird would require big charge, Tom put
in double quantity of powder and shot, and
the consequence was that he was kicked clean
over--boys will understand how But he
drought down the owl, and never would believe
but that he had the first shot at him
few days after this Mr. A1stn said to his
young guest, "Fve letter from your father,
my boy, and he tells me to set you to work,
and get some of the nonsense out of you. |
don't want to put you to hard labor; you may
do as you please but Frank, here has been fool
ing about long enough-he must 60 to work y
Tom turned up his aristocratc nose at the
he saw Frank shoulder his hoe, and 20 cheerful
ly over the hill to the corn6eld, he wondered
at and pitied him.
| But Tom had somehow become attached to
his good-natured playmate; and, as he idled
away hour after hour of the pleasant morning
through the house and about the yard he found
himself very lonely and stupid.
By the middle of the afternoon of the second
day, he felt that he really could not stand it
any longer 50 paid visit to the corn-tcld,
just to see how they got along" he said. AT.
ter watching his cousin while, he went to Mr.
Austin, and asked for IA hoe-"just to help
Frank little" His uncle gave him one with
smile, telling him to be careful of his fine
clothes. Though Tom found that this work
was even harder than fishing for trout in
frog -pond-though it made his back ache, and
almost blstered his hands-yet he liked it, and
hoed his row bravely The next morning, af.
ter an early breakfast, he drew on an old pair
Of boots rolled up his pantaloons shouldered
his hoe, and set out with the other workmen
feeling very stout and important. In the course
of the week, he found in his room u regular
farmers suit Of clothes-morc easy than ele-
gant-of strong but cool material These he
put on with much pleasure; indeed, it was soon
hard to persuade him to dress himself in broad
cloth, even to go to church. He said that. in
tow jacket and corduroy trousers a man had
room-a man could do as he pleased-and
that n good straw hat was the thing for man
after all
Mr.. Austin gave his nephew small piece of
land in the corn-feld, for a Melon Patch. Tom
planted and cultivated it, and was very proud
of tho thriving condition of his watermelons
and cantcleups. 1t happened that Il neghbor-
ing farmer had fine mclon-patch in the very
/ oil IL
obliging man, on whom the boys loved to play
little mischieyous tricks--so suppose Tom did
not think he was proposing anything wicked,
when he said to his cousin, one evening in Sep
tcmber Frank let's go tonight, and hook old
! Johnsons watcrmclons y
DO you mean steal them Tom asked
Frank
Why yes if you've a mind to call little
fun by such hard name don't sec, f,r my
part what harm there could be in taking fcT
watcrmeons from such u stingy old fellow
Frank with MI his wildness had never been
guilty of n mean or dishonest act yet now.
after thinking moment, he agreed to go with
his cousin, but persuaded him to wait till the
moon was down, and it was quite dark Then.
by a roundabout way through the woods, he
led Tom to his oWR meioH-pdtch, where he told
him to hurry and fill the basket while he kent
watch at a little distance He afterwards said
that he never came 50 near dying with silent
laughter as he did when he saw Tom creeping
softly about on all iours stealing his own mol.
ons thinking that they were MIR Johnson .
At last hearing some noise ncar--a cow or a
colt, perhaps-hc shouted " Run, Tom run
Look out for old Johnson " and started for
home, at full speed Tom followed fast breath
ing hard and dropping melon or two, in his
fright But he reached the house with three
fine ones, Of which he ate enough to make him