The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1869-04-01


loud and abrupt manner, slamming the
door behind him, and shying his cap at q
hat peg, without much apparent expecta
ton of hitting it.
"Clinton, my DEAR" said the old lady
ulous age, "why can't you hang up your
things, when you come in? Twould be
SO little trouble to you, and 'twould save
me sight You're such harum- scarum
tearin boy! Now, Clinton?'
ooh! don't bother! I'm tired" said
Clinton, finging his overcoat on one
chair, while he jerked another about, and
sat down on it, between the old folks,
perching his feet on the top of the stove
"Clinton, you'll burn yer boots" said
the old man, in tone of mild warning.
"No I won't; there ant heat enough to
burn a-thunder and lightning p said
Clinton, flirting his finger, after indis-
creetly touching the stove with it, ''what
do you keep such big fire for? There r'
He pulled off his boots and hurled them
into the corner, and sat in his stockings,
with his feet on the stove-hearth, lookin 2
hugely dissatisfied and glowering at his
grand parents. For this was he, this was
the idol being, as matter of course, like
most idols, unworthy of the worship he
received
"Clinton, what's the matter with We to-
night % said the old man, with some i'm
patience.
Nothing, of counsel I've never any
thing to complain of--oh of course not p
oval, wal what have ye to complain
Off"
otis nothing, of course, that you both
begin to scold me, as soon as ever I set
foot into the house. It's first my cap, then
my boots, then something else. But I'm
sick of it and sometimes think never
will come into this house again. It's like
coming into tomb"
oval, suppose it is" said the old man /:
II can't blame We much but don't say l
scold when l don't Tell her I'm waiting
for my supper"
"Tell him Pm waiting for my pail of
water" said the old lady, who had, in
fact, been waiting for it during the past
half hour, having no interpreter through
whom to ask for it, being too inirm to go
herself to the we'll.
"Why can't you draw pail of water,
Clinton % said the old man.
give just got my boots off," said Clin-
ton, with snarl and frown
The old man'got up, and went out for
the water. The old lady got up, and,
without word of reproach, took care of
the young fellows cap and coat. He saw
her stoop painfully to the floor, bending
her poor old back, and then reach pain
fully to the pegs, which it was no effort at
all for him to reach he heard the invol-
untary groans that escaped her-and there
he still sat, not once offering to help, nor
seeming to care. And yet he was not
bad hearted boy, this Clinton. In the
village, he enjoyed the reputation of be
ing a "irstrate fellow" His generous
and .jovial traits made him favorite with
many, who never suspected what a thun-
der cloud he sometimes was at home.
There, the agreeable companion became
at once the grouty grandson. This was
not simply because his home was gloomy,
although this circumstance no doubt ag-
grayated his fault. But the dark spirit
was within himself; it had been fostered
by Incidence and confirmed by habit I'M
til, though his pride and his ambition to
please enabled him to conceal it in socie-
ty, at home it would have been scarcely
possible for him to be anything else than
a mixture of the blusterer and tie booby.
"Where have you been, to get so tired p
asked the old lady. "You ought to have
gone to meetin' this AFTERNOON, Clinton
you han't been for month"
''There! knew l should get scolded
for something else in minute! I could
MT go to meeting; Phil Kermer wanted
me. I'm in the ice this year. We've
been boarding. We've bored in dozen
different places all over both ponds. Phil
said he didn't know what he should do
without me- said Clinton, frightening,
for now he had a chance to brag.
"You and Phil are great friends, ant
ye?" said the old lady and that fatter-
ed him.
81 bet we are He is the smartest fell
low and the best fellow there is in this
town. He is six years older than am ;
but that don't make any difference-we're
just like brothers. He calls me Clint and
| call him Phil. He is the Ice Companv's
foreman this year; they trust him with
everything: he'll have three or four hun
dred men under him soon as we begin to
cut. Won't it be lively ?"
wv nat nave you Deen boring Tor !"
"To see how much ice has made Since
yesterday, and to see if it II do to pvt our
horses on to morrow, in case it SHOWS to-
night. Phil is dead-sure it's Going to
snew. If we get three or four inches, il
will have to be scraped off, for ice won't
form under a coat of snow--it will a lit
tie, but not fast, and we want to get a
rousing crop this year. I'm to be Pills
right hand man; did you know it?"
'Why, are you, Clinton? What are
you to do?" said the old lady, proceed
ing to fill the tea-kettle, now that the
pail of water was brought in.
! "I'm to be the marker. When we have
SO many men and horses at work, some
| bod l. q