Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1870-01-28
Almost a Swing.

ONE Saturday, three little girls were |
about to put up a swing somcwhcrc-
they didn't know exactly where. They |
had thirty cents to buy rope with, and |
the day was before them. On Monday,
their cousin was coming in from the
country to spend the afternoon with
them, and it would bo $50 grand" they
said, to have the swing already. Just as
they were about starting to buy the rope, |
in came their brother Benjamin. "Pooh y
he exclaimed, when he had heard all
about it; show can girls make a swing
Leave IL to me- On Monday morning,
I'll put it up for you in a jlly"
"Do IL now," coaxed the girls
"Can't," answered Ben, "rm going to
the library with Bill Saunders. Go,
spend your money for something else
I'll manage rope and everything on Mon
day, before school," And off ran Ben
with his hands in his pockets.
"Isn't it splendid to be boy !" said the
littlest girl, Susie, looking after him in
great admiration.
Well, early on Monday morning, Ben
| sprang out of bed and dressed himself in
| hurry, whistling with an air of great
importance as he did So Then no rushed
of to get fine long rope that he remem-
bered having seen somewhere-it might
have been in the woodshcd, or the garret,
| or in some of the barrels, in the back
kitchen area. But 1t wasn't in any of
these places, and time was flying; so he
ran to the kitchen to beg Norah for a
strong clothes-linc that he could double
for the swing.
| "Arrah! is it a bit of me clo's-line that
you're after wantin' this timop Sorra a
bit I've got for the likes of yous," answer
ed that young lady Indignantly. "Sure an
what"
But Ben, nothing daunted, concluded
| he would Just run out to the back yard
while she was finishing her speech, and
look for something that would do for n
swing board. Unfortunately, all the
boards were so long and so full of nails
that Ben had to have claw hammer and
saw before he could do anything. There
were no hammer and saw in his toOl-Chest
| fit to work with so he ran with all his
might to borrow Bill Saunders Bill
| Saunders said he was quite welcome to use
any tool of his he could find, but for
his part he had no idea where in the world
| that hammer and saw could be. So, Ben
rummaged in Bills tOol-rOom, in a half
whistling, half-breathless way, as if he
was sure of finding them, until he sud
| denly thought that his father might start
! for down town before he had asked him
whether he could hang the swing from the
apple-tree in the back yard. In this case,
there was nothing TO do but TO rush Oft
obtain the desired permission, and then
run back again to look for the tools. So
| Ben flew home, but his father had eaten
breakfast and gone.
40 dear - he exclaimed. "But never
mind, the big beam in the garret will do
-nobodyll care about that"
"Come eat your breakfast, Ben" called
out his mother.
| Ben swallowed few mouthfuls in pro
| digious hurry, looked at the clock, saw hc
had lust ten minutes before school time
rushed back to Bill Saunders, and in hunt
ing for the hammer and saw, found al
iron ring.
"Wonder if l couldn't do something
with thisP" he painted. +" If only had Q
mate to it and q couple of hooks, it woul(
be grand Iii there is ring in the bar
rel in our cellar" So off he scampered Il
the cellar, and there wasn't any RIM
there.
"Botherp exclaimed Ben. "But that
nothing. l needn't have hooks and ring
at all. I'll just tie the rope over the beam.
"But you cdnt," said one of the girl
anxiOusly; " the big boards are close dow
|, on it."
"Whew that's So" cried Ben, as h
scampered pell-mell out of the house
"I'll run and get an augur and bore hole
in the BEAM"
Soon he came back. He had found th
: augur, but there wasn't any point on it.
ats school time, Ben !" called out h
/ sister "You must go right off; ma say
so. Is the swing ready?"
7 "Not quite" called out Ben cheerily
! 'fbut I've done all could about it,"
E And so he had--poor fellow The CIR
/, were sadly disappointed, but they couldn
i possibly be provoked at such a dear, goo'
who had slyly taken notice of all that wa
going ON, felt that it would prove quite
, lesson to Ben, showing him the advantag
q of keeping things in order and in the
q right places. It's not in the least likel
that II did, however Hearth and Home.