The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1871-05-19


why Just git III give you the day
but see that you git round peart to-
wards night. Mind that you come back
time enough to do the chores. Put out,
now !"
Whether the old grind guessed some
thing of Ben's plans of running away |
cannot tell. But he doubtless thought
it polite to give him holiday, and it
was characteristic of him to do ii as UNI
graciously as possible.
But Ben, who had never known holt
day before, stood not on the manner OF
| the giving. AS soon as the old man
said "put out" Ben took him at his
word. He did put out. He put the hoe
out of his hands, he put himself out OF
the onion-patch by jumping the "ten-
rail fence at bound, and he put him.
self out of the reach of recall by run
ming swiftly across the pasture, leaping
another fence, and taking path
through the woods that enabled him to
intercept the party, which had already
entered the forest at the top of the hill.
His unexpected appearance in front
of the party was the signal for a general
cheer from the boys, and for hearty con-
CALCULATIONS from the girls for Ben, de
spite his awkwardness, was liked for his
general good-nature.
Sally Little, before referred to, was
sister to my old chum, whose name was
Harry, but who was called for short, on
the family record, William Henry Har-
rison Little. He was punster to the
extent Of Just one paradoxical pun,
which, however, he aired very frequent
ly. He often asserted that his name
was not LiHle.) From one of "Sister
Sally's" letters | make an extract, re-
marking that am not to be held ac-
countable for her style, though she was
ALWAYS famous in the village school for
her Compositions, and she has printed
several articles in that column of the
New Geneva Gazette which the editor,
with rare thoughtfulness, has labeled
"Poetry."
"NEw GENEVA, March 20, 1856.
at was gorgeous day.
There was not cloud in the sky. The
river, seen from the top of the hill, was
splendid to behold. The little children
kept to themselves and we had SPLEEN
did time. If it were not for the deli
cacy | feel in changing the manuscript
of an author already somewhat known
by her contributions to the Gazette, |
should certainly feel obliged to leave
out some of her adjectives. You see,
Harry, Sam Sloan was there, making
love to Henrietta Voisier and Mary
Patterson alternately, in his ridiculous
way. Mary has grown more delicate
and splendid than she was when you
saw her. Ben Lamson, Pogue's bound
boy, fairly worships the ground she
walks on. / don't think Sam cares two
straws for her, except for the fun of
flirting with the prettiest girl in the
crowd. And Mary is splendid and no
mistake. If you could have seen what
scramble there was after Mary's hat
when it went over the cliff | believe
the wicked mink dropped it over pur-
pose. 1t lodged in the top of an iron
wood that grew right under the cliff
All the boys made for it except Ben.
He had stepped out to pick an ane-
none When he saw what had hap
pened Sloan was already halfway down
to the tree, and the rest were behind
him. But Ben just slid right down the
steep ledge, kicking a shower of stones
over the cliff When the boys saw this
daring feat of Ben's they all stopped
short except Sloan, who ran on more
furiously than ever. You know how
little space there is on the top of the
.. cliff We held our breaths and turned
! pale for fear Ben would go over, and,
indeed it was awful to see him. Teet-
, let* Moreau came near fainting, and
she cried out, Ben will be killed = But
. he had taken such line in starting
: that he was able to check himself lit
tie in two or three places, and to bring
up with his boots against a rotten
) stump which stood on the edge of the
: cliff BY this time, however, Sloan was
= up the tree halfway to Marys truapt
: hat. If Ben had stopped to get down
: the cliff by any of the paths he would
: have been beaten. But there was a ce-
J dar tree that stood on the edge of the
: precipice, and which had been partly
uprooted, and now hung over the edge
, Quick as thought Ben went down this
= :. to where it touched the trunk of the
! tree in the branches of which the hat
g rested, and by descending a few feet
= further was able to seize the hat just as
= Sam had reached his hand to shake il
= to the ground. 1t was splendid! Such
! cheers as Ben got And when he came
. back there was an ugly cash on his
. hand, made by broken limb of the ce
dar OF course there was nobody to tie
o it up but Teetlet. who is always our Sis
! ter of Charity, and who does such thing
splendidly.
: I" But poor Teetlet had become so eX
/, T. cited that she could hardly do it,
II never saw her hurried before. | could
= see her brown Swiss curls tremble as
n she tied up the wounds of the knight
+ who had risked his life for another girl
Her cousin Estelle cried out, QW ave=
q vo1S, TeetetT-which did not help mat
$ tiers. AS for Mary, she expressed hel
j pity for Ben, and he drank in hel
i words, while his handsome face was sui'
u fused with bushes. 1t was splendid
!, incident, and am writing a poem on il
y for the Gazette.
! " You'll say, Harry, that | have an
u other hero, and that | make him aherc
on small provocation. Maybe so. But
;, hear me. | saw him under fire. San
g Sloan made sport of him all the rest Of