Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1871-11-08

the floor, which was very slippery, Harry
stumbled against the now empty barrel.
Exasperated, he drew up his foot and give
il smart kick 1t rolled back and knock
ed out the faucet to a barrel of molasses.
Now followed great fOod-molasses and
soft SOAP in great quantities, mingled to.
enough to float the little g City of
Rusaga" Bnt the best of it, or rather
the worst of it was, that Harry did not
know that the molasses barrel had been
touched. 1t was very dark in the cellar,
and even if it had not been, he might not
have discovered the leakage; for the bar
rel, which he so unfortunately kicked, lay
close up to the stream of molasses which
was running, so that Harry did not then
discover it, and it slid into the soft soap so
easily that he didn't hear it running The
fact is, the boys mind was on his new suit
of clothes during all this catastrophe.
They were completely saturated with soft
soap He was afraid they would be en-
tirely spoiled, or at least that the colors
would come out, if they were not immedi-
ately rinsed clean.
1t was impossible to get out Of the eel
lar, and there was no water to be had in
in it. He had spoiled three suits Of
clothes lately, and now. at the fourth one.
he was afraid mothers patience would give
out What should he do? o, what should
he do? A happy and original thought
struck him. The dear boy showed real
genius. He said, &" will wash them out
with CIDER" lie stripped naked to the
skin, laid his soapy clothes under the cider
faucet, and then turned it. When they
were well saturated, he took them, piece
at time in his hands, and rubbed them
back and forth over his knuckleS like
regular washerwOman Just then his
father and | came home.
We were told by some boys whom we
met that Harry was asleep in the cellar.
As soon as we arrived we lighted a Ian
tern, and went down, and there we found
him, stark naked. standing before a bar
rel and washing his clothes out with cider.
O, he was the most laughable sight that
ever behed His face was a. black as "a
negros, the burnt cork not having been
washed off since the performance, and iu
contrast his delicate little body In the
gloom looking as white as marble. The
cellar floor vas covered with soft soap,
molasses, and cider and in these mixed
liquids foated pies, cakes, cookies, apples,
( pears. peaches, three loaves Of bread. and
two Jumps of butter. All this we di~cov-
cred in an instant. [ was making the
whole house ring with laughter, bUt my
husband had thus far kept on a sober face,
thinking. l suppose, of the damage. He
looked terribly cross at Harry and sad.
steruly, Come here, sir, ANA ten me
what YOU made all this mess for You
Will catch it, young man, | can tell YOU"
Harry was frightened and ran. lie
went racing around the cellar. stiIl naked.
with his black face. and swinging his pants
in his left hand Ny husband caught him
by the shoulder The little rogue gave
dive head foremost between his fathers
legs, and they both went down into the
soap, molas,cs. and cider Harry was ur
IN an instant He made for the stairs
but his father headed him off, aud the it-
tie fellow was obliged 70 take refuge In
the ash bin. His body ben. wet. the
ashes stuck to him, which made him The
most ridiculous thing in existence was
20 nearly killed with LAUGHING chat eN-
!pected to fall down from sheer weakness.
] just now Harry came up and c.a-pel
his arms around nav knees He had Just
time 10 say. - ElHlutI ~ lIl#| .ltI .
please don't lct father whip me :" when
Ike an avalanche his father bore down ups
on us The floor was so slippery. and h.
had got under such healway, that be-
could not stop. The consequence was that
we all went down together into the -.ipTe-
~ flood The lantern went out, ami We
were left in almost total darkness Ny
husband now began to laugh | joined
him; Harry came ia on the chorus We
Ian laughed together for fifteen minutes.
Then we laughed for ten Harry now
stood up and putting his greasy arms
around his fathers neck, said, Dear
father, | did not mean 10 indeed did
not z" There was silence for momeut.
and then his father answered Wei.
Harry, since Vou are nat a1oae "a Z. We
viii be forgiving, and let you off this time. "
Ralph Tres