Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1871-10-12

that is, if he could get out"
There was no escape for poor little
Harry, as they very well knew, until /
should get home at six o'clock and re-
lease him by opening the inside door
which communicated with the pantry
The windows to the cellar were those
called bull's-eyes, and they were So
small that Harry, slender as he was,
could not squirm through them, He
found that it was impossible to get out
without help. That was not to be had,
as all the family were away, and we
lived at the end of long avenue-too
far from any neighbors for him to make
his voice heard The dear little fellow
realized the situation, and accepted it
without bit of whining. He lay down
on the top OF two soap-boxes and went
to sleep.
In about two hours he awoke very
much refreshed, but, as he told me,
very hungry. There was plenty of food
of various kinds in the cellar on a
swinging shelf, but it was too high for
him to reach. SO he jumped up and
stood on the edge of a soft-soap barrel.
He leaned forward and grasped an APP
! ple-pie. As he was leaning back he
! slipped, and went souse into the soft
soap up to the neck Then, in found
ering around, and trying to get out he
| tipped himself and the soft-soap over
/ They both came sprawling out sim
ultaneously. In struggling to get up
from the floor, which was very slippery,
Harry stumbled against the now
empty barrel, Exasperated, he drew
up has foot and gave it smart kick
1t rolled back, and knocked out the
/ faucet to a barrel of molasses. Now
/ followed a great tood-molasses and
soft soap, i'll great quantities. mingled
together-enough to float the little
1 City of Ragusa. But the best of it, or
rather the worst of it was, that Harry
| did not know that the molasses barrel
had been preached. 1t was very dark
in the cellar, and even if it had not
been, he might not have discovered the
fortunately kicked lay close up 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 il, the boys mind was on his new
suit of clothes during all this catas-
/ trOphe. They were completely satu-
rated with soft-soap. He was afraid
they would be entirely spoiled, or at
least the colors would come out, if they
were not immediately rinsed clean.
1t was impossible to get out of the
cellar, and there was no water to be
had 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
0, what Should he do! A happy and
original thought struck him. The dear
boy showed real genius. He said, 81
will wash them out with cider," He
stripped naked to the skin, laid his
soapy clothes under the cider barrel
faucet, and then turned it. When they
were well saturated he took them, a
piece at time in his hands, and rub
bed them back and forth over his knuck-
! les 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 light
ed lantern and went down, and there
we found him, stark naked, standing
before barrel and washing his clothes
out with cider. O, he was the most
comical and laughable sight that / ever
beheld His face was as black as n
negrO's, the burnt cork not having been
washed of since the performance, and
in contrast his delicate little body in
! IN Il
| The cellar floor was covered with soft
soap, molasses and cider, and in these
mixed liquids foated pies, cakes, cook
les, apples, pears, peaches, three loaves
of bread, and two humps Of butter
All this we discovered in an instant
| was making the whole house ring
with laughter, but my husband had
thus far kept on sober face, thinking,
| suppose, of the damage. He looked
terribly cross at Harry, and said, stern
! ly, "Come here, sir, and tell me what
YOU made all this mess for You will
catch 1t, young man, | can tell you "
Harry was frightened and ran. He
went racing around the cellar, still ma
ked, with his black face, and swinging
his pants in his left hand. My hus-
band canght him by the shoulder. The
little rogue gave dive headforemost
through his fathers legs, and they both
went down into the soap, molasses, and
cider. Harry was mp in an instant. He
made for the stairs; but his father
headed him OIL, and the little fellow
was obliged to take refuge in the ash.
bin. His body being wet, the ashes
stuck to him, which made him the
most ridiculous thing in existence.
was so nearly killed with laughing that
| expected to fall down from sheer
weakness.
Just now Harry came ND and clasned