The Fremont weekly journal. [volume] (Fremont, Sandusky County, Ohio) 1867-1877, 1872-05-31

for so momentous an undertaking
David placed the lamp upon the car.
pet, and seated himself, la Turk,
beside it, while the others, interes-
ted spectators, gathered around in a
circle-Mark on his knees, sgd re-
clining, and Bob striking a variety
Of attitudes, while he vigorously
rubbed the intended pedestal, first
on his jacket, and then on his pants,
to "shine her up" as he said. Taken
altogether, they looked not unlike q
group of devotees engaged in some
heathenish rite. But they had no
thoughts to bestow on their own ap-
pearance; it was all for the owl, and
various grave suggestions and bits Of
advice were volunteered.
"Fact is, I've only got some red
and green sealing-wax," said Dave
turning the bird around upon his
hand.
"Take the green" answered Mark
serenely. at wouldn't have red eyes
unless it had a cold in its head"
Dave melted his wax over the
lamp and attempted to drop it in
the proper place, but it would have
required more skillful fingers to ac-
complish the task quite readily and
neatly, and he was obliged to try
again and again.
"Here, let me hold him, and then
you can take both hands to it," said
sgd goodnaturedly, laying down the
book he had been holding open, but
not reading.
"Say" exclaimed Bob, pausing for
a moment in his labors, "when you
get it all ready, let's slip down stairs
in our stockin' feet and stick it upon
the parlor mantel, where she'll see it
the first thing in the morn Hell
To-" elevating his nose in the air with
a suspicious sniff, 81 smell-O sgd!
you're hair is all in a singein' !''
sgd drew back from the lamp in
dismay, and this unexpected move
ment brough' the drop of hot wax
Dave had designed for the fowl full
upon his hand.
"Oh! whewp' Sgd dropped the bird
and struck the lamp and overturned
it so violently that the chimney was
broken to fragments. Some Of the
oil escaped, and in an instant Syd's
open book lying upon the carpet,Was
in blaze.
The boys sprang to their feet.
David caught up the lamp, and
though the oil upon the outside Of
it had taken fire and the fame was
down upon his hand, held it
firmly, while he and Sgd blew furi-
ously to put it out. Bob and Mark
stood looking on in perfect bewil-
derment, not able to collect their
scattered senses sufficiently to do
for the moment, and the
burning book was left unheeded upon
the floor until the lamp was put out.
Just then one of its fiery leaves fell
upon the old candlestick and an ex-
plosion followed that seemed to
shake the house.
"Oh!' it's the powder 1 put in for
a cannon" shouted Bob, in terrified
explanation. And then, the mis-
chief being done, Mark bethought
him to dash a pitcher Of water over
the handful Of flaming paper left.
The noise brought the frightened
Jimmy from the next room, and the
father, mother and Nancy, with
alarmed and astonished faces, came
hurrying up from below. An odd
scene the room presented, the wet
carpet strewn with bits of brass, burnt
paper, and broken glass, while a
odor of kerosene, powder,
and scorched feathers filled the air.
The five boys were grouped together
in silent amazement, and Mrs. Cur
ney's first glance assured her that
they had neither murdered each
other nor committed suicide.
"What on earth is the matterp
she calculated, tremulOusly.
Bob surveyed the wreck by the
light the new corners had brought,
and recovered his voice.
"Candlestick's gone to smash, and
it's no go about keepin' secret, an
slippin' down in our stockin's, and
all that" he said. "Might as well
tell all about it, cause 1 guess this
things about as much of a surprise
now as it ever will be-"
'tAll about it, was accordingly
told, though very cOnfusedly, and in
many different parts, as one speaker
broke in upon another with explana
lions and amendments. Mr.. Gurney
.nterpolated grave admonitions
against the careless use of powder,
while Mrs. .Gurney's grateful thought
kept Ginning in like a refrain;
what a mercy the lamp din't ex-
ploder'
eyes; the candlestick's doin' it
was bad enough" said Nancy, gath
sring up the fragments and hurrying
away with them. Bob's eyes follow
ed her, regretfully.
"It's most a pity it couldn't have
been a cannon, though. Wouldn't
it have been a roarer~ he murmur-
ed, when the household had dispers-
ed once more, and his head sought
its pillow.
"Most a wonder they don't blow
US all up some time, seein' there's so
many boys of 'em all together, an
into everything under the sun" com
mented Nancy, resignedly.
The mother shuddered.
al was almost fretting because
there's so many of theml What if
some dreadful thing had happenedY
she whispered to herself, and train
Of woeful mighthave-b beens kept her
for hours. Treasures of
fancy work were forgotten, and the
Did plain life seemed very fair as she
awoke to it the next morning, and
remembered that it was still her own,
unchanged.
1t is strange, sometimes, that
which would only move us to laugh
ier one hour, has grown suddenly
pathetic the next. That poor owl
was certainly comical-looking OBJ
ect-Iegless, eyeless, a huge patch
Of green sealing wax on its back, its
scorched on one side and
soaked with kerosene on the other
but Mrs. Gurney scanned it with
5earful eyes and laid it away tender
". She threw the old parlor open