American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1873-08-30
Youths Department.
THE BOYS INDEPENDENCE.
BY KATE W. HAMILTON.

BY KATE W. HAMILTON.
The carr iage rolled away down the
| road, and the last flrtter of waving hand
kerchiefs was hidden by the trees. Father
and mother were fairly started on theiI
long talked-of journey, and Clara had left
the piazza and returned to the parlor, fol
lowed by nearly all her little flock. Ted
and Fenny, however, went back to the
board they had pushed through the gar
den fence, in the shade of an old apple
| trec-'the best seesaw in the country
as they positively affirmed.
Glow long'll they be gone ?" questioned
Ted, mounted on his end of the board,
which was quite up in the world, and
peering over the fence at Fenny, who oc-
cupied lowlY seat upon the ground.
| "'Bout Il week, =" answered Fenny sud
denly rising high in the air, and looking
in his turn upon Ted in the valley.
The black head and the yellow one
were pretty evenly balanced, and bobbed
up and down in silence for few min
| utes.
"Sort of nice, eh?' said Ted
Prime" responded Fcnny.
II don't mean the see-saw l mean
about their being away" explained Ted,
suspccting n misunderstanding from
Fenny's promptness.
"Oh.-yes," said Fenny, though he
knew of no reason for saying so except
his general fashion of agreeing to his
cousins propositions.
1--WE can do lots of things, and all that
suggested Ted.
"Yes," responded Fenny once more,
vaguly wondering what things, and why
this should be any better time than usual
for doing them.
''Of course, l don't mean bad things :;
but fellow likes to be independent once
in a while, and not have to ask about
everything all the time" remarked Ted,
with lofty air, that nearly cost him his
seat as his end of the board suddenly de-
scended
"'Course," responded Fenny, admiring-
ly. Independent was a nice word and
sounded beautifully There's Clara, he
added, rather hesitatingly.
"Well Clara's only your sister,
"Clara's tip-top, though" urged Fenny,
loyalty, remembering numerous stories,
kite-tails, and mended balls.
Yes. I'd do lots of things for Clara,
cause like her first-rate," said Ted, gra-
ciously. But, then, if she'd ever tell us
to do something and we didn't want to do
it, why, we wouldn't hare to, you see''
Fenny did see. His blue eyes usually
saw, sooner or later, whatever his cousins
black ones did, and he felt at least two
inches taller than usual when he
went back to the house. 1t was
vacation and there were no lessons
to be learned and Clara's style of
ruling was, generally, to help the children
do whatever they wanted to do, so far as it
was possible; but, then, if she should hap
pen to tell him or Ted to do something
they didn't like, they wouldn't really have
to do it; and Fenny walked about with
his hands in his pockets and was quite
condesccnding in his manner toward
Clara.
Would you mind going to the garden
and picking few raspberries for dinner
Fenny?" asked Clara, in her pleasant
way.
"I'll see about it," answered Fenny,
leisurely. "Well, yes. 1 don't know as l
care about doing anything else just now.
Pill go if you want 'em particularly.
Come along Ted"
Clara laughed; but she wondered often
during that day and the next what new
notion had taken possession of those two
small heads. She was amused at the pat
ronizing way in which she was treated
but she made no remark about it.
Having made up their minds that some
body might try to impose upon them, and
that if somebody did they wouldn't sub
nit to it at all, they began naturally to
watch for Il grievance, and, in fact, to
rather hope it would come; for, of course,
they didn't want their brave resolutions
the easiest thing in the world to catch
when any one fixes nice line, hook, and
bait and Just sits down to fish for it. So
by the third morning the boys found an
opportunity for their declaration of indie
pendence. They were sitting on the
piazza talking of n visit to Aunt Mary,
who lived nearly mile over the hill.
1--WE needn't never mind asking. We
might just go some day. Course, we've a
ri orb To Ted had rom r< al when I)1jSyr
came running out
"Oh! Fenny, Clara wants you to go
right over to Mrs. Mills, you and Ted,
and'-
Il don't care about going" said Ted,
coolly.
Daisy's eyes opened wide. why
Clara said sol Oh! yes, Fenny, you must,
cause she wants you to tell her that"
81 don't want to run errandS all the |
time for everybody, and 1 don't mean to
CO." interrupted Fenny, Grossly; and
leaving his seat on the step, he hurried
down the walk, followed by Ted. while
Daisy gazed after them in establishment |
"Fenny! Tedr' she called, then turned
and ran into the house; and in moment
they heard Clara's voice calling to them
from the window. They neither stopped |
nor looked back, however; but both walk |
ed on as if they had not heard.
Fenny paused little irresolutely when |
they had passed quite out of the yard and
into the garden, where the waving corn
hid them from the house. Il don't know |
what we're walking way off here for,' he
said.
Ted did not know, either. lie kicked !
a small stone from its earthly bed with the
toe of his boot, pulled Il blade of grass
and tore it in pieces, and finally sug-
gestcd:
sS'pose we go to the barn and see if we
can find any new hens nests, you know"
Fennv assented, not because of any
great interest in the nests, but because he
did not know what else to do. Showing
his independence and not doing anything
that it did not please him to do all
very nice; but he could not feel quite
comfortable about going back to the house
and meeting Clara's eyes. The barn offer
ed an asylum, and they walked slowly in
that direction, and had nearly reached the
door when they heard their names called
again, this time by Charities voice. 1t was
odd, but both Ted and Fenny lodged sud
denly out of sight at one side of the build
ing, as if they were cuIprits ashamed to
be seen, instead of independent boys, with
a perfect right to do just as they chose
Charlie called again, and, receiving no
answer, passed around behind the barn, to
see if he could find them. AS he did so,
they crcpt out in front again, and slipped
in at the open door, laughing little and
whispering softly they hid in the hay;
for being hunted added a little fun and
excitement to the affair. They heard
Daisy's small feet come running out after
Charlie, and, cautiously peeping out of
their nook, saw both Daisy and Charlie
come to the open door and look in; but