Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1873-08-27
Our Young Folks.
THE BOYS INDEPENDENCE.
BY KATE w. HAMILTON.

long talked-of journey, and Clara had left
Inc piazza and returned to the parlor fol
lowed by nearly all her little flock. Ted
ana Fenny, however, went back to the
board they had pushed through the gar
den fence, in the shade of an old apple
tree-"the best see-saw in the country
as they positively affirmed
How 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 &C.
cupied lowly seat upon the ground.
Bout a 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 a few min
utes.
Sort of nice, eh ?'' said Ted.
Prime" responded Fenny.
Il don't mean the see-saw. T mean
about their being away" explained Ted,
suspecting a 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.
eve can do lots of things, and all that
suggested Ted.
eyes," responded Fenny once more,
vaguly wondering what things, and why
this should be any better time than usual
for doing them.
"Of course, | 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 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
eyes. I'd do lots Of things for Clara,
cause [ like her frst-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 haze to, you see'
Fenny did see. His blue eyes usually
black ones did, and he felt at least two
inches taller than usual when he
went back to the house. It 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'treally have
to do it; and Fenny walked about with
his hands in his pockets and was quite
condescending 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.
"Pll see about it,'' answered Fenny,
leisurely. "Well, yes. I don't know as |
care about doing anything else just now.
l'u 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 ali, they began naturally to
watch for a grievance, and, in fact, to
|
| they didn't want their brave resolutions
wasted. Something to be offended at is
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 visit to Aunt Mary,
who lived nearly mile over the hill.
eve needn't never mind asking. We
might just go some day. Course, we've a
right to-" Ted had remarked, when Daisy
came running out
ooh. Fenny, Clara wants you to 90
right over to Mrs. Mills, you and Ted,
and''-
II don't care about going" said Ted,
coolly
Daisy's eyes opened wide. "Why-
Clara said SO! Oh! yes, Fenny, you must,
cause she wants you to tell her that
II don't want to run errands all the
time for everybody, and don't mean to
co. interrupted Fenny, crosby and,
leaving his seat on the step, he hurried
down the walk, followed by Ted, while
Daisy gazed after them in establishment.
"Fenny! Tedp' 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 II don't know
whatwe're walking way off here for,' he
| said "a No..
Ted did not know, either. He, kicked
a small stone from its earthly bed with the
toe of his boot, pulled a blade of grass
and tore it in pieces, and finally sug-
| gested: vols laaS3
"S'pose we go to the barn and see if we
can find any new hens nests, you know
Fenny 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 was ali
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 Charles voice. It was
odd, but both Ted and Fenny lodged sud