River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1873-10-21

HI tnls story Will be given true and
exact account of the Jimmyjohns' affair
with the gulls, also of the manner in
which Jimmy was turned out of the
little red house at the sea shore. The
account will begin at the time of their
leaving home. 1t will explain the
reason OF their going, and will, in fact,
tell everything that happened to them
ust exactly as it happened.
Mr.. Plummer, their father, had
bought some hay, at a place called
Stony Point, near the sea-shore and
one day he sent Ellis Payne, with the
OK cart. to finish making the hay and
bring it home Mr.. Plummer told Ellis
Payne that he himself should be riding
that way about noontime, and would
carry him a warm dinner. He started
Just after eating his own dinner Ellis
Payne's was put in six-qUart tin pail.
1t being Saturday, Mr.. Plummer took
the Jimmyjohns along. Their mother
said they might play at Stony Point till
Ellis Payne came home, and then ride
back on the hay. Mr.. Plummer was
going to the mill.
Now, the road turned off to the mill
a short distance before reaching Stony
Point, and Mr.. Plummer, TO save time,
told the Jimmyjohns they must Jump
out there, and carry the pail to Ellis
Payne, and he would keep on to the
mill, and then he could take in the
umbrella-man who was turning up that
same road. He stopped to have little
fun with the twins, jumped them out
OF the wagon, tried to guess which was
which, and, when told, turned them
round and round to mix them up, then
tried to guess again, and would have
tossed up a cent and said, "Heads,
this is Jimmy, tails, this is Johnny"
as he sometimes did, only that the
horse seemed in somewhat of a hurry.
Mr.. Plummer showed the little boys
scraggy tree, which grew on the edge
OF bank, near the shore, and told
them they would see the oxen as soon
as they turned the corner where that
tree grew One took hold on one side
of the pail, and the other on the other,
and in that way they walked along the
shore, keeping pretty close to the
bank. 1t took them only about five or
ten minutes to reach that tree, and
when the corner was turned, they saw
the oxen plainly, but could not see
Ellis Payne. They kept on, walking
more slowly, the way being more stony,
and at last came to the oxen Ellis
Payne was not there. The reason of
his not being there is as follows. Two
fields away from the shore stood a
small red house all alone by itself, IN
which lived an old woman with her
young grandson. The young grandson
fell from chamber window, and broke
a bone, and the old woman ran to the
shore screaming for help, and Ellis
Payne had left his work, and gone to
find out what was the matter.
The Jimmyiohns, seeing some oxen
at some distance along the shore,
thought perhaps those first oxen were
not the right ones, and kept on farther
to those other ones. They turned
down and walked quite near the water,
picking up pretty pebbles as they went
along, and now and then cookie shell
or scallop, or purple muscle. Some
of the shells were single, others in
pairs, which you could open like q
cracker. They had reason for pick.
ing up the scallops and muscles, which
there is no time to mention here.
Though after all, perhaps it may as
well be told here. Annetta Plummer
was going to have party, and she had
not enough scalloped shells to bake her
cakes in. The cookies were for Effie to
put in her arm basket. The JIMMY
johns picked up enough of all kinds to
fill their pockets, then took off their
hats and filled those. BY that time
they had come to the spot where the
oxen had stood. But no oxen were
there, then, and no man so there was
nothing better to do than to play in
the sand and sail clam shell boats in
the little pools. IL was warm day,
the water looked cool, and the little
Jimmies, as they beheld the ripping
waves, felt just like wading in. So it
was off with shoes and off with stock
ings, roll up trousers legs, and away
with run and shout and dash and
a splash and spatter. A little way
out from the shore there was a high
rock. Not so very, very high, lust the
right height to give them good seat /,
and they sat down there, feet in the
water, heads together, looking down
into the water, watching the fries dart.
ing about SO swiftly.
1t is just here that the gull mart az
the story comes in. Gulls are large
sea-birds. They live upon fish, and
they are their own fishermen. some
may call this the funny part of the
story, though those who are ever IN
such story may not call il the funny
part.
The white-winged gulls were fIyinp
about; it is a common thing, mt seaside
places, to see gulls flying about and
skimming over the water. Sometimes
they dip in their bills and take a fish.
The Jimmyjohns sat looking down.
keeping very still, SO as not 90 scare
the fries away. Just what the pulls
thought OF them, no one knows, and il
can never be known, for there is no
way Of finding out gull's thoughts.
which is pity, il would be so
curious 10 know just what they do
think about, and how they think IL.
Perhaps those that belong 10 this story
thought the two Jimmyjohns we're two
great fishes, exactly alike, or perhaps
they thought hair would be good TO
line nests with. But, whatever they
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