The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1873-05-22

Tie man looked at his son proudly,
sternivs sorrowfully- The lad locked
into his fathers face sadlys eyultingly,
It was a living tablet no artist could
REPRODUCE. Billy, said the father,
gravely. Il took yoIr mother and SIS
terte church yesterday. g, sir.
sand left you TO see to the things"
Eyes, sir, replied the boy, gsszlng out
through the window at tile flicker as il
hitehed down the gate post, and finally
dropped into the grass with shri1
chirb. sand you didn't water the
pigs?" 0-o-0s Oh, sir Geerodyl Oh,
me Lawsy, lasysy, mel' The slen
der scion. of an apple tree rose and fell
in the hand Of Mr. Coulter, aud up from
the Jacket of the lad, Ike incense from
an altar, rose a cloud Of dust mingled
with the nap Of jeans. Down in the
young clover of the meadow the lark
and sparrows sang cheerfully, the gnats
and flies danced up and down in the
sunshine, the fresh soft leaves of the
vine rustled, and all was merry indeed.
Billy's eyes turned mp towards the face
of mis- father in agony, but still with
sharp hiss the switch cut the air, falling
steadily and mereilessly on his shOul-
ders. And along the green banks of
the river the willows shook their shiny
fingers at the lifting fog, and the voices
of children going to school smote the
sweet May wind. sob, pap, III not
forget the pigs no mOrei !" 'Spect you
won't Heather'' The wind by sud-
den puff lifted into the room a shower
of white bloom petals from q sweet ap-
pie tree, letting them fall gracefully
upon the patchwork carpet, the while
a plow-man whistled plaintively in a
distant field. "Outch! Crackee! oh
pap, pap - "Shut yOlr mouth. or IL
split Won to the backbone" How many
delightful places in the woods, how
many cool spots beside the murmuring
river would have been more pleasant to
Billy than the place he then occupied.
''Oh, mel Oh, mem yelled the lad.
Still the dust rose and danced in the
slanting Jet of the sunlight that fell
across the room, and the hens out on
the barn cackled and sang for joy over
new laid eggs in choice places. at one
time during the falling Of the rod the
girl quit washing, and thrusting her
head into the kitchen, said in subdued
tone, "My land, ain't Billy gitten' am
awful oner' "You're mighty right"
replied the mother solemnly. Mr.. COul-
ter tiptoed at every stroke. The switch
actually screamed through the air as it
fell. Billy danced. NOW go, sir"
cried the man, tossing the frizzled
500 now, and the next time you water
them pigs And, while the finch
poured out a cataract of melody from
the locust, he went. Poor bOyi that
was a terrible thrashing, and to make it
worse, it had been promised him the
evening before, so that he had been
dreading it and shiveriRg over it all
night. Now, as he walked through the
breakfast room, his sister looked at
him in a commissioning way, but, on
passing through the kitchen, he could
not catch the eye of his mother. FL
nally he stood in the free, open air, in
front of the saddle closet. 1t was just
then speckled rooster on the barn
yard fence Topped his wings and
crowed Vociferously. A turkey cock
was strutting upon the grass by the old
cherry tree. Billy opened the door of
the closet. GA boys will is the
winds will, and the thoughts of the
youth are long, long thoughts" Billy
peeped into the closet, and then cast a
glance about him, as if 10 see if any
thing was near. At length, during
pleasant lull in the morning wind,
and while the low, tender, mellow flow
of the river was distinctly audible, and
the song of the finch increased in vol
ume, and the bleating of new lambs in
the meadow died in fluttering echoes
under the barn, and while the fragrance
of apple blooms grew fainter, and while
the sun, flaming just above the eastern
tree-tops, launched.a shower over him
from head to foot, he took from his
jacket behind double sheepskin,
which, with an inefable smile, he
tossed into the closet. Then, as the yell
low flicker rose rapidly from the grass,
Billy walked off, whistling the air of
that once popular ballad:
''Oh, give me back my fifteen eents.''