Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1874-07-04
Absent With Leave.

supper J. didn't sleep good al! night. had
miserable bad dreams. and kicked the bed
clothes all off sideways. 1t WAS not yet
daylicht. and the room was darker than
printers ink. 1t was almost darker than
shc IIcathcn Land had altogether forgot,
as usual. to fetch up some matches the
night before and, Christopher Columbus!
but I was sleepy. 1t was that time OF morn
ing when boy would good deal rather
sleep some more than not, and | wa, so
sleepy that it was with difficulty l. got out
of bed, also | knew how severely rough it
would 90 with me if rolled over into sleep
again, 50 got up first and rubbed my eyes
open afterwards, and then tried my best for
to find my trousers and my other sock.
1t was a curious thing happened in our
family that day, and couldn't get it in my
head what they meant by getting Inc up 50
early. Father seemed more kinder than
ever saw Rim before. and was good natured
all over, and not in spots like he used to be
on previous days. lie said that as was a
tolerahlc good boy yesterday might be re-
vsrded to goa fishing, and stay all day
and i'll didn't drive up the COW and saw
some wood before went, it would make no
difference. lie said lie would do it hisSelf
U.s. and by Well, then. some how couldn't
figure it out whether it was 4 Joke or not,
because knew that if there was Il man in
town ar was :; good judge of bad boy, my
father vas him. SoNc how | couldn' re-
member tia. | was any better yesterday than
the day before. but | t, ok his word FOR it,
rather than argue into Il JlisS. for knew
that to get to- goa fishing was too good a
thing for to lose So swa Moved up my
breakfast in harry and went over and bor-
rowed Ben Spinner from bis mother, ana
we were off like the piglt exp VS.. We
went through our orchard and Bla rs low
meadow land, and stopped TO thg otN sormS
close by Blake barn. They were ny 1'ih-
cent fat worms, and not iniri,at,: 10 DIS, De
cause the ground was 50 aMful rich aisl
mellow that it stands to reason. We 9pt
one of mothers new tomato cans icNsl iuli-
and then went On to Flint creek and Il team
engine in the rolling mill coulI!n't hnyn hex
us back 1t was that kind Of Il trautiul
May morning when everything is h.'shH
and silent as the church Of Il week dsy. The
fields and lanes were a quiet rs IA stone
quarry on Il Sunday, and the waters of
Flint creek was Stiler than CataW'ha in hot
ties in a dark cellar. However, wc soon
got to the best hole in Lonesome Bend and
throwed our lines III, and then i.sLsd, aud
fshcd, and fshed and it did seem TO me
(and it seemed so to Benz that ages would
roll before we could get bite.
1t is mighty hard work for two boys to
have to fish when they can't catch anything,
but then it would he glorious fun if they
didn't only get too tired The serious
trouble was with me and Ben, that VIC both
got dreadful weary; and when We had
tished onward long into dinner time, it came
to pass that both Of Us had forgot to fetch
along some dinner, and that was the very
worst thing Of the business: bat we stuck
it out until about o clock in the afternoon
and then voted to give up the job. We had
got chuck full Of fshcrnan's luck and was
resigned to quit, whether We could quit
even or not.
lsuppose that when General Sherman got
through with his march to the sea- that he
was abundantly tired and desperate cross.
But l know two boys which went on a
march to Flint creek of a May morning,
that was as tired a., he dared be and more
hungricr than his whole stalwar. crowd
and when them two boys finally rot to the
Kitchen of their homes, ii WAS a heaven Of
rest for them to anehor their pantaloons to
chair in, and hahn Of Glead to the pit of
their stomachS.
At cur house the blinds were shus and
The ree1ns nearly as dark as nay bedroom
;'aforc day The hired girl rai~ed,up her fin
ger at me and said, "IIist. Henry! don't
make noise, or YOU will disturb your ma
: and the baby" | said '.trhirh baby"
Then the girl told me had tiny. wee
brother, but he was orfu sweet what there
was of him. Well, know that boy is
boy, but then | know that boy can be
thunderstruck, and was hit hard lick
but was not Il going toput stop 20 n.y
appetite if there was trims in the house
told the maiden to please stop combing that
hair just eyerlaetingl, once, and to pan me
out what she had to eat II it wa. chicken.
| would take chicken. and if it was only
liver, would take liver. dust so she had
plenty Of it. didn' t Gaze bad nickel if i:
was hominy
When ] GOT started fair On my dinner,
then had time to think, and while was
simultaneously putting away them col!
,ictuas, then SAW how it MIS- that ] cot
leave to goa fishing, and why the governor
was so nlulgent to do the work up that
morning. 1t was q clear forethoughtcd up
thing to me.
1t is now long time since me and Ben
went out to Flint creek, and | am some
older now, but still belong to the Sunday
school and will stick to the truth, and say
that if father has ever driy up the COW, or
sawed lick Of wood in all that time, why.
then am Arab; and if he had said to me
once since, that | could so away and stay
all day, then | am a boy As is fond of
y grammar for study, which I'll be bowed
if am, and am glad that have Il good
u