The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1874-09-10
Ben Spinner Relates His Dream.

There was an argument last night by
father and by Uncle Ben about the fire
crackers, which my Uncle Ben said he had
read in Detroit paper that the Abolition
lists was going to do away with them on
the HOLIDAYS, on account of their danger
business about fire. Then | heard my IA
ther say he, for one, was sorry, because
he was a bOv once himself, and knew how
it went: and my Uncle Ben, which it is
always Just like him, said he, for another
one, was glad. | would given jest then
all the money | have got saved up If L
could of slipped a whole pack under his
heels behind him. 1t was nay bad luck
for to be named for my uncle when | was
small. and don't like it, but it is one of
that kind o. things that nobody car help; (;
and neither can |, and so what is the use
to fret? But, any how, the more | see of
the cross ways of a certain kinfOlks that |
have got the greater | would like to have
some other name than Benjamin if you
please. That's what kind of Il hair-pIn
am. But they kept on talking about
fire-crackers and things, and had little
loose time afOre bedtime to listen. l knew
well enough that it was no put in OF my
oar, but there was no objection IT L kept
nv ears open. if | did have to keep my
cIlll Slill anu 81 llN utlClC llJ NttlNN'l OuA
ward through his nose and got worked up
so desperate red-hOt that | thought surely
he would 90 off into some spaSmS about
nothing. | don't like to see people have
fits. but | wish he had just few. 1t was
a trifling firecracker, he said, as burned up
Portland and Memphis and dead loads OF
other cities and towns and they would
keep on a burning up places till the whole
United States would be all in the country
again like it was when Christopher Col
umbus lived here But, finally, father got
tired of that sort of music and told him he
had better take some vermifuge for his
worms and 90 TO bed; and | thought so
too. and so | got cooked out and went to
bed myself; but didn't take no vermi-
| fuge i'm mine. So I-laid in bed and thought
over what Uncle Ben said about a fire
cracker would some day burn up Louis
Vile: which | would only like to see il
| tried on while the Watkins and the ellis
| and the Leech and the Levi and the rest OF
the engines, also the hooks and ladders
are around. Ii sounded TO ne like that
kind of talk was all stuffed nonsense.
| But by and by went into a hard sleep
and dreamed that had gone into store
| for to buy Roman candle and some rock
cts. and was in such a dreadful hurry TO
fire the candle that it went off atOre L got
out of doors, and set fire to box of tor
pedOes and barrel of serpents, and big
! powder can; then the whole business
| blowed up and sent me ten times higher'n
the City Hall clock; and when L came
down Twas wide awake. But | was lying
with nv shoulders on the floor and my
legs in bed all tangled up in the 'squlto
bar. and nv nose was skinned dreadful
where 1 had scraped it against the bed
post. But it was fun enough while it last
ed, and all right but the noise, and just 50
the Abolitionists will keep their hands of
the fire-cracker business | don't care a
cent Ben SPINNER.-LouisUiLLe Courier
| Journal.