Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1875-10-13

Were fighting for the crown;
The lion beat the unicorn
All about the town.
Kites und Molasses.
BY SARAH WINTER KELLOGG.
Wyatt and Snaps were cousins-their
fathers were brothers. Snaps real
name was Horace Brownell. but when
he was little fellow without suspend
ers, he took to living almost entirely on
ginger-snaps
SO his papa, who was joker, began
calling him Snaps; and then his mother
took to calling him Snaps, because she
was very apt to do what his papa did.
Then his sisters, Mamie and Fannie.
commenced calling him Snaps, because
they always tried to initiate mamma,
except when she did such things as
busting and mending. Then Mamie's
and Fanny's playmates said Snaps in
stead of Horace; and so the matter
grew until everybody called him Snaps,
and almost nobody remembered that he
had any other name.
The winter that Snaps was twelve
years old, his father agreed to pay him
eight dollars for the job of keeping the
walks about the house cleared of snow
When Snaps told his cousin Wyatt
about this agreement, Wyatt insisted
upon making with his father a like ar
rangement.
Thus it came to pass, that about the
last of March each of the cousins had
the magnificent sum of eight dollars.
The question for us to consider is, how
it went.
Of course, some of it-not much,
however-went on April-fools' day.
Then some of it went kting. Spring
brings kites just as surely as it brings
swallows. Snaps and Wyatt undertook
to get up some fancy rigs-''Great
Easterns'' they were to be among kites.
They were to be nearly as large as Mr..
Showers barn-door, which was very
large door. The boys got carpenter
to make the kite frames. Then they
bought some strong, handsome paper,
some gum-stick- 'em Gas they called the
mucilage), and great deal of strong
string. I don't know but that they ex-
pected their kites to fly to the moon.
They were very handsome affairs when
finished. WAITS had gilt star
blazing like gold in the center; while
Snaps carried acrescentmoon in silver.
The flying of the kites took place one
bright Saturday morning at nine
o'clock, amid the assembled boys and
eh eS 81 ire Rom 5ags r9a anu e age
faces, that two balloons were going up
from the Square, for the spectators
we're by no means confined to children.
Men stood in their shop doors, and even
on the Square; while women waited on
dows.
The kites behaved beautifully. They
rose gracefully and steadily up and up
and up, looking, with their scarlet and
gold, like two magnificent tropical
birds. One could scarcely put his
head outdoors that day without seeing
those bright wings sailing against the
sky, and each time, doubtless, at the
end of the string, was different pair
Of hands-now boys, now girls s.
for Snaps and Wyatt let all the children
take turns, until all had felt the strong
pull Of the monsters.
When I tell you how Wyast and
Snaps spent the next money, I think
you will laugh. They invested it in a
razor and some shaving soap. What
for? Well, they wanted some whiskers,
you see.
After this investment, each of the
capitalists bought bottle of cologne.
The following day, Wyatt, said as the
two we're walking home from school:
81 say, Snaps isn't that Bob Davidson
the leanest, hollow-eyedest Teller that
your eyes ever lit on?"
"He is so; and I'll tell you what t is,
Wyatt, Snaps said, ct don't believe he
gets enough to eat. He always looks
hungry to me-"
Lets treat him, y said Wyatt, brisk
~.
''Say we do" Snaps answered just as
briskly.
"Hello, Bob! come here!" Wyatt
called back to Bob, who was walking
behind them. ssCome into this grocery;
we're going to treat YOU
claw is yer?" said Bob, coming up
on a trot, grinning all over. 'fYou all's
mighty commerdatin'.
Bob Davidson was black boy, you
understand.
The three boys stepped into the
store.
"Whatu you take?" Wyatt asked.
"What do you like best2"
Bob rolled his great white eyes all
about the store. among the boxes and
barrels and baskets. Then he turned
them up to the ceiling in pro-
found meditation, Then he studied
the floor, and again looked all around
the store, his lank body slowly revolving
as ON pivot.
"What'Il you takea" Snaps repeated.
s'What do you like best!"
Bob, as ii about to take fatal plunge,
drew long breath, rolled his eyes from
the boys to the smiling shopman,
smacked bis lips, giggled, and an
swered, g 'Lasses."
| Wyatt and Snaps burst out laughing;
but they had the grocer fill Bob's din
ner-pail with the thing he liked best.
1--WE don't owe that house anything, .
said produce merchant, locking puz.
zled over letter from the West. 1--WE
have rendered account of sales of all