The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1875-09-30
Kites and MoIasses.

Kites and NIo1asses.
Wyatt and Snaps were cousins their
fathers were brothers. Snaps real name
was Horace Brownell but when he was
very little fellow, without suspenders,
he took to living almost entirely on gin
ger-snaps.
So his papa, who was a 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 Fanny,
commenced calling him Snaps, because
they always tried to initiate mamma, ex-
cept when she did such things as mend
ing and busting. Then Mamie's and
Fanny's playmates said Snaps instead 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 like az
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, how
ever-went on April-fools' day. Then
some of it went kiting. 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- EN-
Gas they called the mucilage), and great
deal of strong string. I don't know but
that they expected their kites to fly to
the moon. They were very handsome
affairs when finished. Wyatt's had
gilt star blazing like gold in the center;
while Snaps carried crescent moon in
silver.
The flying of the kites took place one
bright Saturday morning at o'clock,
amid the assembled boys and girls of the
village. You would have thought, from
the eager talk and the eager faces, that
two balloons were going up from the
square, for the spectators were by no
in their shop-doors, and even on the
square; while women waited on the side
walks or gazed from their windows.
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 out
doors 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 girl's-for Snaps and Wy
att let all the children take turns, until
all had felt the strong pull of the mon
sters.
When / tell you how Wyatt and Snaps
spent the next money, / think you will
laugh. They invested it in razor and
shaving -soap. What for? Well, they
wanted some whiskers, you see.
After this investment, each Of the CAPT
talists bought bottle of cologne. The
following day, Wyatt said, as the two
were walking home from school: ct say,
Snaps, isn't that Bob Davidson the lean
est, hollow-eyedst Teller that your eyes
ever lit on?
"He is so and I'll tell you what It's,
Wyatt" Snaps said, g. don't believe he
gets enough to eat. He always looks
hungry to me. -
Let's treat him, said Wyatt briskly. |
:" Say we do" Snaps answered just as
briskly.
"Hello, Bob! come here" Wyatt
called back to Bob, who was walking be-
hind them. "Conle into this grocery
we're going to treat YOU
Claw is yer?" said Bob, coming up
on trot, grinning all over. "You ail's |
mighty commentator I"
Bob Davidson was black boy, you
understand
The three boys stepped into the store.
"What'l you take? 2" Wyatt asked.
g What do you like best?"
Bob rolled his great white eyes al I
about the store, among the boxes and
barrels and baskets. Then he turned |
them up to the ceiling In profound med I
itation Then he studied the floor, and |
again looked all around the store, his
lank body slowly revolving as on pivot.
..What'n you take 2" Snaps reported. |
sWhat do you like best 2"
Bob, as if about to take fatal plunge,
drew long breath, rolled his eyes from
the boys to the smiling shopman, smack
ed his lips, giggled, and answered,
$ 'Lasses."
Wyatt and Snaps burst out laughing
but they had the grocer fill Bob's dinner
pail with the thing he liked best. From
g -HoaO 1t Vent" By Sarah W5nter
Kellogg, st. Nicholas for October.