Bradford opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1874-1881, 1876-01-29
MY FIRST HUNT.
A Boys Story.

| "A ooy 0tO1y,
My name is Jasper Cooper. l wa
not a model boy. Ny share of origina
sin was q liberal one, and between th
good and evil in me, the balance, I an
sorry to say, very often bent the wronl
way. For the benefit of others, an
going to make particular confession IL
one instance, and show how my bad con
duct brought me trouble and lasting re
pentance.
On my thirteenth birthday l received
two presents that made me feel prout
and rich. One was small gun from my
Uncle Philip, with plenty of powder ant
shot. 1t was accompanied with Tho
timely caution, "that firearms were dan
gerous weapons unless very carefully
handled" The other gift was fine
spaniel from my father.
The boy is rare one whose happiness
is not complete with gun and dog
and was not one of the rare ones.
A week later, one bright, cool autumn
morning, as I was standing by the gate
just after breakfast, Nathan Bagley, an
intimate friend of mine, though little
older than myself, came along and &C.
costed me.
"Good morning, Jasper. So you are
getting up in the world. They say that
you've got gun and dog"
81 suppose that's so I" l answered,
with pride and pleasure.
Nathan laughed at my very apparent
satisfaction, and said /" Look here, I'm
going hunting in Blake's woods this
afternoon. Come, go with me. There's
plenty of small game there. Well have
bagful before night.
81 can't. l must go to school,"
"Get excused. You can do that easy
enough"
"No. Mr.. Lowe won't excuse schol-
ars without note from one of their
parents, and father is out of town."
"Your mother will write one for you"
"She's been sick two days and can't
sit up"
Nathan looked disappointed. "Look
here, Jasper" he said, after thinking a
moment, "yon're sharp enough. You
can contrive way to 60, | know. I'll
be ready just after dinner"
Nathan went home, and I went into
the house. To be called "sharp" was
a compliment that weighed more with
me in my tempted state of mind than
any fears of doing wrong. I wanted to
go hunting, and my whole thought was
how could contrive to go. 1t was i'm
possible to get a note, requesting q re-
lease from school duties, from either of
my parents, and what would do as a sub.
stitute2"
Suddenly the thought came Why
not write note yourself, and sign your
fathers name9 I was an Indifferent
speller, but a good penman, and was
certain I could counterfeit my fathers
handwriting.
l searched his desk and found an ac-
count book that had been written by
him. This I placed on the table before
me in my room, and for full half an hour
l was completely engrossed in attempts
to initiate the chirography. succeeded
at last las 1 thought remarkably well,
and produced neat, carefully worded
note, so complete counterfeit that I
was sure Mr.. Lowe would never doubt
its genuineness.
Ny chief difficulty, however, was in
the signature. was puzzled to decide
exactly how father wrote his name at
the bottom of his letters. 1 had brought
him letters from the post-office directed
"Mr. Asa Cooper" Hon. Asa Cooper"
and CASA Cooper, Esq. )" but whether
he would put one of t',ese titles to his
own signature was a question I could
not settle. I tried to find some OF his
old letters to guide me, but the three
had received from him while I was at
Uncle Phillips had been mislaid or de-
stroyed. After much deliberation, I
wrote as follows:
"MR. LOWE: Dear .Sir,-Will yon
Oblige me by excusing my son Jasper
from school this P. M. his studies are
wearing upon him, and think he needs
more open air aud xercise.
every Truly Yours,
"HoN. ASA COOPER"
1 read this three times, to be sure
there was no inaccuracy in it. The capi-
tails and punctuation seemed to me to
be correct, and on the whole, 1 was very
well satisfied with my production. I
took my hat and books and hurried to
school.
just after the morning session pre-
sented my note to Mr.. Lowe, and watched
him narrowly as he read it. 1 noticed
that faint smile stole over his face, but
as he gave me without question the per-
mission desired, supposed he had no
d"r't ~ -" "'"~ui~o~nss. Home 1 went,
jubilant eli. .ol. ate hurried dinner ;
called my dog and with my new gun
on my shoulder, started to find my
friend Nathan. He was expecting me.
"How did you get excused from
school9" he earnestly inquired.
"Oh, easy enough. / wrote a note
and signed fathers name to it, and it
took the master in completely"
"You're sharp one," said Nathan
again.
We soon reached the woods. The
trees were Just tinged with the gold and
purple of autumn, and every now and |
then bird or squirrel was seen hop
ping from branch to branch. Nathan
fred at a bluejay, and though it did not |
drop to the ground, as he confidently
one of its tail feathers did,
which convinced him that he had almost
made ga good shot," His next was
better. He killed a woodpecker, and |
considered it quite an achievement.
Why don't you let drive at some
fhipgi" said he. "There are plenty of |
birds"