The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1876-09-08
Miscellaneous.
How Ton Sawyer got his Fence White
washed
lFfOm MARK rwalo's uupublighed book, ,'Thc Advcn.
lures Of Tom Sawycr'1


Ton Sawyer having offended his sole
guardian, Aunt Polly, is by that sternly-af-
fectionate dame punished by being set TO
whitewash the fence in front Of the garden.
The world seemed a hollow mockery to Tom,
who had planned fun for that day, and who
knew that they would be the laughing stock
ofsll the boys as they came past and saw
him set to work like a niger But a
great inspiration burst upon him and he went
TRANQUILITY to work. What that inspiration
WAS will appear from what follows, One OF
the boys, Ben Rogers, comes by and pauses,
eating particularly fine apple. Tom does
not see him. Ben stared a moment and then
said:
"iii-yi You're up a stump, amt you7,
No answer. Tom surveyed his last touch
with the aye of an artist, then he gave an
other gentle sweep, and surveyed tho result,
IA before. Ben ranged up alongside of him.
Toms mouth watered for the apple, but he
stuck to his work. Ben said:
"Hello, old chap; you got to work,
hcypr ".t
"Why, it's you, Ben I wasn't noticing"
"Say, I'm going in swimming am. Don't
you wish you could? But, of course, you'd
druther work, wouldn't you? Course you
wouldp Tom contemplated the boy bit,
and said "What do you call work ?"
"Why, amt that work ?''
Tom resumed his wbiewashing, and au-
swered carelessly:
swell, maybe 1t is, and maybe it amt.
All know is, it suits Tom Sawyer"
''oh, come now, you don't mean to let on
that you like it?"
The brush continued to move.
Like III Well don't see why oughn't
to like it. Does boy get chance to white-
wash a fence every day?'
That put the thing in a new light. Ben
stopped nbbling the apple. Tom swepthis
brush daintily back and forth-stepped back
to note the effect-adjed touch here and
there-critcised the effect again, Ben watch
ing every move and getting more interested
more and more absorbed. Presently he
said: gH
"Say, Tom, let me whitewash little"
Tom considered was about to consent,
but ho altered his mind ''No no reckon
1t wouldn't hardly do, Ben. You see, Aunt
Poily's awful particular about tn Is fence
right here on the street, you know--but if it
was on the back fence | wouldn't mind, and
she wouldn't Yes, she's awful particular
ahnu H.,
careful reckon there amt one boy in a
thousand, maybe two thousand, that can do
1t the way it's got to be DONE"
"No--is that so3 Oh, come now lemme
just try, only just little. I'd let you, if
you was me, Tom"
Ben I'd like to, honest Injun; but Aunt
POlly-well, Jim wanted to do it, but she
wouldn't let him. Sid wanted to do it, but
she wouldn't let Sid. Now, don't you see
how am fixed /? Ifyou was to tackle this
fence, anything was to happen to it"---"Oh
shucks I'll be just as carefnl. Now lemme
try. Say-'I'll give you the co,e of my
APPLE"
"Well, here. No, Ben; now don't i'm
afeared'-- ---,
"Pll give you all Of it p
Tom gave up the brush with reluctance
In his face, but alacrity in his heart. And
while Ben worked and sweated in the sun,
the retired artist sat on barrel in the shade
close by dangling his legs, munched his ap-
pie, and planned the slaughter of more in.
nocents. There was no lack of material
boys happened along every little while; they
came to jest but remained to whitewash. BY
the time Ben was tagged out Tom had trad
ell the next chance to Billy Fisher for kite
in good repair and when he played out,
Jonney Miller brought in for dead rat and
string to swing it with and so on, and so
on, hour after hour. And when the middle
of the afternoon came, from being poor
poverty stricken boy in the morning, Tom
was literally rolling in wealth. He had,
beside the things l have mentioned, twelve
marbles, part OF a ajewsharp, piece of blue
bottle glass to look through, spool cannon,
key that wouldn't unlock anything, a frag.
ment of chalk, glass stopper of decanter,
tin soldier, a couple of tadpoles, six fire.
crackers, kitten with only one eye, brass
doOr-knob, dog collar-but no dog-the
handle of knife, four peices of orange
peel and dilapidated old window sash. He
had had nice, good, idle time all the while
plenty of company-and the fence had
three coats of whitewash on it If he hadn't
run out of whitewash he would have bank
rupted every boy in the village.