The Vancouver independent. (Vancouver, W.T. [Wash.]) 1875-1910, 1877-10-25
Chad and Seth.

though Cbad's father was a lawyer. and
Seth's was blacksmith. But, then, the
one was a very good blacksmith, and the
other very poor lawyer, and this lessened
the social gap.
There was an opinion floating about
the village that Chad and Seth were bad
boys. But the evidence for this was very
intangible. People were ready enough
to pronounce them "a pair Of precious
Young rascals," but when man was
asked for an instance of their rascality,
he could assert nothing more definite than
that they were always up to some mis-
chief.
The truth of the matter was that Chad
and Seth were two young democrats, full
to the brim of life and spilit, who liked
fun better than anything else. Indeed,
they considered fun the chief end of
boys. They sometimes pursued it thought
lessly, perhaps recklessly, and often vie-
lated the properties in its pursuit. But
there was nothing mean about these two
bows. To use Chad's favorite word they
were not sneaks. They were fair on the
play ground, often generous, and, Seth es-
pecially, had a soft spot under his sooty
Little boys and ''them girls" knew very
well their knight.
Chad and Seth were near the same age
Just turned thirteen.
The worst thing l knew about Seth
was that he didn't keep his hands and
face clean. As for Chad, the greatest
fault found with him was that he per-
sisted in his companionship with Seth,
when he knew that his mother would
have preferred him to look higher for a
friend.
His mother had raised no serious OBJ
lection 10 the association, but Chad knew
her preferences, and should have respected
them. But Seth had great fascination
for Chad. He was more important fac
tor IN Chad's enjoyment than all the
other boys in the village combined.
But his fathers blacksmith, "Chad's
mother said one day.
Glow can Seth help what his father isl'
Chad asked warmly. If we boys had
the bossing of our fathers, Seth might
have had his lawyer, and I'd had mine
a blacksmith. I'd rather be blacksmith
any day than a lawyer. A lawyer don t
do anything that know of except to
read old papers, and then go to the court
room and speak his piece. l hate to read
writing, and dent like to speak pieces,
any way, if there are girls. But black
smiths works jolly-blowing his big
bellows till the forge is red and splendid.
l love to see the red-hot irons, and to hear
the hammer ring on the anvil, and to see
the sparks fly, and the strong iron bend
just the way it's wanted TO. It's better u
fre-crackers and rockets; makes fellow
feel like giving three cheers and tiger.
And a blacksmith works with horses.
My sakes. | just wish | could be a
blacksmith. Say, may go, mother?'
Chad was teasing to GO and play with
Seth.
"Why, Chad, should think you'd feel
mortified to be seen with Seth. His
clothes are dirty and sometimes ragged"
the mother said.
IL amt goin' back on Seth for that"
said Chad, stoutly. He can't help it.
His mothers the one TO haul over the
Goals for that Any way, I'd like to wear
dirty clothes myself sometimes, stead of
being kept all the time starched and
ironed. could play lots better in old
clothes. You ought to see Seth play; he
Just pitches in,-rumblety tumblety. He
can turn the jolliest somersaults that ever
saw. I've seen him turn EN-, one after
another, all the way from the top to the
bottom of that big red sand-hill-don't
you knowl-by Squire Bowers's. Tell
me, mother, if l may 60"
I'm afraid Seth's bad boy; people
say he isl
ssHe amt bad" said Chad, warmly.
"He amt any sneak. Folks think if a
fellow don't stay in the house and read
all the time, he's bad. Seth amt any of
your sickly kind. He's the jolliest boy
in this town, and / can't have any fun
without Seth. That's all there is about
il. There isn't another boy to play with.
NowI"
There's Frank Finley" the mother
suggested.
frank Finleylr exclaimed Chad, with
. tone of contempt. "Why, mother, he's
the spooniest, the dumbest, the fnnikies',
the chickenest milksop that ever | saw.
He parts bis hair in the middle, and wears
curls stringing down bis back. All the