The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1878-06-21
A Little Shavar

Littie shaver.
One Saturday afternoon, 7-year-old
tow-headed Guy Gray darts out of his
mothers kitchen and runs down the road
as fast as his small legs can carry him.
which is about as fast as any boy of his
size need wish to be carried. He does
not stop running till he comes in sight
of the house where Willie Jones lives
and sees Willie standing on the door
step. Then he slackens speed little in
order to get breath to scream out. CT
can stay MOURN a half-a MOURN a
ha-a-a-a-f."
Willie does not stir off the doorstep.
but says calmly, as Guy come up,
Good -
"Who's that little shaver?" CIV asks
as he sees behind Willie a chubby
checked boy with checkered apron and
striped stockings.
ooh, that's our new minister's bow
come down to stay all the afternoon. He
dc esn't know how to play anything in
particular.
"Whew! wish he was a fellow of
our size. Isn't he smart enough to learn
something?"
Don't know. We can try him."
"All right let's play L spy-that's
easy's ANYTHING. Say, Bub, think you
can play spy ?"
"I'm not Bub-Pm Johnny, and I'm
smarter'n l pears if 1 was" the little
fellow answers, looking down at his COP
per-toed shoes, and pouting his red lips.
"Well, then, little shaver" saws
Guy, eve got to see who's going to
blind. You must stand up here and be
reckoned on" And Guy repeats the
following lines very slowly, at the first
word pointing with his finger to him
self, at the next word pointing to Willie,
at the third word pointing to Johnny,
and round again in the same order:
Litte-boy -driving-cattle-
Don't-you-hear his money-rattle-
observation-disclosures.
The last word comes to Guy.
"There I'm out" he says; then, to
decide between the other two, repeats:
Eny meny mony my tusca- lima
bona-str y.argo-jargo-g'w off.'"
"G'woff" come to Willie. so that
Johnny is legally elected binder, but
Willie thinks it is hardly fair for the
new player to blind first, so offers to take
his place.
Now, Johnny" says Guy, "you and
1 must hide, and when Willie goes to
hunting after us we must watch our
chance and dodge out and put for that
big apple-tree-that's the goal-then
we're all right"
Willie goes to the big apple-tree !;
leans up against it, with his face hidden
in his hat.
7" Into the barnyard Guy whispers
to johnny, then runs round to the wood
shed and peeps through crack. john
ny crawls under the barnyard gate and
gets half across the yard before he sees
that there are cattle on all sides of him,
and fat sheep ahead of him. Willie
gives boot to signal the beginning of
the search. Guy waits to see which way
the binder starts, then scampers through
into the horse barn just as Willie looks
into the shed. Willie sees Guy, and,
turning quickly, darts for the tree Guy
springs out OF the barn door and tries
hard to reach the tree first. It is pref
ty even race, but Willie has the sh orter
distance to go, and touches the goal,
shouting triumphantly, 81 spy Guy
Gray"
Now Willie looks for Johnny. and,
while he is looking, hears q terrified
scream from the barnyard. He runs
that way, Guy close at his heels. When
the gate Is opened, there they see John
ny in the midst of the yard, down on
the ground, with his checkered apron
and his striped stockings covered with
mud. johnny jumps up as soon as he
can, but before the boys get to him the
old sheep of the yard runs at the little
shaver and knocks him down again.
Get out, you old bunterl' shouted
Willie, running toward the sheep and
furnishing his two fists in the air. The
sheep turns and trots off to the other
end OF the yard. Willie and Guy lead
the little shaver out at the gate, and,
when they let go OF his hands and look
at his muddy clothes and try to say con.
soling things to him, he lies down On
the green grass and cries for a minute
or two, then grows angry and jumps up
and shakes his fist toward the barn
yard, then drops the small hand by his
side again and says. sadly, 81 do wish
my papa wasn't a minister"
why" both boys asked at once.
$50 L could say what want to-
What do you want to saya" Guy
questions.
&c! want to say by ginger by ginger
by ginger by ginger | | |" Johnny
rattles out as fast as his tongue can LEI
off the words, growing louder and louder
each time, and ending with another shake
OF his fist then calming down. with 6
guilty look, says, dolefully, "but ]
can't"
Cant? 1 should rather think vol
had" Willie remarks, solemnly, while
Guy laughs outright and has to turn
somersault to relieve his feelings. Their
Guy steps up to Willie and says in {
confidential tone, Hes quite char
after all, isn't he ?"
And just then Guys brother Herber
comes running down the road and CALL
out, "Come home-quick Uncle Ches
ter's here with lots of apples" and Cru,
just stops to say, "Come down to m,
house some day, little shaver" anC