Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1880-03-24

Out Of Well.
"Hey! folers, come here" shouted Roy
Wheeler, one day last autumn, to group
of his schoolmates who were about to be-
gin game of ball in the field adjoining
the school house; Walt Ray is going to
tell a story" Will Carver dropped the
bali in his hand, and, followed by all his
companions, started for The old oak, be-
meath whose shade Wheeler had thrown
himself upon the green clover sweet grass !;
for Walt Ray was the champion story
teller of the Junior class of Merits acad-
emy, and his schoolmates so delighted in
listening to his yarns" us they called
them, that l verify believe had they been
obliged to choose between the two, they
would have gone without their lunches
rather than have lost the least of them
Any way, Pm sure that if their lunches
had consisted of bread, blackberry tarts,
and sponge cake, or bread, hard-boiled
eggs. and cookies. they'd have sacrificed
the bread, to man-boy should say.
{" You see, fellers," said Wheeler, when
the other boys had taken up various posi-
tions on the ground all around him
(Wheeler was Rays particular chum !;
Valentine and Orson their companions
called them, or Ursa Major and Ursa
Minor, for short, us Hen Rowe said,-the
original Valentine and Orson,as, no doubt,
you know, having been nursed by bear),
:" Walt got u letter from his little sister
this morning She cant write yet; and so
she printed it, and it looks awful cunning
and funny; and he let me read it; and her
names Truth. And says /"
"Who's going to tell this story?" inter-
rupted Charley Bennett. :" If you are,
Wheeler, I'm going back to ball. You're
first rate fellow, and up head in algebra.
but you can't tell story"
Don't you strike your grandfather,
Charley" said Roy, with mock indigna-
ton. Il was offering few preliminary
remarks, as the professor would say
Waits gone for some apples. He'll be
back in minute"
Here he comes now-gimme one,"
shouted little AL Smith, as II curly-headed,
dark-eyed, jolly-looking boy came swing
ing along, munching an apple as he came
Walt threw II dozen red-cheeked beau
ties among the crowd. " Share them to
suit yourselves" he said, with bright
smile that showed splendid set of teeth.
And. us Roy Wheeler often declared, the
boy was Just as splendid as his teeth. Full
of innocent mischief, generous, brave and
hoy after my own heart-he
fully deserved the affection and loyalty of
his comrades. He it was who laid the tiny
white pig into Jerry o Neil's bed, (Jerry
had received box of goodies from bone
the day before and eaten them all by HIM
self in secure hiding place. with IL card
tied to its right ear, on which was written,
- Am not IL pig and u brother:o' And
be it was that thrashed Joe Correl-who
set up for swell, wore gold watch and
diamond ring, and put on u great many
ridiculous airs-for knocking Davy Reed
down, because the small chap refused to
steal some pears from the storeroom for
him.
Well, to 90 back. Walt tossed the ap-
pies to the boys, and then sitting down on
the grass, with his back against the trunk
OF the tree, he began ut once, recess being
half over.
Me and my cousin, Jack Young
Young Jack they call him-both found
our little sisters in II funny way. Walt,
must confess. was not SO good gram
marian as he might have been. Jack S
Che lives on the seashore and gay old
place it is, too,) came ashore one night
from wreck in II box with II cat. Mine
but that's what Pm going to tell you
about. live. when l amt at boarding
school, in the country, three miles away
from Young Jacks. There is-are,
mean-six boys in our family, aud I'm the
eldest"
Jimmy! what IL lot of gridde cakes
your cook must have to bake, winter
mornings said Charley Bennet. ours
struck on buckwheats last winter, and
there's only six in our family altogether.
Said she couldn't be a-spilin' her complex
ion over hot griddle."
"And how the 'lasses must flow," said
Burr Cook.
And how short Wallis trousers must
be when they get down to the youngest" "
said Roy Wheeler.
." Are you quite through, gcntlemenP"
asked Ray, with mock politeness. IF you
are, Il go on.
Drive ahead, Valentine" replied Hen
Rowe.
six boys are quite enough in one
house." Walt went on: but VIC think
lots of each other, specially of little Dick,
who looks exactly like his mother, and
couldn't look like better or handsomer
woman"
Hurrahw shouted Charley Bennett.
"And we've always had jolly times
grabbing and boating and nutting and
bathing and swimming, and hundred
other things. But we were forever wish
ing for little sister. Dick prayed for one
every night"
Il wish you'd had one of mine," said
Charley Bennet. I've got three, and
they're always wanting to be dragged on
my sled, or lifted over cutters or puddles,
or something or other, and they must have
the best of everything, or fcller's no
feller. In my opinion girls are nui-
sance."
"Oh! they are, are they-in your opin-
ionP" said Ray. We are not that kind
of boy. We think girls are lovely. 1t
runs in the family to think so. Well. we
live about three miles from Cousin Jack s
Gf he'd heard you say girls were nui-
sance, there'd been row., and between
our place and his stands an old-fashioned
well (there used to be house there, too,
but it burned down one night, and the
water from that we'll is the best for miles
around. Well-I was ten then, I'm twelve
now-this summer I'm7talking about had
been an awful dry one. Our cistern was
nearly empty, and our we'll gave out alto
gether, and the women folks were catch
ing water, whenever there was shower,
in pals and tin pans and tubs. you know
Yes. / know" said Burr Cook, gloom
lily. They caught the best puppy ] even