The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1880-03-11
THE TEA.KETTLE LIGHT.

We extract from the March ~. Mich
olas part of story of a country boy who
starred a gas factory by himself.
His name was Joe and he lived in
New Hampshire. One winter, he earn
estly wished 20 attend school; but this
seemed impossible, for his spare time
would all be taken up in splitting
shingles. He tried, but in vain, TO do
the splitting by freight. Lamp, he
had none; candles were too dear; he
must have something else.
Weeks before, he had been surprised
at strange light flaming high above
charring heap Of birch wood. He found
that this was caused by the burning of
gas which came from the birch-bark.
Why could he not get more of the same
light, split his shingles by it, and SO
save time for the winter schooling? He
resolved to try; mysteriously told his
brothers and sisters that he was going
to stop the cracks in a certain old tea
kettle, and disappeared into the wood
shed. The story continues as follows:
Lois called after him that if he didn't
"grease his tea-kettle well, it would
stick"
"He's going to make a tea-kettle
dumpling!' shouted Deborah.
But Joe, out in the cold wood shed,
kept plastering dough over the cracks
in the tea-kettle. This well done, he
began cutting into small pieces the
birch bark he had saved, so thatit could
be crowded closely into the tea-kettle.
BY the time he had filled it. supper was
called, and Joe, going in, set his
patched continuance close by the fire.
"Well, Joe," laughed his mother,
"what now? Are you going to turn
blacksmith or baker?"
"Joe, Joe," piped Moses, evil you
be blacksmith or blacksmith, mother
says?"
30, am shingle-splitter," said
Joe. smiling back. "And I'D like to
be ligshtsmith, too' pretty well, if l
After supper was cleared away, and
the big kettle was taken off the crane,
Joe hung on his tea-kettle, bread
dough, birch-bark, and all, swung it
over the fire, and sat down to watch
the result of his operations.
"What is it, anyhow, Joe?' asked
Moses.
"Why, don't you seer It's an old
tea-kettle."
"What you dot in it?" piped little
Judith.
"Birch- bark, SIS" responded Joe,
laconically.
"Maple-bark is best to make ink of;
isn't it, mother?" queried Debby.
Eyes, indeed, Joe, and you don't
have to burn it-only steep it, and put
in little copperas."
II am not trying to make ink,
mother" Joe answered, Though I
must make some before long"
Then. turning to his father, he said:
"You remember how the coal-pit
we burned last week got bewitched.'
don't you? Well, think it must have
heen green birch bark, which don't
suppose ever before got piled into
coal-pit, that caused the light some
how, though oon't know exactly how;
and I am trying to see if birch-bark
won't make a light here as well as
there"
Joe spoke with deprecating tone,
for he knew his fathers violent an
tipathIy y toward all "new-fangled no
"Wel. you are Ounce, to be sure.
Don't you suppose that if birch-bark
had been good for anything but q
torch, somebody would have found it
out before this? Young folks, nova
days, think they know more than their
fathers. 1t wasn't so when I was q
boy. You'd better just put that tea
kettle out of the way and 60 to work"
The keynote had been struck by his
father, and every voice in the house,
household joined in making fun of him
and his cracked kettle. Joe was irri-
tated of course, but was SO full of his new
idea that he hadn't time to get angry,
and he conferred himself with the be-
lief that it might be his turn to laugh
before long. Yet he knew he never
would hear the last of it if his expert
ment failed. He watched it very anx-
iously. At last, his father imperative
" ordered him to take his kettle away;
but he was so earnest in his pleading
for time to give his idea fair trial
that his mother interposed out of pity,
and his father consented to let him
alone, thinking he would thus be more
convinced that he was following up
crazy notion.
SO Joe. thankful for the respite, kept
intently watching the flames reach up
toward the queer, patched object on
the crane. baking the enlightenment
harder, and concealing it with deposit
of SCOT. Soon trace of steam issued
from the spout, and became new CEN
of interest to him, and q new subject
for chatting by the merry circle of sis
tiers.
"When the steam passes off the gas
will begin to come" explained Joe.
quietly. Then there was q new cause
Of alarm. Jane became more and
more nervous--''idgety." as her moth
or said-because company was COM
ing, and her brother and his old tea
kettle "would be town-talk." This
nearly stopped his proceedings, but he
managed to save his machine little
longer, James "young man" still de-
laying his expected coming; and as the
clouds of steam began to grow less and
less, with strange earnestness. that
even the thoughtless little ones re-
spected, Joe begged for only ten min
utes longer, and warned Jane and her
tongs away from interfering, in . tone
20 quietly stern, that she never thought