The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1880-03-13

on my Ieet. You see, II don't make 10
difference how much a mans in love, so
far as having cold in his head, or blis-
ters on his hands or feet, or boils, are
concerned. 'Taint poetic but it's true
that when fellows heart seems as big
as an apple-dumplin' with love for his
girl, then the ills of flesh air the more
provokin' an harder to bear. So are
tight boots; am mine seemed to get
smaller every step took. An Mlinda
laughed at me. You should break 'em
In with a plow,' she said. But then l
forgave her, for she always would have
her joke.
"This farm of Elderkin's wus queer
place. Twas mostly mash. The house
was on rise of ground with a bit of an
orchard of apple trees around it; but
there wus lots of wet land on all sides.
In one corner, the lowest, we saw tight
board fence. Fore we got to the place
we heard them frogs boomin' for all
they wus worth. The birds didn't have
no show long side of such grumblin'
growlin' crowd, soundin', for all the
world, like herd O cattle. Seemed
like baby thunder, it did. Twould "a
made biler-riveter turn over in his
grave an groan with envy to hear such
bellowin'. A young appearin' man wus
sittin' on the back porch cuttin' up
meat into little pieces.
Pm Elderkins,' he said, when / told
him our errand, 'an' I'll be delighted to
show you my stock. I'm a fxin' up
their supper. Has to be chopped fine,
cause they have no real teeth, though
some of them have falsetto.
"After this, Elderkins told us that he
used to be on the stage (the theater), an
had to quit on account of bad health !;
that he always he'd liked frog-legs, an
so tried his hand at CROWN 'em. He
said he raised 10000 frogs a year, an
sold 'em at three cents apiece on the
average. / think he said 10000; but
may be there's cipher too many, for |
wus meyer good at rememberin' figures.
But it makes no difference, cause he told
me he wus making money, more'n he
could make on the stage, an not since
I've bin jestice Of the peace hev ]
heard of an actor who wus maxim less
than 800 week. A man hes to
be fashionable, you see, even in sech
things as givin' the truth suit Of clothes
ter keep her from bein' naked.
"We went down to the pond. Elder
kins TUX one of M'linda's arms an TUX
the other, for wus skittish about them
actor fellers. hung on, an I'spose El-
derkins did the same, for never see him
let 90. The afternoon was warm an
sunny one in early June. The meadow
lark an the bob-o-linkums was keepin'
em company with all their might, an
forgot my woes in betting to myself
which would tire out first. The racket
wus like a lot Of old wimmin' with colds
a scoldin'each other.
Gust hear that melodyp' cried Elder
kins, stoppin' short an wavin' his hand
towards the mash. "That beats opera.
ehT
"Jest awfully lovely" remarked
M'linda.
'It's better'n reglar OPERA" remarked
Elderkins, "fnr mine takes naturally to
water, while the reg'lars, specially the
prima donners, takes to beer and cham
payne. Look out thereW he cried, as l
went kerchock, into puddle Of water.
"You'rea steppin' on my tads Have to
start the nurseries outside, or the big
ones nd eat the small fry. This
'ere swamp is full Of beginners in
life. When they get old enough an large
enough we chuck 'em in with their par
ents an grandparents. This fence keeps
'em from gittin' away. Why, I wouldn't
have frog ef i didn't put 'em in pens."
II see," said. "The penis mightier'n
the sword, even with frogs" an ! give a
clutch ter M'linda's arm, jest ter empha-
size the remark, but she never made a
sign of hearin' or understandin'.
''Jest so," said Elderkins. "But let
me say thet about everybody as comes
here gets off that joke. If they don't 1
suggest it in a mild sort ofway, We
know. Ever bin here before? No. From
the country, eh? Well, that excuses a
good deal. No offense meant. Don't
apologize. You did your best
"He ratified it off SOS | did not have q
chance to git in word edgewise, an SO,
of course, I hadn't apologized, hadn't
said I was from the country, nor any,
thin Of the kind. But, bless you! he
did not pretend ter know thet he'd made
a mistake, but kept on a smilin' at
M'linda, an, I think, he squoze her
arm"
"ElderkipS frog yard wus about an
acre Of ground dug out, with hummocks
left all over it. It was full of frogs Of
all colors, sizes and shapes Every frog
wus, like Presidential candidates, a
boomin' for hisself. 1t was music in the
rough-bushels Of it. An every one of
them beasts would look at you in a wise
sort Of way, as much as to say, i can dive
further, stay under longer, and ccme up
dryer than any other frog They kept
tryin' it, too. We wus enjoyin' our
selves lookin' at the fellows kickin' up
their heels when all to once Elderkins
cried.out:
"By jingol there's Empror. Nap"
"Where-wherep said M'linda. "Who
is Empror Nap"
"Named after Napoleon III, He's on