The Red Cloud chief., 1880-12-23
At which threat Jack re-.-

10y ana some things TO eat, for
the guinesrhens and the turkeys would
steal their nests. and Jack and Pele1
uotn oungry, growing boys, learned II
s.aik these inconsiderate fowls and
Piunder their private lairs; then thcy
wouid puiid . fire between two rock.
up on the ledge. and roasting the evpA
ENJOY q meal seasoned only with thai
pest OF all condiments. hunger, and I
little salt, bought secretly at the village
store.
But there was many and many q rainy
day when he had to take refuge in the
house. be scolded. fre,ted az, kept still,
half-fed. and before October he dis
liked Aunt Phrony with all his heart;
he might have been sorry for her. for
he pitied his own gentle, Ian ,uid
mother sincerely, and was ALWAYS ready
to walk softly in her darkcnei room.
but he saw Aunt Phrony whewing about
the old house like a fresh breeze. max
ing cheeses, working over butter. lift
ing heavy pals Of milk. doing the great
washing on MONDAYS, and driving
affairs all before her in spite of the
spine in her back and contingent all
meEts, and he did not quite believe hsrI
sufierings were great.
Now I'll just delight all the you'd
Hills and give Sophrony something I'd
find fault about" he said on rcturnipv
home, shaking his head eminolsli
So when the holidays drew near 4
asked his father to give him some mona1
that he might puy presents for the HIN
family.
II Mr.. Harding could have looked in
to Jacks mind a moment, he would
never have granted this request. but
he was pleased to find his boy ready TO
show kindness, and gave him a liberal
sun to provide for all his gifts.
OF course. father and mother came
first, and Mr.. Harding smiled over an
elaborate cane, a thing he never used.
while the tears stood in his wife's eyes
as she laid her head on a gay, chintz-
covered cushion Jack had brought her
with a dim idea that she might be an
invalid again, though the journey to
Europe had quite restored her health.
But this is forestaliing our tale.
The family at Bassett did not expect
Jack to remember them; the money for
his board was safe in Rutland Bank,
and so much almost clear gain, for the
deacon never found out how many eggs
had gone to feed the two boys, who had no
idea that there was any harm in helping
themselves 10 the food they needed,
though a stern mOralist would have
looked at it with less lenient eyes.
The packages arrived on Christmas
morning by the stage which passed
through the village and the children
were gathered with w%ide-open eyes to
see what they contained.
The first thing was a fiddle for Jehiel;
the great ambition of his life. and his
dull eyes really shone for nee at the
sight of this long-wanted possession.
"He's a real cleverleetle feller," the
tall youth growled, as he eyed.the shin
ing instrument, and began to string and
tune it as best he could.
ELIAS bundle was an accordion, an
instrument much in favor in the rural
districts of New England. though the
jewellers in cities being provided with
nocturnal cat serenades do not need
these valuable substitutes. She too was
delighted; to own an accordion was to-
be a parsonage in Bassett, and Eliza was
fourteen. Josh and Eben had
respectively a drum and a fife of the
most ear-piercing description, while
turned red with joy, and INDUCED
all the big words he knew over a real
shotgun.
The deacon and his wife we're pleased
Of course. Short-sighted people! their
was brief. The house be-
came a pandemonium; the lOng.drawn
howls of the accordion in 'Liza's
Inskillful hands were even worse than
eats; she made efforts of the most des-
perate character at playing Home,
Sweet Home" till her own home was
,urned into an echo of bitterness. and
when after many struggles and a desire
please her father she did achieve Old
Hundred, the result was-but let every
fill this blank who ever heard
hat noble tune put to slow torture on
his iSnoble instrument.
The deacon could only gasp, Its
lreadful sollum; l wouldn't get tired,
She did not; morning. noon and night
he dragging wall resounded, only at
lines overpowered by Josh's persistent
rum, which he e took to bed with
i'm, and the shrieks of Eben's fife.
fiddle was the climax; to learn
he fiddle a student should take lodg-
ngs in a deaf-mute asylum if he has
NY humanity in his soul. A cornet
ext door, a bassoon round the corner,
French horn on top of the opposite
ill, are each and all inexpressible an
to the sensitive ear, and l speak
dreadful experience, but a fiddle ,
n the hands of a tyro is more exasper-
ting far. Think then of Aunt Phrony I,
by all these noises, with a chronic /,
headache, an aching back, and :
tendency to hysteria! In vain she :
her ears with cotton; If she :
reduced thereby a sort of buzzing !
eace in her tympanum, Peleg's gun. ,
'hich was always popping Oft ONE ,
here, penetrated the plug with its : :
harp, sudden bang" and made her =
and tremble; and the long, high s
nee. She could and did abate the u
of the accordion in a measure. j
ut the deacon insisted Eliza should =
ave some time to enjoy and cul-
waite her music (P) and the drum.
'hich was Josh's pride and Joy, being
ut into a dark closet while he was at I
,hool, WAS found one morning with a v
aged hole i'm the head-presumably O
ITS. This only made a double use of 8
lie fife imperative, for now both boys il
'ok to it; and Peleg's gun serving to $
tighten hen-hawks and owls. his father n
ould not relegate it to the garnet.
ehiel went his way as usual; nobody Y
,uld stop him. He was the eldest, and u
, was obstinate, andthe fiddle squealed t,
Dear mer' said Mrs. Hills to her b
lend and %contidant, Miss Beers, $,
seems as though l should 60 mad, a
manthy; what with that are Gordon n
takin' on as though somebody or b
other was a-having teeth pulled con- al
1oous, and the fife that's Jest like q
,ittin'-needle a-goin' through my poor o.
lad, and Peleg's gun poppin' off when e,
u don't expect nothin' of the sort and h,
fetchin' on my nervous spells so s t o;
know whether I'm in the body "
ont mt only for tho poiso and xv,,st -