Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1880-01-13

sires, said nothing, but the petition in
my eyes seconded the motion.
You ought to have seen fathers face.
"Five dollars! Well. well! that's tall
want for little shavers like you! What
do you want to do with five dollars ,"
We told him. He listened to US, look
ing from one to the other as we severslly
expatiated upon the merits Of our desid-
erati.
"Well, now, let's see," said he. 81
have to work for my five dollars; and il
needs great many to take care Of you
two little chaps, and all the rest Of it.
don't you see:"
Yes, we saw.
And would we be willing to work for
our five dollars."
"Yes, yes"
"Well, what do you want to do most,"
he asked, his merry eyes twinkling.
"Will you pull weeds:"
"Yes, sill" we eagerly responded.
"Come along. then," he said; and
taking US each by the hand he led US into
the lawn yet to be, now merely grass
grown pasture field, and up to tall plant
with great leaves, and plumy head Of
green seed-vessels stirring softly in the
summer air.
"There!" says father. Now there are
about ten thousand Of these things on the
place, and for every one you'll pull up III
give you a penny; so you can be rich,
boys, If you like, both Of you. You can
buy all Tony's pups, Dick, and Hal here,
he can get books enough to start library.
Hey. How's that"
Well, We thought that was delightful.
We thought we could have our hearts
desires-say next morning; and father
left US, looking back and laughing from
the carriage to see us pulling with all our
might at the big dock.
We might as well have pulled at one
of the stone pillars Of the carriage porch.
We looked at each other in blank disap-
pointment; and we also looked at our
hands; they smarted already.
"This one is so big" says Dick, "lets
find little ones that will come up easy"
II wasn't hard matter to find them
all we wanted; but, alas! the little ones
held on harder than we could.
Jim Holt, our farmers son, was pass
ing by, with a rake over his shoulder.
He looked at US, smiling dryly.
What you doin = he asked. We
tugged away, flushed and determined.
Don't you know you can't pull docks"
said he. "Why. them things has iron
bars for roots, and they go through to the
other side Of the earth, and then they're
clinched in"
POOH" we said, mo such thing"
Fact" says Jim, looking back at US
soberly as he walked away; that's
where the iron comes from; that's the
way they raise it."
Father was making fun Of US" said
|. "He knew we couldn't do it."
Dick was looking at the insides Of his
hands and rubbing them against his
trowsers legs. Lets go to Tony's and
see the puppies" said he.
Tony's white teeth grinned as he saw
us. He was polishing set Of harness; /;
and in an empty stall near by in the cor
ner, on pile Of straw and old horse
blankets, lay three little buff roly-polys
snuggled together in warm, painting
slumber. They lifted their sleepy heads
as we smoothed them, and looked at US
drowsily out Of their dark-blue clouded
eyes, and then down they heavily dropped
again into slumber.
We told Tony our experience Of the
morning. But. what was our surprise be-
fore we had proceeded far to see him sud-
denly pause in his work and listen to US
with attention, and when we had finished
throw his head back and burst out laugh
ing, and then keep slapping his knees
and laughing on, rolling his head from
side to side. We couldn't help laughing
heartily in sympathy, though what in the
world it meant we didn't see. "Oh no"
he chuckled at last. "Now dat ars Gu
rus. Ha. ha! Mas'r King he do no
no great bout farmin'! Now Mas Dick,
yo' got yo' dog, sho'. Yo' tell yo' fader
he kin fotch long his ten t'ousan' out o
de bank, COS yo' go'n' to git it now, no
mistake bout dat ar" And then he
proceeded to tell US in his own fashion,
which will translate for brevity's sake,
that if we possessed our souls il. patience
till there came good drenching rain to
wet the soil down to great depth. the
dock roots would pull nearly as easily as
turnips, and we could pile them, so to
speak, Pelion upon Ossa.
There is no need to say how often,
after this, our gaze was directed toward
the heavens, nor how suddenly we be-
came interested in the weather article in
fathers Tribune. Father would some.
times ask, "Well, boys, how about those
weeds: When shall bring out the FIVE
dollars ?" And we would merely look at
esch other with smile which we under
stood well enough, but which to him
meant our enlightenment as to the stay
ing power of the common dock.
At last there appeared ominous lines
in Prof. Probabilities diagram. Came a
day when winds and gusts and gathering
gloom darkened and deepened; and then
a storm broke over the earth such as
people tremble to see. We were not
selfish enough to be glad, either, when
we heard of all the ruin and death the
tempest was bringing on sea and land.
The rain fell in sheets; the streets ran