Lexington weekly intelligencer. (Lexington, Mo.) 1871-1887, 1880-12-25
STORY OF A SATURDAY.

STORY OF A SATURDAY.
The place where we first met gu
hero 10 a grass-plot about 20 fee
sQuare, bordercd on one side by
barn so weather-beaten that it lock-
black, on another by the clothes-lint
aud on the third by a path. Th,
fourth side was filed up by Il pile o
%app's-trse wood. Upon = large limb
gnarled aud twisted, and with driet
leaves and the remains Of what baC
once been pink.tinted apple-blessoms
sat Gen. Scott.
A queer position for the renowned
military individual, did you say
Well this general was q little ten
ysar-eld boy named Scott by his
grandfather. an admirer of the orig
inal Winfield. The rest of the family
had, by common consent, dubbed him
"The General"
said he was about ten years old,
didn't l? Yes. Well, imagine . boy
Of that age. with black eyes, nut
brown complexion, rudy chseks,snd
white head closely cropped, after the
manner of the lad of the dsy-to
say nothing of state prison convicts.
So you have my hero. His uniforS,
vas not much to speak of. 1t con-
Sisted of a blue checked shirt, a pair
of brown trousers to a light
snuf1-color about the knees, and a hat
which had little crown andless brim.
The only things warlike in the SUR
r%oundings were the little az leaning
against the choppins stump, and the
pair Of red flannel under-drawers
dangling from the clothes-line with
. flag. ef-dsfiance-a air.
As for the general, at the time Of
which l speak he was deeply engaged
in the sOuI-absorbing labor of taking
a chip between his toes and laying it
upon the chopping block. Several
times he had tried this, but with no
success. At last the grimy toes de-
posted tho chip upon the block, and
the brown legs crossed themselves
eomplaceatly. Their owner then
drew from out of his pocket a bit Of
maple sugar, which be began TO
MUNICH with great gusto. just then
q voice from the neighbering white
house called out "Scottw The maple
sickness, as hastily tucked into n
slue VI III ihoutu, ouus III q tOiCc CA
eeedingly liquid, the general replied.
"Ma'sm I"
Have you split any Of the wood
yet 2" and the qusstiouer, = small,
slight woman, with snowy hair and
gentle brown eyes, came down the
path Aid paused by the chopping-
block. "Why are you not working ~
continued the little woman. You've
been out here a quarter of an hour,
sud not a blow have l heard you
strike"
The generals black brews COLI
tracted. 81 don't care !" be said,
angrily. 81 can never get this hate
full pile split-it's no use trying v'
"You might have had ii done long
ago bad you not played with the boys
so much"
"Well, Jack Hazard and Billy Nc
Evoy don't have to split wood-net
even kindling ~ he said, in injured
tones.
"Ths wood is not hard to chops and
l think 1t much better for q boy TO
have q little employment than to idle
away his time"
"Tn sure I 60 to school, grand,
ms I"
Eyes but surely one hours work
On Saturday will not injure you, and
that is all the work you have to do
that day" said the old lady kindly.
Then, a. the generals face still look
ed sullsn, she continued: "My dear,
do ysu think you would be perfectly
happy if you had q Saturday oil to
yourself I"
"Rathsr guess 1 wsuld," he said,
empbatically.
''Then 1 will give you next Satur-
day, upon one condition-that, as
you are to do nothing fer any one, no
enc il do anything for you. Do you
agree ?"
"Of course. But a 1 really do
just what 1 want and GO where l
please 2"
"Yes, provided yeu do nothing alb
aolutely RASH"
.'Gosdy !" aud the general turned
. somersault, and uttered q war;
whoop that made his grandma's ears
ring.
The next Saturday dawned bright
and clear. But Scott didn't rise very
early. He lay a long time in his little
white bee, making plans for the days
enjoyment"
"Grandma said I might do just az |
please ; so Pm a going to stay in bed
n long a. I want 10. How jolly no.
to hear Hannah yell out, Scott, get
upr"
After awhile, however, the gnaw-
ings of hunger began to be felt, aud
he aross and dressed himself.
"Ws most always have mullins,
ham and eggs on Saturday," he said,
~ he went down stairs, snacking his
lips in anticipation. Entering the
dinIDg-reom what was his surprise
to hnd the breakfast things cleared
away II the table covered with its
customary Turkey-rad spread. Co.
ing out OH the porch, he found his
grandmother sewing.
"Good-mornins," she said pleas
antly.
"Good-mornln'. Where's breakfast,
grandma z"
"BrsakfastI Oh, we had that long
age"
: 'tBut it is all cleared away ?"
81 presume so. / heard Hannah
washing the dishes = little while ago."
quistly.
"But can't 1 have anything 10 eat?"
in aggrievsd tones.
"Yes."
"rhen I'll have Hannah fx me
something ell the kitchen table-ne.
III have her bring it out OIL the
piazza tn be SO much more pleas
ant" said the general, starting for
the kitchen. But his grandmother
called him back, saying:
"Ne, you must remember that
you're not to ask any one to do any
thing fer you to-day"
The little lad locked c%restfallen.
"Wsli," he said, striving to speak
unesncernedly. "Oh !! that's 80. But
then ! Can fix something for myself
cary enough" and he departed for
the kitchen, bordering the question
as to what he should prepare fer
breakfast. Now, his great-grandmo-
Their was a French lady and perhaps
it was from her that he inherited the
taste for omelette. Ana OIL this par
ticHlsr morning he determined to re-
gale himsslf with that dish. But
how to make it be didn't know. He
had always seen them come on the
table light and f1aky, and tinted 4
delicious golden brown. He studied
the receipt book, and, when confident
that he had mastered it's mysteries,
he marshaled the -four, eggs and milk
and proceeded to tumble them to-
gether in what he considered a very