The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1881-07-29
MY AUNT'S SQUIRRELS.

IeTnapS IL Was uccduSc Sne nialeu
cats.
MY aunt's house is a large one-very
like those you often see When travelling
in the cOuntry-square. with windows
all shut, silent doors and empty porches.
The beauty of my aunt's house was its
back yard and back door, with great,
flat stone step. A gate at the back of
the yard opened on a lane, where trees
grew on each side, and thickets, which,
in summer, are full OF birds, butterflies
and blossoms. The deep ruts are over
grown with grass; only the breezes pass
to and fro, which flutter the leaves into
little rustling songs. The back door
led into great kitchen, built ever so
many years ago; the rafters were coffee
colOred, for my aunt would never have
them whitewashed. Lots of things
were slowed away among those rafters
-pumpkin-seeds, ears of corn, punches
of herbs, an old saddle; and, in the
winter, hams and links OF sausage swung
from the beams. Piles of paper bulged
over their edges, and the rubbish of
years was there. precious to my aunt,
but useless to everybody else.
Ou0 udv dutuIuus OOSus lily duut .
man fall work, while hosting q bag
of dried beans into the rafters, discov-
cred pair of gray striped squirrels.
He ratified the beans and ''shooed,"
but they only skipped beyond his reach,
chattering, and stood on their Ind
paws, making motions with their. fore
paws az If ''shooing'' Josh in return.
81 dobelieve, men," he called to my
aunt, ''that these little thieves have
come to eat up all my garden seeds; but
l can't make out why ground squirrels
should roost up here. J"
"Let them be, JOSH" said my aunt;
"rd rather have squirrels overhead
than cats under feet; the creatures won
trouble me-"
Nor did they, but, when people talked
in the kitchen, the squirrels chartered
louder and faster than ever. ;Although
they dropped seeds and straws on my
aunt g muslin cap, and although. Josh
muttered about holes III bags, and
muss, and noise, she would not listen.
She declared they were company for
| her, and she was certain they would
not forget her friendliness toward them;
they kept their distance, and were al
ways the same bright, cheerful, happy
little beings! -
For all this, Josh pondered plan,
and carried it out. Ground-squir-
rels," he argued, chad no business up
in the air." So he prepared bag,
tackled the old horse to the wagon.
caught the squirrels when my aunt
went out, put them in the bag. and
rode away up the lane and into the
woods. When he got to thick spot
dark with. trees. he shook out the squir
4 rels. turned shout; and logged home
with the satisfaction of having finished
good job, just . little dashed will
dread of my aunt's scolding. which. any
way, was not so bad as their, chatter
Josh opened the kitchen door and wen
in. The silence pleased him, and h
began to rub his hands as, his way wa
when, pleased. He pAak hk e,es up
ward and was instantly greNed with I
merry chatter The squirrels had go
home before him, and were all the more
lively for their vEase in the bag, thu
ride IN ths wagon ard the picnic in TIT
wO0dA!s =. q $50
"Marcy on me!' he cried, his hands
falling apart. just then the squirrel
let drop a hickory nut on the bald spO
of Josh head.