The National tribune., 1881-09-10
A TERRIBLE MISTAKE.

TERRIBLE MISTAKE
| have been in the back bedroom up stairs all
the afternoon, and l am expecting father every
minute. 1t was just after one o'clock when he told
me to come up stairs with him. and just then Mr.
Thompson came to get him to go down town with
him. and father said I'd have to excuse him for a
little while and don't you 60 out Of that room till
/ come back So | excused him, and he hasn't
come back yet; but I've opened one of the pill
lows and stuffed my clothes full Of feathers, and
/ don't care much how soon he comes back now.
It's an awful feeling to be waiting up stairs
for YOUR father and to know that you have done
wrong, though you really didn't mean to do SO
much wrong as you have done. am willing to
own that nobody ought to take anybOdy's clothes
when he's in swimming but anyhow they began
it first, and l thought just much as could be
that the clothes were theirs.
The real boys that are to blame are Tom Will
son and Amzi Willetts week ago Saturday
Joe Hamilton and 1 went in swimming down at
the island. It's beautiful place. The island is
all full of bushes, and on one side the water is
deep, where the big boys 60 in, and on the other
it is shallow, where we fellows that can't swim
very much where the water is more than two feet
deep go in. While Joe and | were swimming,
Tom and AMI came and stole our clothes, and put
them in their boat, and carried them clear across
to the deep part of the river. We saw them do
it. and we had an awful time to get the clothes
back and l think it was just as mean.
Joe and 1 said we'd get even with them, and l
know it was wrong, because it was a revengeful
feeling, but anyhow We said we'd do it; and
don't think revenge is so very bad when you
don't hurt fellow, and wouldn't hurt him for
anything and just want to play him a trick that
is pretty nearly almost quite innocent. But 1
don't say we did right, and when I've done wrong
I'm always ready to say so.
Well, Joe and / watched and last Saturday
we saw Tom and Amzi go down to the island,
and go in swimming on the shallow side; so we
wadea across and sneaked down among the
bushes and after while we saw two piles of
clothes. So we picked them up and ran away
with them. The boys saw u.s. and made terri
BILE noise; but we sung out that they'd know
now how it felt to have your clothes carried Off
and we waded back across the river, and carried
the clothes up to Amzi's house, and hid them in
his barn, and thought that we'd got even with
Tom and Amzi and taught them lesson which
would do them great deal Of good and would
make them good aad useful men.
This was in the morning about noon. and
when | had my dinner | thought I'd go and see
how the boys liked swimming, and offer to bring
back their clothes if they'd promise to be good
friends / never was more aStonished in nv life
than l was TO find that they were nowhere near
the island. l was beginning to be afraid they'd
been drowned, when / heard some men calling
uoa aDd T found Suuira Maradifb ipn,;
Willett's father, who is a deacon, hiding among
the bushes. They told me that some villains
had stolen their clothes while they were in swim
ming, and they'd give me fifty cents if I'd 90 up
to their houses and get their wives to give me
some clothes TO bring down to them.
l said l didn't want the fifty cents but I'd 90
and try to find some clothes for them. | meant
to 90 straight up TO Amzi's barn and to bring the
clothes back, but on the way | met Amzi with
the clothes in basket bringing them down to
the island, and he said: Somebody's goin' to be
arrested for stealing fathers and Squire Mere
dith's clothes; / saw the fellows that stole EN-
and I'm going to tell" You see, Joe and | had
taken the wrong clothes, and Squire Meredith
and Deacon Willetts, who had been in swimming
on the deep side Of the island had been about
didn't need to wear any clothes, emily they found
it pretty hard work.
Deacon Willetts came straight to our house,
and told father that his unhappy son-that's
what he called me- and wasn't / unhappy,
thaugh-had stolen his clothes and Squire Mere
dth's; but for the sake of our family he wouldn't
say very much about it, only if father thought
best to spare the rods and spoil child he wouldn't
be able to regard him as man and a brother.
So father called me and asked me if / had taken
Deacon Willettss clothes, and when said yes and
was going to explain how it happened, he said that
my conduct was such, and that ! was bringing
his gray hairs down, only wouldn't hurt them
for fifty million dollars, and I've often heard him
say he hadn't gray hair in his head.
And now I'm waiting up stairs for the awful
moment to arrive. l deserve it, for they say that
Squire Meredith and Deacon Willetts are morn
half eaten up by mosquitoes, and are confined to
the house with salt and water, and CRYING out
all the time that they can't stand it. | hope the
feathers will wore; but if they don't. no matter