The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1882-03-25

the sun, and there was brisk, cool
breeze blowing. The saving was to
begin at nine O'clock; and before that
time the board benches ranged around
the backyard fence filed with merry
lookers-on. Uncle Nathan sat in his low,
vine-draped doorway, beaming at ev-
erybody over his brass-bowed specta-
cles. There was Max and Sandy, fresh
and smiling, with their saws; Dick and
Charley with their axes, and Jack and
Arthur with their wheelbarrows. Max's
father stood near, watch in hand.
Cor said he.
Instantly both saws cut with tune
full shrek into the wood nearly drown
ing the sound of Peleg Toothacrc's
cracked fiddle, which had been engaged,
with Peleg, to make music for the oc-
casion.
At precisely the same instant the two
logs across the two saw-horscs fell in
twain.
How everybody cheered, sending lit
tie tingles of excitement thrilling along
every boyish nerve And Uncle Nathan
waved one of the eyes out of his spec.
tacles; and Aunt Nabby, over his Shout.
der, fluttered her big calico apron, and
bobbed her gray corkscrew curls, to the
tune of Pop Goes the Weasel" which
Peleg's cracked fiddle was merrily play
ing.
The hours wore on. The crowd came
and went, surging in and out of he
back yard with jolly chat and laughter.
The saws shrieked; the axes flashed in
air; the wheelbarrows trundled from
woodpile to woodshed. Peleg fiddled
through and through his repertory of
tunes from yankee Doodle - TO
:" Money Musk" and at length came
high noon, with twenty minutes for re-
freshments.
In the afternoon the excitement waxed
stronger. The boys sawed steadily on
with scarcely any symptoms of fatigue,
save that there was scarlet flush on
Max's dark cheek, and Sandy lips were
pale. and trembled little nervously.
Everybody was laughing and talking
of the sport. Even Mrs. Colonel Gros-
venor, the great lady of the village,
drove up to the back yard gate in her
carriage, bringing demiiohn of delicious
iced lemonade for the young sawyers
and their friends. Captain Wintv Cool
idge walked around, rubbing his pudgy
hands together, and sprinkling in en-.
couraging remarks between the shrieks
of the saws and the squeaks of the fd-
die.
ats a good thing to strengthen the
muscles-the muscles. A long chalk
sensibler than walking ten hours to
stretch, so it's, so tbs! Good boys
Doing well, all on ye-all on ye!''
And how earnest every one became,
to be sure, when at length the sticks in
each woodpile might be counted.
You never saw anything like it!'
said Max to his mother, between huge
mouthfuls of bread and jam, at the tea
table that night. (" Everybody who had
a handkerchief shook it, | know, and
Aunt Nabby waved her big checked
apron. They were all singing out Go
it" and 'Good!' till fellow couldn't
hear himself think. Uncle Nathan sat
in the door trotting his foot and wiping
his eyes, though what for | can't mag
inc; and Peleg jumped up on his nail
key and fiddled like the whole town Was
burning! Oh, twas great! And when
we counted up the money there were
Twenty-Five dollars and sixty cents cash
for Uncle Nathan, and everybody
cheered again like fun when we handed
it over. And Captain Winton made one
of his speeches. Uncle Nathan broke
right down when he tried to thank us,
and Aunt Nabby kissed us boys all
round. Yes, ma am!
"Oh, yes'm; Sandy beat by twenty
four seconds; and Sandy's Cap'n again
at school, and of course Dickey Bird
beat Charley, because Charley couldn't
split my last stick till I'd sawed it, for
they kept right on our heels the whole
time. But Art Humphrey beat Jack
Jardine! For Art caught up the wood
in his arms, quick as Charley split it,
and ran into the shed with it and out
while Jack was unloading his wheel
barrow. 1t gives fellow an appetite"
concluded Max with sidelong glance
from his laughing eyes as he reached
for his third helping of jam; but it's a
little hard on the ms!"--Ada Carleton,
a, la