San Marcos free press. [volume] (San Marcos, Tex.) 1877-1892, 1882-04-27
Have you got the tikets,

Reub?'
-Yes; a hundred and fifty of EN-. F"
"Goodi Now all We want IL fair
day" -,
The day proved all that could be de-
sired. Hazy clouds yelled the burning
face of the sun, and there was II brisk
breeze blowing. The saving was To
begin at nine o'clock; and before that
time tho benches ranged along the back
ward fence were filed with merry look
ers.on. Uncle Nathan sat in his low,
vine.draped doorway, beaming at
everybody over his brass'bowed specta-
cles. There we're Max and Sandy,
fresh and smiling, with their SAWS;
Dick and Charley with their axes, and
Jack and Arthur with their wheelbar-
rows. Max's father stood near watch
in hand.
Sol" said he.
Instantly both saws cut with tune
full shrek into the wood, nearly drown
ing the sound of Peleg Toothacres
cracked fiddle, which had been engaged,
with Peleg, to make music for the occa-
sion.
At precisely the same instant the
two logs across the saw-horses fell-in
twain.
How everybody cheered, sending
little tingles of excitement thrilling
along every boyish nervel And uncle
Nathan waved one of the eyes out OF
his spectacles; and aunt Nabby, over
his shoulder, futtered her big calico
apron, and bobbed her gray corkscrew
cnrls, to the. tune of "Pop goes the
Weasel" which Peleg's cracked fiddle
was merrily playing.
The hours wore on. The crowd came
and went, surging in and out OF the
back yard with jolly chat and laughter.
The saw shrieked; the axes flashed in
air; the wheelbarrows trundled from
woodpile to woodshed. Peleg tiddled
through and through his repertory OF
tunes from yankee Doodle" to "Mo-
ney Musk" and at length came high
noon, with twenty minutes for re-
freshments.
In the afternoon the excitement
waxed stronger. The boys sawed stead
lily on with scarcely any symptoms OF
fatigue, save that there was a scarlet
flush on Max's dark cheek, and Sandy's
lips were pale and trembled alittle nerv-
ously.
Every body was laughing and talking
of the sport. Even Mrs. Colonel Gros'
venor, the great lady of the village,
drove up to the backyard gate in her
carriage, bringing q demijohn of deli
cious iced lemonade for the young
sawyers and their friends. Capt. Wlnty
Coolidge walked around, rubbing his
pudgy hands together and sprinkling
in encouraging remarks between the
shrieks of the saws and the squeaks OF
the fiddle.
cts good thing to strengthen the
muscles. A long-chalk sensibler than
walking ten hours to a Stretch, so tits.
Good boys Doing well, all on vel"
And how earnest every one became,
to be sure, when at length the sticks in
each wood-pile might be counted!
"You never saw anything like it'll"
said Max to his mother, between huge
mouthfuls of bread and jam, at the tea
tsble that night. Everybody who had
a handl erchlef shook it, know, and
aunt Nabby waved her big checked
apron. They were all singing out Go
itp and 'Goodp till fellow could
not hear himself think. Oh, twas great |!
Ard when we counted the money there
were twenty nine dollars and sixty ce 1ts
clear cash for uncle Nathan, and every
body cheered again like fun when we
handed it over. And Capt.. Winty made
one of his speeches, Uncle Nathan broke
right down when he tried to thank us,
and aunt Nabby kissed us boys all
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 Jar
dine. 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 wheelbarrow.
1t gives fellow an appetite, concluded
Max with sidelong glance from his
eyes as he reached for his
third helping of jam; "but it's little
h ard ON the arms!" -Wide Quake for
MARCH,.