The National tribune., 1882-09-23


nate staye he bored auger-hOles, into which
he drove stout pegs and to the pegs fastened
/ straight slaves for paddles; lastly to the
/ axle he attached a crank with a connecting
rod and lever; then the wheel was ready to
set up in the creek.
With Elbridge's help he carried the ma
chineTy to the pasture, and then proceeded
/ to cut two stout fOTked timbers which he
/ drove into the bed of the stream at the foot
OF the fall, and shorter one into the ground
just on the edge of the bank above. Then
the axle of the wheel was fitted into the
stakes below and the lever into the one above
so that 1t would work smoothly and not fly
Off; and now the water-wheeI was ricaed
As the water struck the paddles the wheel
| began to reyOlve, the crank and connecting-
rod drove the lever up and down, and the
pestle attached to the lever pounded ayyav
in mid-air. All that was now needed was a
small platform on which to set the hominv
basin, and this it did not take Grandfather
Gray long to build. When it was finished
Elbridge had the supreme satisfaction of
filling the basin with corn and lying down
at full length on the grass to watch the
stream pound the hulls off for him.
In the evening before the mill was stopped
grandfather invited all the family out to see
it work. Mrs. Gray and Janet were much
pleased with it; the former thought it might
be used in doing the churning, and the latter
inquired if it could not be made to turn her
spinDing-wheel; but Elbridge's father was
not so tayorably impressed. He even ven
tured to remark that father must have had
little to do, and that he had a mighty poor
opinion of labOr-saying machines for bows.
and finished by quoting certain Iamented
divine on the relation between Satan and
idle hands. Probably DR.. Watts referred
solely to boys hands; but however that
may be, Elbridge and his grandfather were
both too much delighted with their achieve
ment to care for adverse criticism.
The next morning when Elbridge started
to the pasture he quietly put his book into
his pocket, arguing within himself that since
he would not have to pound any more hom-
my the Introduction on his taking the book
was removed. True he could have settled
this more satisfactorily by asking permission;
but this, for reasons best known to himself
he neglected to do.
After filling the basin with corn he started
the mill, and then betook himself with his
book to the shade of a tree some distance of.
and was soon so absorbed in the story of
Julius and his pet Rabbits" that he en-
tirely forgot both sheep and hominy.
Now, if Elbridge had been a very observing
boy he would have noticed days before that
when pouring corn into the basin or taking
hominy from it he usually had one appar-
emily interested spectator-the old bell
wether. This old fellow very well knew
the taste of corn, and no doubt his mouth
often watered for it as he saw it coming out
of the sack; but when Elbridge was hand
ling it, of course it was out of the question
for the sheep to get at it.
. This morning, however, having seen e.
bridge pour the corn into the basin and
leave it, he thought it was now his chance,
and, walking out upon the platform, he
coolly thrust his nose into the basin for o
mOuthful when bang! came the stout oak
pestle squarely upon the top of his head.
The blow stunned him, ne staggered forward
and tOppled over the bank into the stream
below, his bell sending out a frightened
changing which would surely have aroused
Elbridge had he been but one degree less
absorbed in his story.
The old ram had scarcely struck the water
when the sheep behind him walked deliber-
ately upon the platform, stuck her nose in
the basin, received blow on the head and
went over the bank precisely as the leader
had done, only more quietly; and, though
It scarcely seems credible that anything in
nature could be so foolish, every sheep in
he flock followed in turn, and landed,
stunned, in the stream below.
And Elbridge read on until the story of
Julius and his pet Rabbits" was finished,
when he looked up in halfbewiIdered
rame Of mind, and lost some seconds in re-
covering himself. Then ne instantly missed
he sheep; they had strayed into the corn,
le thought, and hastily dropping his book
le ran to the part of the field next the
tAS>tIiA HLS1S IC iiS-u 1ltSI SSSu tue uOCks
1t the edge of the stream a splashing in the
water attracted his attention, and glancing
,yer the bank he saw the ewes, some stand
ng in the water and some trying in dazed
ort of way to climb up the bank All Of
he flock had partially recovered from the
fleet of the blow and fall, except the old
who had led them into mischief;
le, alas! was lying with his head under
water, and when finally dragged out life
vas extinct.
Just what punishment would have been
neted out to Elbridge if it had not been for
Grandfather Gray's protest and pleading,
annot say; but those were days when Solo
aon was regarded as high authority upon
he use of the rod in such cases. As it was,
Ilbridge, in the opinion Of the family, got
# very easily. The story-boOk went down
nto the darkness ut the bottom of great
hest full of bed clothes, and never saw the
ght again for a year, while the water-wheel
anne down and was carried back to the
nithy the very next morning, Elbridge tax
lg up the pestle thus dropped and pounding
ominy as of old. 4 light punishment?
lbridge for a long time doubted whether he
Ould not rather have taken good sound
hippirg-OetOber Vide A,rake.
Child's Mood.
By Juliet c. MgrshI