The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1882-04-01

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-horses 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, tiuttered 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 an and out of the
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
g 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 fat que,
save that there was a scarlet flush on
Max's dark cheek, and Sandy lips were
pale, and trembled a 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 a demfjohn of delicious
iced lemonade for the young sawyers
and their friends. Captain Winty 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 fid-
die. 'H.
Its a good thing to strengthen the
muscles-the muscles. A long chalk
sensibler than walking ten hours to
stretch, so It's, so It's! Good boys!
Doing well, all on ye-all on yep
And how earnest every one became,
to be sure, when at length the sticks in
each woodpile might be counted. r.I
You never saw anything like it!''
said Max to his mother. between huge
mouthfuls of bread and jam, at the tea
table that night. g Every body who had
a handkerchief shook it, | know, and
Aunt Nabby waved her big checked
apron. They were all singing out Go
it, and 'Goodn till fellow couldn't
hear hiAlself 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 nall
key and fiddled like the whole town was
burning! Oh, twas great! And when
we counted up the money there were
twenty-nine 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 Sandys 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 armsr'-Ada Carleton,
IN Vide A1Ua6e.