Morning journal and courier., 1882-04-22
PlaYpaYat nIentar.

Frederic E. Mathsr in St. Nicholas for M2y-l One very hot day last July left the Lake Shore railway train at Willoughby, little station eighteen miles east of Cleveland in the State of Ohio Some business took ne to Mentor, three miles away, and, while the boy was driving me ever there, thought should like to make call for pleasure also. You know that President Garfield lived in Mentor, and you will guess that I wished to call upon his two youngest boys, who were then at the Garfield homestead. The house does not seem like farm house
 at all. It is more like dwelling in 8 village. or in a city, set in little piece of lawn. and sheltered by three great locust trees
 knocked at the door, and was asked to enter
 the parlor. After little talk asked about the boys, and was told they were in "the office," little oue-story building back of the
 house, used by their father for a study CT working place.
 Then I was led through long hall where tall clock looked down me, aud just out side the rear door was the office. narrow path led out to it, and followed along and stepped upon the floor of the little porch l that covered the only door. The study was
 a very small building, with window on each side of the door, window op each end, and 1 a window just opposite the door. \ mite of chimney came out of the middle of the roof.
 The door was open as stood on the porch, l and could see four boys playing on the l floor. I said to them. "Well, boys, Is that | fort ?n
 Now the reason I thought it was fort was I that saw some pieces of white chalk. which I the boys had mounted on blocks and set on ! the floor, ss to look like cannon. This was all that could see from the door
 when asked the question But when was inside the room I saw a lot of paper soldiers standing up and found cut f my mistake before this answer came to my | question:
 Not much fort We aredeploying troops in the field" said one of the two Garfield ! boys-whether Irwin or Abram, l forget just now. The other two boys were cousins of | theirs, and they were rather younger. then looked more closely. Besides using
 erayons for cannon, they also had brass cas- 1 ters for cannon-wheels. and their soldiers had | been cut out of card board, with iRckknives. | Small stones. nails and peas were the bullets | and cannon balls. Small paper flags showed which side was the enemy and which the | American.
 And who is the enemy in this game ?'' | asked.
 ssMy brother" the elder Garfield replied | "He doesn't want to be, but he has to be, be-
 cause he is beaten so much " 1 ''But beat you the other day,' chimed in | the younger Garfield 1 s'Yes, and the way you did it was to bring | out lot of soldiers that had been sent to the hospital the day before. That was no | fair"
 l By this time the boys were again spraHled upon the floor and ready to begin the battle | over again.
 1 While they were picking up the stones to | throw, I looked about the room. Several | large bookcases were filled with the Presi- dents books, and a desk at the back window, I opposite the door. had upon it an inkstand l and pen that had seen better days. The floor
 was bare and painted.
 "How long have you been here fs' asked
 'swe came here on the ~2d of Juiy,e they
 said 'sThe very day papa was shot-''
 And do you like living here well as in l Washington ?''
 I sswe like it better here,n said they; ssbe-
 cause there are more boys, azd because ws
 can play out of doors more"
 should say, here, that at the time of my
 visit great many persons thought the Presi- l dent would get we'll
 sEow, then" said, "goon with your fun
 and let me see how you fight the battle" 1 You should have seen the stormy time that came when I said this First, one side would
 throw at the other until all the soldiers were l knocked over, and then the other side wonld ! begin. This made the enemy beat for a hlie. and then the Americans. The sport lasted for long time, and when went away ft was
 not because wanted to, but because I had
 to, in order to take the train on the railway. 1 As I sat in the car, thought over the pleas
 ant afternoon that had spent: and I coaid
 not help saying:
 l s'well, after an boys are boys, and they play much alike, whether Presidents sunz or not"