The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1882-07-15
FUN WITH A HORNETS NEST.

FUN WITH A HORNETS NEST.
Boys never have such splendid times
anywhere as they do at their grand
fathers. How some fellows get along
the way they have to without any
grandfathers or grandmothers / never
could make out Just fancy having no
grandfather to 90 and see Christmas
and Thanksgiving and summer vaca-
tons! The fact is, boy without any
grandfather can't begin to have half
good time.
Fathers and mothers are all very
well, but, you see, as mother explained
the last time father had to whip us, they
feel a responsibility. Now, grand
fathers and grandmothers haven't any
such responsibility. They can just
give themselves up to being good
natured, and let fellow have a good
time. If he turns out bad, you see, it
amt their fault, and they dom have to
worry about not having done their duty
by him.
My grandfather lived just out of
Blackridge, on a large farm. There
was an academy at Blackridge, and so
Il
while and 90 to school; and Uncle
Jerry's two boys, Ham and Now fright
names Hamilton and Mowbray), lived
there all the time, and Uncle Jerry and
Aunt Anna, too, and we had just the
best fun that ever any boys did have;
| don't mean Uncle Jerry and Aunt
Anna: they didn't go in for fun, you
know. Uncle Jerry kept a store in the
village, and Aunt Anna staid in the
kitchen with grandma.
We always had to behave ourselves,
and never thought of doing things
without leave, for grandpa was not one
of the kind to be disobeyed besides,
we loved him too well for that. But he
was always ready to let US have good
time, and said that he liked to see boys
enjoy themselves when they did it in
the right way.
Besides Ham and Now. there were
the Davis boys, about five miles off,
who went to the academy, too; and
once a week or so we spent the day with
them, or they came to spend it with
us Real good fellows, both of them;
and | think we liked the visit to them
best, there were such lots of things to
do there Mr.. Davis, you see, was what
grandpa called ga progressive mani
used to wonder what that meant, and
say it over to myself whenever | saw
him-and he wanted Frank and George
to understand everything that was 60
ing on; and he used to get them all the
improving boys books that came out,
and they had tool-chest, and a print
ing-press, and all kinds of drawing
things, and the greatest lot of scrap
books; and they collected stamps and
coins, and taught us how; and we used
to make things when we went there,
and Mr.. Davis always gave a prize for
the best.
Mr.. Davis right name was "Hon.
Charles NJ. Davis" saw it on his
letters when the boys brought them
from the post-office, and they were very
proud of their fathers name. He had
been to Congress, people said, and l
used to wonder if this was as far off as
the Cape of Good Hope.
Mrs. Davis used to train round q
don't mean that she acted bad) in a real
handsome dress mornings, and she
smiled at us pleasantly, and said that
she liked boys. and hoped we wouldn't
make her head quite split (Ham
guessed there must be big crack in it
somewhere( and then she went off,
and we didn't see her again until din
ner-time.
used to get most sick then. because
Mrs. Davis said she thought boys could
never have too much to eat and she
kept piling things on our plates, and it
wouldn't be polite to leave them; and l
was the littlest, and it really seemed as
if 1 couldn't hold them all. Aunt Anna
always said that twisting didn't agree
with Phil" but went all the same.
This was the way we got there: grand
pa would let us have horse when it
wasn't too busy day on the farm, and
we all took turns in riding him. 1t was
prime fun, and gave each of us just
about enough walking. There was the
one.mile mill, and Heckles' pasture,
and the brook, and old Mrs. Junkett's
little red house, and lots of places,
where the boy that YVES on got off, and
the next one took his turn; and we new
er quarreled about it, and always came
back feeling just about as good as when
we started. sEi'r ...t
One morning in July we set off, ex-
pecting to have just the grandest kind
of time. Mr.. Davis had got the boys
something new from the city, and they
wouldn't tell us what it was until we
came. 1t was Saturday, of course, and
most amazingly hot. Kitty Chat was
the horse) didnot care about going very
fast, and she crawled along with us,
turn and turn, tillwe got about mile
from Mr.. Davis. 1u. .tLuHts..- 81
"A hornets nestr shouted Now,
who had walked on ahead of Kitty.
Z" Come on, boyslh fa's 3rtHJ .,'f
stop" said Ham; let's tie Kitty
safely first" lo ; nl .NV.f HraI.'
So we led her to the shade of some
trees on the edge of piece of woods,
where she would be safe from the hor-
nets, and tied her fast; then off we