The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1883-06-20
"sam's Strawberries or the w. c. T.'s.'

"k ans Strawberries or the w. o. u.s. "
Examiner and Chroniele.1
1t was Joe Perkins that fret proposed it,
there wasn't boy in Riverside who would
have thought of it. Indeed, it required q
good deal of talking on Joe's part before
they could be cosxed into it; and believe,
even at the last moment, they would have
been glad to have given it up, but they were
afraid of Joe's ridicule.
ice was not Riverside boy; he was from
the city. 1t was whispered among the older
people that his father had sent him up here
in the country, to his uncle's, because he
was so wild at home. At any rate, he was
not good boy. You would know that TO
look at him. And he was not only bad, but
he was mean about it, for he always tried 20
get out of it; it mattered nothing to him if
some one innocent suffered for his wrong
doing.
But, somehow or other, the boys were per.
fectly carried away with him at first, partly
perhaps with his bold, dsshing ways, partly
with his marvellous stories of city life
what he and the fellows of his set did at
homeland q great deal, / am afraid, because
he pleased their vanity by telling them re-
peatedly hcw superior they were to most
country boys. He had not been there
month before every Riverside boy had in
vested in cigarettes, and was prsctieing
smoking on the sly, and locked in unfeigned
amszement st Joe, to see him puff so IN
concernedly at his cigar when the cigarette
was more than enough for them. Then, too,
they adopted Joe's style OF talking. He usei
q coed deal of slang, some of it pretty rough
and coarse, and sometimes, 1 am sorry to
say, he used something worse than slang
And the boys tried to be as cityAed as posi-
Bile.
It was 8 system of manliness, according 10
Joe's creed, to tease and torment anything
OF anybody that could not defend them
selves.
"Girls were well enough" he said, "for little
boys to play with, but fellow didn't want to
be bothered by them; and besides, they hadn't
time for nonsense'-said nonsense" being
any polite attention TO one so unfortunate as
to be girl.
One OF the frat things be did was TO or
ganize the Wild Cat Club, He made him
self chief, planning all the mischief, and a
pretty poor sort of mischief some OF it was,
too; but he kept out of real work of it, so
if they should be caught he would be in no
danger.
What an Indignation meeting there was
among the girls when they found the boys
had secret society, and had never asked
them to join. It must be br, ken up. or they
invited to join-one of the two-they deeid-
ed at they very OUTSET but it was rather a
difficult matter to decide how TO accomplish
their DESIRE
They got up charsde party at Annie
Parker's-they used 10 have so much fun
there-but the boys did not come because
Joe was not invited, and had appointed
Club meeting IS soon as be heard Of it.
Then they, the girls, proposed picnic st
DIR. Dzrle's grove, but the boys vetoed the
subject on the spot. They even organized
sn opposition society in hopes of rOusing the
boys curiosity, wore enormous badges,
yond Solomon, and spoke in mysterious Ian
guage, all to no effect, for not single boy
appeared TO notice anything.
But just as the girls had exhausted all their
resources, and were about in despair, the
boys began to tire of it themselves, and
Joe saw with alarm that he was losing
ground rapidly, and that unless he did
something speedily his Club would desert
him.
Then it was he thought Of Sam Stebbin's
strawberries. The Club were holding session
in Grandfather Knox's old barn; it was out
of the way and unused, so they had taken
possession of it.
81 say" said Joe, noting with anxiety the
1istless looks Of the Club, "Ssm Stebbin's
strawberries are ripening fast; guess he
means to pick lot for market day after to-
morrow
Now as Sans strawberries were always
ripe earlier than any one elss's in the vicin-
lily. and as he raised them for market, Joe's
remark did not make much.stir.
"Supposewe hsye some fun out of them,
boys be continued.
elo-1ld like IN know houu IN oarth xvo-r
expect TO get any fun out of Sans ber-
RESP said Will Potter, raising himself on
his elbows and staring at Joe with astonish-
ment.
'.Oh. replied Joe. earelessly, 1--WE could
ust get the start of Sam little. and have q
straw berry festival for change; that
xculdn't be bad. I'm uncommon fond OF