Connecticut western news., 1883-09-05
THAT WINTERS WOOD.
Bill Arp's Winter-wOOd Sentiments will
 be Appreciated by the Women Folks.

Now is the time to get up the winter s wood. The crop is laid by and there is no pressure of farm work and so l took three of the colored tenants and went to the woods to clear little piece of new ground, and l and the little chaps made l another band. I wanted them to pile up the big chips, but the little rascals found high land tarrapin and it took 'em pretty much all the morning to in- vestigate him and see how he shut up his doors and they would have to wait on him half an hour to see him open and poke his head out of the front door and his tail out behind. In the evening they found an old stump about ten feet high with hole near the top and they had to investigate that, and Carl climbed while Jesse pushed, and just as he got up to the hole couple of flying squir- rels came out and scared 'em so bad they both tumbled down in bunch, and the squirrels sailed away to the foot of another tree and run up it, and then sailed away again to an old beech that was full of holes, and the little chaps hollered and whooped and throw'd sticks and chunks amazin', and now they are begging me to cut down the old beech l l will have to do it. Uncle Remus says that tarrapin is mighty slow traveller, and always thought he was, but Jack how hungry he is. He says when he was boy he saw tarrapin take run ming start and jump ten feet up tree and catch sap-sucker. Jack says we may believe it or not, just as we please, and was grateful to him for that privi- lege. I overheard one of the old dark ies singing little song to the children, and he said.
 De frog he jump and he jump and he jump,
 But de tarrapin hide behind de stump
 De rabbit he run aroun and aroun
 But de tarrapin hide his head in de groun
 De squirrel make nest in de forked linn,
 But de tarrapin carry his house wid him. I must get Uncle Remus after that nigger and have him investigated. May be he knows something about this sap- sucker business, and while these law makers are Investigating the department of agriculture would like for them to investigate Henderson on that.
 We'll, we cut wood and cut wood, and have got thirty cords piled up-ash, and hickory, and white oak, and beech, all mixed up; and we are going to have the biggest and hottest fires this winter you ever saw I don't like to be stingy of wood; when company comes in of win ter night, and the cold wind is singing around, I want the wood handy and dry, and can say, "Ralph, bring in an- other stick or two, and make the folks set round" Idon't like for folks to have to crowd fire. Iwant the fire to crowd them. The winter wood ought to be cut now, for it seasons right and will not burn soggy and black. The winters light wood ought to be hauled in time, and split up and put away under cover. There is power of comfort in plenty of light wood. The ash wood makes 8 pretty fire and burns free, but the nick ory lasts the longest and throws out the most heat. The beech burns to white ash like flour, and when you mix up oak with all these it is luxury to to see the glowing embers dancing to white heat underneath, and the children can pop their corn or roast their potatoes, or the good wife can make pot of coffee on the trivet and toast some light bread and broil steak over the coals, and we can sit round and get the odor and en- joy the prospect of good things that are soon to come. There are lots of com forts aroand an old fashioned fire in a farmers home, and, so far as I am con- cerned, am content with em. .--AVa1ata Ga. ) Constitution.