Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1884-07-04
SAM'S STORY.

hOD tnlnKS nau hetter tell THIS story,
suppose because he feels sort of bash
full; and Uncle Rufe says hero never
ought to tell his own story. Rob pre-
tends that it wasn't much of anything
that he did, but we all think it was
pretty smart. Rob is smart il he is my
brother. He can puzzle the school
master asking arithmetic questions, and
he ism t afraid of the minister If any,
body in this town ever gets to be Presi-
dent, know pretty well who it will
be. But Bob says to 60 on telling the
story if m going to, and not put in so
many flourishes.
We live at White Oak Farm, with
Uncle Rufe and Aunt Penelope, and
Dolly. There are three of us-Rob and
Philly and /. am Sam. Rob is twelve
and Philly is eight, and | am great
deal older than Philly, but not quite so
old as Rob. We haven't any father or
mother, but Aunt Penelope and Uncle
Rufe think just as much of us as they
do of Dolly; anyway none of us can see
any difference. Dolly is eight, but she
is girl, and she seems kind of small
and young. We take care of Dolly.
White Oak Farm is u splendid biz
farm, but Uncle Rufe has been growing
poor lately. A bad man cheated him
out of a great deal of money, and then
it was bad year for crops, and it costs
ever so much to take care of us, Rob
thinks. He is in an awful hurry to grow
up on that account, and he tries to learn
everything. He knows almost as much
about farming as Uncle Rufe does, and
he can handle tools like a carpenter. L
don't see of what use those things are
when he says he's going to be n civil
engineer, or an architect, but he says
he wants to be ready for anything.
Well, as was saying, Uncle Rufe has
grown poor, so poor that he had to
mortgage the farm, and then he could
not pay the interest on the mortgage
when it came due. He feltpretty badly,
j can tell you, that day when he went
over TO Easton to tell the man that he
couldn't pay him. He didn't know but
the man would forcclose, and take the
farm right away, and then we should
be homeless. We loved every inch of
White Oak Farm, and to think of its be-
longing to anybody else was awful. #
was December day, and there was
show in the air. Aunt Penelope went
with Uncle Rufe because she wanted to
sec her sister, Aunt Maria, who lived in
Easton, and they were not coming home
until the next day. 'Lisha, the hired
man, and Keziah, the hired girl, were
left to keep house and take care of us.
OF course we could take care of our
selves, but Aunt Penelope used not to
think so; perhaps she thinks differently
now.
They went away in the forenoon, and
that afternoon Keziah got message
was very sick, and wanted her. o;
course 'Lisha had to harness old Pegasus
and carry her over there. He made {
great fuss about leaving us alone, ant
so did Keziab, though she was awfully
worried about her sister, but we were
not afraid.
White Oak farm was mile and hal
from the village, and in pretty lone
some place, but tramps didn't otter
come around at that time of year, ant
we couldn't think of anything tha
could trouble us. Keziah could, though
She's awfully nervous. She said VIZ
should let Dolly's apron get on lire, ant
she would be burned TO death, or W,
should tumble over Beelzebub, the ole
black cat, who always would sit on thu
stairs, and break our neeks, or go ou
to the barn and drop lighted mattel
on the hay, and burn everything up. OF
put kerosene on the stove, and blow
everything up, or choke ourselves. o.
eat the rat poison on the top shelf o
the closet. | can't begin to tell you al
the things that Keziah prophesied woul,
happen to us, but she didn't once thinl
OF what did happen! That's always tn,
way with people that worry. Rob say
it's never any use.
1t had begun to snow in the middle o
the afternoon, and it was very bust
ness-like snow-storm.
II don't know about getting back ol
wheels tonight" said 'Lisha, ''but
shall have to try it, for l can't get alon,
on runners now"
We told him not to try to get bacl
that night, for we shouldn't be a bi
afraid 10 stay alone all night, but h
shook his head. When i saw him d
that knew he'd come back if he ha,
to walk. 'Msha is like. that you ca
depend upon him.
As he was driving cut of the yard h
called to Rob TO be sure not to let an
stranger into the house. The bank i
the village had been broken into th
week before, and lots of bonds an
things stolen. suppose that wa
what made him think OF that. But
didn't think there was much danger G
burglars coming to White Oak Farm
After they were fairly out of the var
Keziah made 'Lisha drive back so sh
could call to us not TO get blown u
with the gunpowder and shot that wa
up in the barn chamber. We neve
went up in the barn chamber. and tn
ladder was broken. anyway, but tina
was just like Keziah.
It was night before they were OF
Rob and went around and fastened a
lle doors and Windows securely, The