Semi-weekly south Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1883-1889, 1884-07-29
pcck's Son,

bic and ask ma where his linen coat
is, and why she don't put up the mos
quito-bars. lie thinks il is smart.
This morning il was hot enough to
roast eggs on the sidewalk, and pa
came down to breakfast and asked
where his sealskin cap and gloves
were, and then he turned to me and
said. Hennery why haven't you built
fire in the furnace? Want us all to
freeze TO death 7 If you can't Keep a
fire in the furnace | will know the
reason why and then he laughed,
and wiped the -pcrspiration off his
face. i thought it would be good
joke to take pa at his word, and show
him that two could be cunning as
we'll as one, so | went down in the
basement and built fire in the fur
mace, with kindling wood, and put on
lot of coal. After breakfast pa sat
down in the parlor to read the paper,
and he began to get hot box. 1t
was warm enough without any fire,
about ninety in the shade, and pa be-
gan to heat up. went through the
parlor and | said Igucssed il was go
ing to be sclorCher, and man
would get sunstruck if he went out
doors. Pa is afraid of being sun
struck, so he wouldn't go out. lie
sat there trying to read, and pulled
off his coat and vest and collar and
cuffs, and boots aud tried 10 find a
cool place. He went up stairs, bat it
was hotter there, and he came down,
putting. The minister and two dca-
cons called to talk with pa about the
picnic they are going to have next
week and they said it was the hot
test day ever was. Pa said il hell
was any hotter than milwaukee, II
had no charms for him and the min-
lister said this weather was a rcfrig-
orator car in comparison with what
pa would encounter hereafter, If hC
didn't change his course. Pa was
mad at the minister for being so per-
sonal, but he went on talking about
the picnic. The minister looked al
the thermometer and il was hun
drcd and six, and he said lie didn't
20 out of that house till after sun
down, not If he knew it. Pa sug.
gcsted that the minister and the dea.
cons take of their coats and things,
and so they stripped off their things
aud sat aronnd aud lolled. The min
lister said as pa was the committee
for lemonade for the picnic he better
make some then so they could see II
he knew his business, and pa sent me
To tho kitchen to make some. There
was only one lemon, so | asked the
girl for some lemon extract, and SHE
gave me a bottle of citrate of mag
ncsia, which she said was so nea
like lemonade they couldn't tell tht
difference and / poured quart o
that in the lemonade pitcher, ant
sweetoned ii and took il in the par
lor Well, you'd a dide to see then
drink it, and prespire, They talked
picnic and looked at the tnermOme
ter, and spoke disrospectfully of TIN
weather, and l sat around ant
watched them from on top Of the ice
box about an hour, when suddenl.
they didn't drink any more lemonad
cause it was all gone. Pa went il
the Kitchen and / saw him eXamin
ing the bottle that | got the lemon OK
tract out of, and he picked up a picc
of barrel stave and went back in tn
parlor, and just then the minister
who had sat his chair over the regis
ter, to get the draft of cold air, told p
there was hot air coming up the reg
lister, and pa and the deacons exam
incd all the registers, and found tbs
the air was hot, and then they locke
at each other, and pa came to til
door and spoke kindly, and sai'
'Ilemely, come in here, your 7
wants to speak to you about some
thing but I knew he was holdin
that barrel stave behind him to hid
it and didn't come here Hcnery
not very much, | Ithink a boy ca
most always tell when it is health
not to come here HENRY just
the minister looked at the thermon
cter and said it was hundred an
twenty, and ma came in the froi
door from her marketing, ana shou
cd fire, Iwent out the back way all
got over the fence little ahead I
: the barrel stave, which struck IL
fence right under me. l amt L
coward, but am like the fellow thi
} run away from the fight and said,
soon as the chairs and bungstartcl
i began to fly through the air, he d
cided to get out honorably, and I'll
only way to get out honorably w'
= to get out quick Pa will get ovt
|, being mad at twelve-thirty, and
e win go home to dinner. | guess I'll
y picnic meeting has adjourned, as I'll
,. minister and the deacons are comm
: up the sidewalk with their coats Q
their arms. Pa is one of these fe
! lows that likes joke if it is on SOM
II body else. The other day fIien