The Washington critic., 1885-06-11
LAPSE FROM GRACE.
ny ERNEST M'GArFEY.

go, for it was the popular opinion among
the "Woodbine" boys that Uncle Bill
Dukes farm was right in the dead centre
of the happy hunting grounds Mr.. Dukes
lived about 100 miles from st Louis on
the line of the Missouri Pacific Railroad,
and seven miles from the nearest station.
Invent upstairs and proceeded to tackle
Mr. P, the "boss," on the subject of
vacation, Nixy waiting outside with
his hopes and fears at fever heat. Mr..
P finally agreed to let me go, and |
went out in the hall and broke it gently to
Nixy. We leaped around on tiptoe, exc
cutting an impromptu war dance with
pantomlme accompaniment to express our
delight, and then proceeded to business.
was to get pass to NJ and back for
Nixy and myself, and Nixy was to load
himself down with shot, powder, caps,
wads, etc, and meet me at the Union de-
pot at p. III.
went TO the treasurer of the Woodbine
Club, Jack OBJ, and "struck" him for
pass, and got it without any trouble. Jack
worked in a railroad Office, and his motto
was, There's many good thing lost in
life by simply not asking for it," He never
failed to ask for what he wanted whether
he got it or not Packing our valises full
of ammunition, Nixy and bid goodbye
to our fearful mothers. "Be careful of
your guns, boys; don't climb fences with
your guns III your nanus, were JIle lasV
words we heard from our anxious mothers.
Our sisters said: otis shame to kill
those downy little rabbits. How can
you be so cruel? And bring us lot of
wings to trim our hats WITH all in the
same breath. Some people think sports
men cruel and unmanly. What mis-
taken idea. A true sportsman is above
all other men living, man with tender
heart. Search the trades and professions
over and the men who love the rod and
gun are the men TO "tie to-
We got to the Union depot at $50 p. m
and boarded the train. At o'clock the
bell changed, the driving-wheels of the en-
ductor yelled "All aboard" whoosh,
whoosh, puff, pufl-and we wound out of
the dark depot. We passed the chmneys
OF Cheltenham, dived INTO the timber that
surrounded Webster Groves and then
drew up for little while at lakewood.
Then we steamed ont into the night,
past woods and prairie and past little sta
lions, where the small boys gathered to
see the train come in.
They came each with a lantern and
some few with black glazed caps. They
did not expect to meet any one and no
one expected to meet them. But they
walked jauntily around the platform,
talked about No. 6 and No 10, got on and
of the cars, and got in the way of the
trainmen, They looked pityingly at the
passengers, and seemed to consider them
very small specimens of extremely small
potatoes. Finally, as the train pulled out
they waved their lanterns and filed Off to
their respective homes, apparently con-
tented and happy. Each and every one
of them yeamed-yes, actually yearned-
to be brakeman.
About $3.50 o'clock, as Milky and were
playing california Jack" q sad, sweet
murmur, floated through the car. 1t was
the usual snorer.
He was in this case n heavy-set German,
with n most ieroclous mustache His
reperory was varied and interesting
Commencing with the echoes from the
Broken, he renewed his acquaintance
with traditional memories of the chanting
Lorelei. He finally settled down to a
steady thing by tying himsef up in a knot
and moaning like disconsolate turtle
dove.
NiXy and put up job to spike his
guns as soon as we got to NJ, provided
our cousin German still held the fort. We
came to NJ Mt last, and Uncle Bill was
| there to meet us. An instant before the
| train started NiXy discovered (?) that he
| had forgotten box of wads. He rushed
| back to the car-Fritz was still snoring
| grabbed the little glass at the cooler filled
it with cold water, poured it into Fritz $
ear at one slap, and skipped off the rear
of the train as it drew out
Dear old Fritz; wouldn't he have given
hoI Nv ~ r. I,,o9I mhffsy go 70 naNe
nnIs III vnIiov ho;r st ~, !" ioM 9 Sc
an os tho trSin rotti LAD, aSt g; m .ie
9a,o,' oartfit p"Ip. ~ p'oNuli
woftnd 10 nc tfon, tha hanl c 49,
". ,vo u,oNod hii, fond f,ronIl ro, = u,
stoton nun It 'o''' '"''"oi' NUN Viio
| Ifnnic Riu u,os Glad to eoous ia stood
| f,o foat so,,on;,, RI otoro hnnts al Ia
Voc ,,oo,I ,rna Eat I'll IT, ""I
rro,,, ~ tSSronSd ~, i;i,o h,tabor;S hinol
| VIII he Se,,rI, ehncl of yoIio,u hoir III:
roiin, hoord SS,,d In biuS a,'o n iaolin%
Iie do.candont Of din Din og OF of SmiI tSo
som Of TroI u O''" Vi Vi ''''''''' VIZ
| IIc had fnnobt ot ol,on,o,,,,o and boo,
I'm 4 lin, nr;snn hnt had nn,,'6 ani, To,
The war rs sonnd as ,' Sta,,o of .onsnnnd
| hickorv Rofnrn and dmrino tLo 49, Hi
| Dukcs was ,sone Of The hnvs ;, so w. Snaolt
| honnv."o.IucI,W and recI1es,e ITo ppo,n,.
| wcni To chnrcG nor corcd onvtbino fn,, va.
| iirinn '''' ''''''9 ''' ~
| STn bouoht q farm and routod n IN tom
| ants and snc't rs time ri6inS oronnd H.
"onntrW w. snpciIoti i ewsrv dance ' he
| was sure to he an land and NJ ali harm
| raisines corn busEimgs and h0g'tiIiings
| The shotgun rifle md fshin@srod heId
| many n charm for him. and he Ind becn
| mighty hunter i'm his dov Deer. inv.
| KEYS and prairie chickens lad fallen he.
| fore his steady aim by scores and many a
II