Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1886-07-01
A FORTUNATE FOURTH.


''Old Scratch is at it ag'in," sale
Aunt Melinda, looking toward tn,
garden, where the family hen was in
dustriously scratching, as usual. eft.
a good thing we han't no Vegetable.
CROWN, fur old Scratch would have
EN- up in less'n no time. This ere
soil don't grow nothin' but gold ant
silver. Howsomever, l wouldn' mine
havln' good crop O. that" and with
sigh Aunt Melinda set down her iron
and took hot one off the stove.
"W aal, no." answered Uncle iona.
than. taking his pipe from his mouth
"a good crop O. gold and silver would
be powerful convenient to hev, an here
in Colorado no more'n we ought to
expect, ;.
said Aunt Melinda, with whitening
glance. ''You wouldn't take a pick
and dig if you knew sartin sure YOU
strike it rich. Why don't you go up
the mountain prospectin' %
.'Melindy," said Uncle Jonathan,
solemnly, you forgit my wooden
leg
'.Fiddlesticksr' replied Aunt Me-
linda, II don't want you to take off
your leg an dig with.it. You're well
enough to walk to town for tobacco
every time you can git the money out
O. me to buy it. Here / stand washin'
an ironin' to earn money to keep us
alive, and mebbe up there on the
mountain yonder is a gold mine jest
waitin' fur the first man that has grit
enough to dig down fur it. Hain't you
ashamed of yourself Jonathan Schrim!'
'Tl start out airly in the mornin', "
answered Uncle Jonathan, meekly.
kin I go with your" asked Jim.
eagerly. a.
Jim was perched up on a barrel,
with a long bingham apron tied around
his neck. He was peeling potatoes for
dinner, and swinging his feet to and
fro.
''You can go if your aunt can spare
you,' answered Uncle Jonathan. 81
reckon I won't 20 fur
II reckon you WON'T" remarked
Aunt Melinda, significantly.
I'D rather dig gold than peel pota-
toes," began Jim, discontentedly.
"Peelin' potatoes is girls work.
"Wen. you're all the girl I've got.
SO have to make use o. you,'' replied
Aunt Melinda. 81 can't do every
thing" with a glance at poor Uncle
Jonathan. sss+# at
"When I've done the potatoes, kin I
go out and play?' questioned Jim.
Eyes" said his aunt, when you've
peeled the potatoes and pared the .ap-
pies and brought in some wood and set
the table for dinner"
Jimmy crickets!' thought Jim,
"'tain't no fun to play bein' a girl"
Old Scratch was already at work and
throwing the dirt in every direction
when Jim came out in the garden the
next morning at seven o'clock. Her
owner put his hands in his pockets and
watched her admiringly- ......
''She's the best hen in the hull
camp he was thinking, when bang!
bang! went something right at his feet.
s'Hullo, Jim!" called out boy on
the other side of the fence. What
are you jumpin' fur? Didn't you know
twas the Fourth of Julyp"
$50 it is!' said Jim. 81 clean for
got. Gim' me some O. your crackers. !"
''Jim Schrim," called Aunt Melinda,
'scome right in here and wash these
Dishes"
And Jim went reluctantly into the
house.
''It's the Fourth O. july" he ex-
claimed, as he entered the door.
Uncle Jonathan nearly dropped his
pipe in surprise.
81 declare to goodness!" he began,
''if here | wasn't startin' out to work
on national holiday. I'd forgot all
about its bein' the Fourth. The people
in this ere country don't care nuthin'
fur Sundays an holidays"
'+Kin | hev some crackers?" begged
Jim, who had tied on his gingham
apron and was industriously using a
dish-towel.
''Ask your aunt suggested Uncle
Jonathan. 'tShe used ter be noted fur
bein' SO patriotic. - .s
Il hain't got no money to spend on
them kind o crackers said Aunt
Melinda, grimly.
Never mind, whispered Uncle
Jonathan to Jim, with wink. '.I'll
let you fire off my pistol
So, when Jim had finished the dish
es and swept up the kitchen. he fol-
lowed his uncle out in the garden and
they nailed board ON tree for a
mark. 1t was fortunate that they had
plenty of cartridges, for neither were
very good shots, and the balls want
flying many yards from the target.
Finally, Aunt Melinda came to the
door of the cabin and condescendsd to
make remarks on their skill.
81 could do better than that myself,
Jonathan Schrim,' she declared
'Come on then" said Uncle Jona-
than.
So Aunt Melinda took thu pistol
firmly in her right hand and pointed it
straight at the target.
Don't kill old Scratch!, chuckled
her husband.
But even as he laughed. there came
the click of the pistol, and Jim's pre-
+cious hen fell dead on the ground.
"What hev / done?' cried Aunt
Melinda. ''Why didn't you tell me
she was in the wayP"
"She wasn't nowhere near you,'
insisted Uncle Jonathan; sand
thought you was goin' to shoot at the
mark"
Poor Jim was crying as though his
heart was quite broken.
:Never mind said his aunt, pat
ling his head. "I'll buy you another
hen, and ven eat old Scratch for din.
ner. Firm pistols is always danger
Dug.