Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1886-05-13
BOYnOOD DAYS.
Picks sun.

Jonas McGUffiE uncle in-law, an
aged parsonage, has been RECALLING the
household Of the aforesaid McGuffin
with some wonderful tales relative to
the early days when Prospect Hill
was first settled. One Of his stories
has been related to me by McGuffin's
bow. and it seems good enough to
print.
AT the time | went there to live,
when | was about eleven years old, +"
the old man explained to the admir-
ing circle around him. there was only
avery few houses in the neighborhood
Each family had one or two boys and
we boys were soon well acquainted
Many are the things we did which
now you wouldn't hire me to do for a
million dollars. ] commenced to boss
the other boys around, and for a time
| was the recognized cock Of the walk
and when any mischief was done those
complaining would always come to
my father and make him settle the
damages. Finally, after ! had had
things nearly all my own way for sew
eral weeks, new family by the name
of Frost moved into the settlement.
The family included red headed boy
about my own age and he refused TO
to let me boss him.
Il had managed to get along so far
without any fight, but | found it
wouldn't do this time. Well. to make
it short, we had fight and I got well
licked, too. although wouldn't have
minded it so much if he hadn't been
boy who suffered SO you couldn't
hardly understand him; that was the
worst of it. For months all | would
be greeted with was. "B- b. boz mer,
yy-o-on gg got l-i-i-cked by F-f r-r-
rOsty," repeating it in a sort of re-
frain. Frosty and | made it up after
awhile and were great chums. That
Frosty was boy couldn't understand;
he used to be puttering things togeth-
er all the time, and his ingenuity once
came near to be the death Of both him
and myself. To understand the mat.
ter | should explain.
Prospect Hill is in reality two
hills; that is, you 90 up a steep ascent
and then you come to level space on
which We're situated q number of
dwelling houses; then comes another
hill, very steep, on the top of which
was the principal settlement. Eros
tvs house stood near the slope, and
behind the house was a large
shed. the back end of which reach
ed to the edge of the hill. Well,
at one time Frosty got the pi-
geon fever and nothing would, do unless
he kept doves, and SO he constructed a
huge dove cote on the roof of the shed
at the upper end. 1t was quite nice
coop. \ new house was being built
across the way, and one night several
lunches Of laths were left out of doors
and that's what put the idea of build
ing coop into Frosty's head. We
bulIt the dove cote the full size of the
lAths, shingled it with shingles gath
cred from the same place az the laths,
AMI after putting straw into it, il
made nice 'cubby house, in which
We spent the best portion of our spare
time. Other boys used to come up
there, and after awhile Frosty put a
lock on the door and after We got into
1t we'd lock the door to keep the 9TH
er boys out.
The next Sunday We left home os-
tensibIy to attend Sunday school, but
after We got under the lee Of the hill
We lodged into the bushes and worked
cur way Up the hill till We got to the
she'd, and then it did not take long
'oi us to scOot into the coop and lock
the door. Frosty had pack of cards
and he proceeded to initiate me into
tie mysteries of seven up Iproved
u good scholar and We soon started
INTO game, using our SUNDAY school
merit checks as antes.
We got Interested and finally into
" dispute, and then we were having
II hot and heavy around that coop
slamming up against the sides, filing
the air full Of straw, cards and merit
checks. In the midst of the struggle
noticed the coop seemed rattle,
shaky and | was about to mention 8
cessation Of hostilitiss when I got a
bang IN the eve, and immediately
forgot the coop in endeavorinz to sit
on Frosty head. Suddenly We rolled
ever into one OF the corner., and til.
coop gave lurch, and with crashing
tearing noise broke loose from ia
fastenings and toPpled over on the
steep roof Of the she'd.
The coop was all lop-.ide5 anv
way, and II was easier to roll than Ia
slide. was conscious OF being sent
irom one side to the other, collidins
with Frosty and slammins up against
the different sides till didn't know
where we were nor the coop either.
Down. the roof Of the shed rolled the
coop with us two boys locked inside.
1t gave a grand bounce from the shed
TO the edge Of the steep dechvity and
commenced to tear and bounce down
the hill. By that time | and Frosty
had got knocked unconscious and did
not know it, or il We had, would not
have been capable OF caring, but our
Sunday school teacher, who was out
on the steps of the meeting. house, look.
ing for his truant scholars, said his ut.
tsntion was attracted by hearing q
crashing, ripping noise, and looked
up Just in time to see the coop bounce
eft the shed onto tina edge of the hill
and come smashing down toward him,
tearing up small trees. starting boul.
ders, etc, till It looked like a minia-
ture land slide.
His hair stood up on his head and