The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1886-01-09
THE PUMPKIN FESTIVAL.
A Mean Trick, and How Its Perpetratol
Was Punished.

Was Punished.
The Barley-Corn Club, Sim Peters
President, met in Sim S barn to arrange
for u so-called pumpkin festival 1t
was chilly day without, and the shell
ter of the barn, with its big mows of
hay and stacks of barrels of apples, the
boys found to be agreeable-especially
the apples. A heap of pumpkins, to
which Farmer Peters invited the boys
to help themselves. had been gathered
under the caves of one of the hay
mows.
''Now, boys" said President Peters,
taking from his pocket a huge jack
knife, ''tirst mark your face on the out
side of the pumpkin. Scoop out inside,
you know"
Each one make his own face?" in
quired Sidney Bright.
mot unless it is handsomer than this
is, young man. No, make this face
which you see on my pumpkin, allow
ing two inches for an eye, two inches
for the nose, and two inches for the
mouth.
The result was kind of good-nat-
ured baby-face. When the pumpkin
carvers had all finished, a mere bland,
agreeable, Juvenile set of pumpkin
faces could not be imagined.
'Iet's advertise baby-show, and
have these all covered up-and a can
die inside of each one, of course-and
when the people get here we can pull
off the cover-have, you know, one of
paper-and show the babies" suggest
ed Sidney.
"Agreed" shouted one BARLEY
Corner after another.
The boys completed their work and
quit the barn. As they left the sun
through the purple maze around the
hills appeared very much like one OF
the boys pumpkins transferred to the
sky.
That night, after supper, the lighted
lanterns were placed in row on the
fence, each covered with a paper hood
that could at moments notice be
slipped off. Everything was ready.
Each boy stood by his lantern. Differ
ent families in the neighborhood sent
representatives to the group of specta-
tors gathered.
/" Friends" declared the President.
with great dignity, ''the hour has ar
rived for our wonderful, beautiful baby
show. We first give you welcome.
Barley-Corners, take out your horns
and give EN- blast!'
A stunning toot was given on the
boys tin horns.
Z" Another!"
g Now, three times three!"
The spectators cried for ''mercy, and
the welcome was declared complete.
. The wonderful baby-show!' shout
ed the President, majestically. with
draw covers"
The paper hoods were withdrawn
from the pumpkins, but what baby
show the spectators beheld! The pump
kins had anything but bland, agree
able, infantile look. They had been tam
pered with. Some one had gained en-
trance to the barn of Farmer Peters,
where the pumpkin babies had been de-
posted The mouths had been en-
larged and twisted, the eyes and noses
so that the pumpkins had
savage, tiger-look. In one pumpkin an
eye had been stuffed and closed, so that
the "baby" looked now like an ugly
who had come out of a
contest one orb very badly damaged.
The spectators laughed till they said
their sides ached, but the owners of the
lanterns were filled with rage.
sob! ohr' Chats meanw Con
"What dog has done itP"
''Hang him up!' were some of the ex-
pressions used.
What one of the spectators, Sims
aunt, had ventured to call the pumpkin |
festival of the Barley Corn Club" had |
come to u humilating close. In the
midst of this furious storm of denunci- |
alton the President CHANGED to step
into the barn, and quickly came out,
a lantern in one hand, and
with the other he was gripping a small
boy, Tim Larkin, and known to be
nischief-maker in the neighborhood.
"Here is the guilty oner' shouted the
President. "He has owned up already
hat he fixed our lanterns. You see, he
was waiting for a chance to get off d"
Yes, Tim Larkin, having committed
he outrage, did not succeed in an
escape from the barn before the en-
rance of the club. Crawling back into
, n ri corna,. he Iyaita1 to ham th ~