Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1886-07-24
Punishment by Consequences.

Punishment by Consequences.
My elder sister, Mrs. Weston, who is
an invalid, spent the winter before last
in California, leaving her household
affairs and three children. Bess, Jack,
and Charlie, in my charge. Bess was
then sweet sixteen, Jack was twelve,
and Charlie, as he was often informed,
was only half as old as his brother.
These young people live in one of the
Oldest and pleasantest towns in Massa-
chusetts. They are near enough to
Boston to have water works and one
electric light and frequent mails and
twenty trains a day; yet far enough
from the city to tread hay in the sum-
be true country folk the year round.
All, what fun we had that winter!
And what tale to tell the children's
mother when the west winds brought
her home! Charlie had frozen one of
his ears; and Jack, who has fever for
curiosities, had begged his Mortified lit
tie brother to give it to him, IF it
'hould come off, you know, Charlie"
to preserve in alcohol. But it had
stayed on out of sheer indignation. The
whole family, including reckless Aunt
Sue. had built a grand snow fort-I
beg pardon! castle of Ivanhoe-on
the lawn. Thus we had been guarded
for a whole fortnight against all wan
dering knights, except the tramps, who
are said to have seen &c. S. NJ"
chalked on the stone wall. Other re-
suits of this fine undertaking were two
sore Threats and three lost mittens.
There had been surprise parties, candy
pulls, and long sleigh rides. There
had been coasting on Fairleigh hill and
skating on the river. All three of the
children had had the humps. We had
kept Christmas and New Years Day,
Charles birthday and the 18th of Feb
ruary. But of all the wonders that
have been poured into my sisters ears
from the moment she opened the front
door even to this day, the most strik-
ing seems to me the story of Jacks
performance on Washington's birthday,
and the conse Iuence thereof.
That welcome anniversary came on
Friday two years ago, as you may re-
member, and the weather was mild.
Jack and the two Roberts boys and the
little Hill boy had tried to make the
most of it by tramp through the
woods and fields. Now they were on
their way home, bound next for the
junction, to exchange greetings with
the engineer as the train came around
the curve. They looked like a set of
young ragamuffins, with their dirty
faces, despatched jackets and trousers
tucked into their muddy rubber boots.
Harry Hill, in particular, had come to
grief; for he had fallen into ditch
where he was fishing for minnows, and
been tished out himself, dripping and
breathless. They were all tired enough,
but ready for mischief still.
just then they caught sight of q
strange boy coming along the road. He
was a stupid-looking little fellow, with
fat face and sleepy blue eyes. Jack
straightway forgot all about the Ratchet
story and its moral, though he had
heard them every Washington's birth
day since he could remember, winked
ut his friends, and began what he
thought was very good joke.
"Look here, young fellerl What do
you spose has happened to us?"
"What?" returned the stranger, hur-
rying little to get nearer.
"Why, we've had fearful time! It's
q wonder we're all alive! We've been
down to the river" another wink back
ward "and these three fellers al got
in. Yes, sir! Bert and Dick can swim,
but they couldn't do much, there was
so much ice; m Harry Hill here, he
went down twice; n at last man came
off in boat n helped 'em out. Just
look at Harry! Amt he landscape ?"
(Which epithet, considering the amount
of native soil its object carried about
with him, was not far out of the way).
"Whe-ew" cried the little unknown.
He stared at the party moment
longer, and then walked slowly away.
AS soon as he was at safe distance Jack
and his friends relieved themselves by
a hearty laugh.
"Ha-ha! I thought should bust"
cried Bert.
ID d you see how he took it all in p
chuckled Dick. "He swallered every
word"
AS for Jack, he felt himself the hero
of the day. After sundry more self
CALCULATIONS they went on to the juno
ton, and so home. By the next morn
ing not one of them had thought for
yesterdays trick. I should probably
never have heard of it, and you certain Y
would not, but for what came to pass
afterward.
The next Sunday, while I was sitting
at dinner with my two nephews, Bess
came hurrying in late, in state of
great excitement.
81 guess you didn't know, Jack
Weston, she began, what would be-
come of the lie you told Friday"
who? L? What lie?" stammered
Jack, stopping his fork in mid-air.
why, when you told that little
country boy that Harry Hill was most
drowned, l guess you didn't know it
would come out in the Boston Satar-
lay Banner, with the names!"
Creation! I never should have
dreamt of such thing!" cried Jack,
his voice dwindling off into little
| squeak Of establishment. did it give my
name?"
NO." said Bess, "but it gave all the
rest. Here's the paper. Lily Roberts
said her mother read it to Bert and
Tom last night, and asked her to lend
it to me-"
Having by this time thrown off her
hat and cloak, Bess seated herself at
the table, opened the paper, and in a
voice whose every tone was freighted
with reproach for the astonished Jack,
read as follows: