The Sully County watchman. (Clifton, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1894, 1888-11-24
How a Little Boy Camped out.


Once there was little boy who all
summer long had been very anxious to
camp out over night. Behind his
mothers house there was large
garden - as large as n whole city
bl0ck-and ut the far end of it was
little knoll. or hill, with rocks cropping
out. 1t was behind this hill that little
Paul wished to camp, for from there
: the house would be out of sight, and
it would be lust like truly camping"
So his mother gave him n large old
! crumb cloth for tent; Il pair of
! blankets and sofa-cushion for u bed;
! a tin pail full of bread, cold meat, and
| hard-hoilcd eggs, and some ginger
bread and apples for his breakfast;
! also bottle of milk, II tin cup,
wooden plate, and n small package of
pepper aud salt. She then gave him
some cotton to put in his ears-to keep
out little bugs and things. She had
the hired man help him drive the stakes
and fasten the crumb-clOth over them.
The hired man of his own accord.
brought from the barn large bundle
of hay To- spread under the blankets,
so as TO make comfortable bed. BY
twilight everything was ready, and
Paul kissed his mother, his aunt, and
his big sister goodbye, and, shoulder
ing his cross-bow, marched away to
the Rocky Mountains he called
tho little knoll.
He pinned back the doors of his tent
with bic catch-pins, and then sat down
on the ground. Everything was dread
fully still; but the bright tin pail and
the bottle of milk looked very comfort
able in the soap-box cupboard; the
brave cross-bow, with its pin-pointed
arrows, promised safety; while the
blankets, sofa-cushion, and the soft
: hay were all that any reasonable
camper could ask for.
, But it was SO dreadtuhy still! MOI
even the smallest baby-brecze was
i stirring; through Il hole in the crumb
1 cloth shonc n star, and the star made
l outdoors seem stiller yet. Paul un
' buttoned one shoe and then the other
: aud sat for while listening. Their
suddenly kicking off his shoes, h'
scrambled under the blankets and In,
quite still. He was very small boy
. and somehow camping out WASH
: delightful in crery way.
: 1t was nearly half-past eight. Nam
v ma was knitting, the aunt was sewing
:. and big sister was standing on TIL
= dictionary, rchcarsing her elocutio
h exercise. Nobody but mamma hear
!. the back hall-door softly open, and tn
tiny feet go stealing upstairs. Whe
|. the elocution exercise was over, mann
: ma said she must 60 and find the mat
O to the stocking she was knitting.
). So she went upstairs: but, befor
! looking for the stocking, she went int
= Paurs room. There, in the starligh
i she saw the brown curly head cuddle
= into its customary pillows. She was
good aud faithful mamma. and so di
: not laugh-out loud. She stoope
,s over the half-hidden head and whispe
: ed, Were you lonesome, dear?" an
A. Paul whispered back Kind of lon
~ some,-and | heard something Sscdttot
# ing very close to my head. And so
o. came in. And-you won't tell, wi
ns YOU, mammal"
- Faithful mamma didn't "tell," n
= until long afterward when Paul Ii;
= grown so old and SO big that he WEI
- .'truly camping" laraway to the Rocl
,h Mountains.
H. And what was the swallowing til
~, " Paul heard? | think it must ha
a been an imagined noise. Don't yo
,n Emily III. Leland, iH 81. Nicholas.