The Arizona sentinel. [volume] (Arizona City [Yuma], Yuma County, A.T. [Ariz.]) 1872-1911, 1888-12-01
CAMPING OUT.


The Experience of a Little Boy Who
Found 1t HKInd of Lonesome"
Once there was little boy who all
summer long had been very anxious to
camp out over night. Behind his
mothers house was large garden--as
large as a whole city block-and at
the far end of it was a 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 'just
like camping" So his mother gave
him large old crumb-cloth for n tent;
pair of blankets and sOfa-cushiOn
for bed; tin pail full of bread, cold
meat and hard-boiled eggs, and some
gingerbread and apples for his break
fast; also a bottle of milk, tin cup,
wooden plate, and small package of
pepper and salt. 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
every thing was ready, and Paul kissed
his mother, his aunt and his big sister
goodbye, and, shouldering his cross
bow, marched away to the ''ROcky
Mountains, as he called the little
knoll.
He pinned back the doors of his tent
with big catch-pins, and then sat down
on the ground. Every thing was dread
fully still; but the bright tin pail and
the bottle of milk looked very COM
Portable 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 dreadfully still! Not
even the smallest baby-breeze was stir
ring; through hole in the crum-cloth
shone a star, and the star made OUT
doors seems stiller yet. Paul unbuttoned
one shoe and then the other and sat for
while listening. Then suddenly kick
ing off his shoes, he scrambled under
the blankets and lay quite still. He
was very small boy. and somehow
camping out WASH delightful in. eUery
way.
1t was nearly half-past eight. Mann
ma was knitting, the aunt was sewing,
and the big sister was standing on the
dictionary, rehearsing her elocution
exercise. Nobody but mamma heard
the back hall door softly open, and the
tiny feet go stealing upstairs. When
the elOcution exercise was over, man.
ma said she must go and find the mate
to the stocking she was knitting.
So she went upstairs; but, before
looking for the stocking, she went into
PauIs room. There, in the starlight,
she saw thu brown curly head cuddled
into its customary pillows. She was
good and faithful mamma, and so she
did not laugh-out loud. She stopped
over the half-hidden head and whis-
pered: "Were you lonesome, dear?"
and Paul whispered back, ''Kind OF
lonesome-and heard something stoal-
lo,oing, very close to my head. And
so l came in. And-you won't tell.
will you, mammal"
Faithful mamma didn't ''telln-not
until long afterward when Paul had
grown so old and so big that he went
truly camping" far away to the
Rocky Mountains.
And what was the Swallowing" that
Paul heard so close to his head? L
think it must have been an imagined
noise Don't you?-Emily II. Leland,
in 81. Nicholas.