The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1888-11-21
How a Little Boy camped out.

Once there wasa little boy who all sum
mer long had been very anxious tocamp
out over night. Behind his mothers
house Was large garien-as large as a
whole city biock-aDd al the FAR end Of II
was a little <noIl, or hill. with rocks crop
ping out. Il was behind this hill that
litile Paul wished TO camp. for from there
the house would be out Of sight, and it
would be 'Just like truly camping" 50
his mother gave him large old crumb
cloth for a tent pair Of blankets and a
son cushion for bed a tin pail full Of
bread. cold meat. and hard boiled eggs,
and some ginger bread and apples for his
breakfast also a bottle Of milk. a tar cup,
wooden plate. and small package Of
pepper and salt She then gave him some
cot,on to put in his ears-to keep Oui lit
tie bugs and things She bad the hired
man help him drive the stakes and fisten
the erumb cloth over them. The hired
man, Il his own accord, brought from the
barn largo bundle Of hay TO spread IN
der the blankets. 50 as 20 make acomfoTt-
able bed. By twilight everything was
ready, and Paul kissed his mother, his
aunt. and his big sister good bye, and,
shou.dering his cross bow, marched away
- the Rocky Mountains he called
toe little knoll
He pinned back the doors Of his tent
with big catch pins. and then sat down
Gu the graund. Everything was dread
fully still but the bright TN pail and the
bottle Of milk looked very comfortable in
the soap box cupboard: the brave eross
how, with its pin pointed arrows promis-
ed safety while the blankets, sofa eush-
ion, and the son hay were all that any
reasonable camper could ask for.
But il was 50 dreadful still Not even
the smallest baby breeze was stirring
through a hole in the crumb cloth shone
a star. and the star made outdoors seem
stiller vet. Paul unbuttoned Cne shoe
and then the other and sat for a while
listening. Then suddenly kic,-ing of his
shoes. he scrambled under tine blankets
and lav quite still. He wasa very small
boy, and somehow camping out wasn't
delightful in every way.
It was nearly half-past eight Mamma
was knitting. the aunt was sewing. and
the big sister was standing on the dietion
ary, rehearsing her elocetion exercise
Nobody but mamma helri the back hall
door softly open, and the tiny feet 90
stealing upstairs. When the elocution
exercise was over, mlmmi said she must
20 and find the mate 70 the stocking she
vas knitting
So she went I'D upstairs; but before
,oking for the stocking. she went into
Plul's room. There, in the start ght, she
say the brown curly head euiliei into
its customary pillows She was good
and faithful manma. and 50 she did not
laugh-out loud She stopped over the
halfhidden head and whispered, Were
( YOU lonesome, dearg7 and Paul snswer-
ei, "Kind Of lonesOme-and I heard
something arali0,ring, very close to my
head. And 50 I came in. And-you
won't tell, VIII you mamma p
Faithful mamma dida't tell, not until
lougafterward when Paul had grown to
be 50 old and 50 big that he went ~trulv
camping far away to the Rocky Noun
[ tlins
And what was the swallowing that
Paul heard 50 close to his head? think
il must have been an imagined noise.
I Don't YOU 81 Nick0ias