Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1889-02-02
THE FIRST KATYDIDS.

The first kntydids Of the season were d.
putting in lively manner down in the canr
Geld by the trpok- Their raspin. notes were
borne up to the open kitchen window, and
through it and out to the back stoop, where
the Old Settler was smoking his pipe after
supper, and little Peleg, his grandson, was
nibblins at a ginger snap be had carried
away from the table when his srap'iinot hers
back was turned
What Is it them bugs is hollering, grand
popfr asked Peleg. shaking small shower Of
cake crumbs over the floor OF the stoop.
Them hain't bugs, Peleg,~ replied the Old
Settler, an codlsekently they hain't boiler
in; but know what boy bout your size'n
be hollerin' wen his gran NANNY sees them
cr1imbs-an' thatll be 'Booh-o-o-o-o" an
'Outchr an .Boo-h-o-o-o-or az In in a voice
melogeouser thin boot owl an twicet as
penetratin'-'
Amt they bugs, grandpopF said Peleg,
with his mind still on the katydids, and max
ing swoop at the cake crumbs with his foot,
as if to brush them away, but plasterins them
fat and pasty on the floor instead.
No, they hain't bugs replied Pelegs
grandfather. '.rhey' m inssc's, Peleg. They IN
a night singin', chaw-upcorn-blades sort o.
grasshopper They'm greener tim them ap-
piles tht you an Bill Simmons sneaked outn
OF Bauty Rouzers orchid tother day, an
witch if We do it agin it wun't he me ell set
up all night, bgoeh, an plug hotdroTs inter
We. An they've got a voice, them insec's
has, Ike a wheelbar' that haint been
grea,-ed sence year ago last Fourth o July;
an wat they MARBLES, goldurn EN-, Is Frost
in-six-weelss. Frost-in-six-weeksr An that's
l,t..
truck right betwixt wind an water an knock
it ez wuthle>ss ez coon meat Frost in six
weeks, If hal the maxim o katydids I'd
fetch EN- along bout Dec. 10, b'go~h, an
then they could call for frost in six weeks, or
frost in three DAYS, or frost in twenty six min
utes, jist ez they blame pleased, and lie burned
to EN-"
SO them is katydiis, hayf7 said little Pc
leg. "Oh then know what it is they'r hoE
iering 'ka-ty-didr says one of EN-. Then
another one jaws back and says, Katy
didn'tr Then one away over somcwheres
else boilers out, Katy the bottle"
aJee- whizz, Pelegi" exclaimed the Old Set
tier, taking his pipe out of his mouth and
looking around him with much concern.
did she, thought Broke 1t, hay. Who was
Katy, Pelegi And w'at'd she break the bot
tie fur | hope tn want nothin' in it
thatd a ben handy to hev around in case o.
collie or snake bites, was TIL, Peleg''
Peleg could give his grandfather no infor-
nation on these points, much TO the old gen.
tleman's disappointment. The mysterious
Katys unaccountable hreakage of glassware
seemed to worry the Old Settler, for he NUT
tered several times, as if in troubled thought:
@Brol,e the bottle, did She. wonder If tn
We're anything split th't d a tasted good to
mef" By and by he knocked the ashes out
of his pipe, and rising from his chair, peered
in at the kitchen door and looked out around
the yard
"Do We see anything o. yer gran nanny,
Pelegr he asked
Shes gone to Miss Ketchums to borrow
some empytin's to set bread with, said Peleg.
The Old Settler put on his hat
If she sh'd happen to come in fore l git
back, Peleg," he said. tell her I've stepped
down to til postofiiae, will ye, sonnyf'
Peleg said he would, and the Old Settler
went away as il he were in hurry. Some
how or other he forgot that he was going to
the postotii "a, and took the road that led to
the tavern The Squire and one or two Of
the boys were there when he entered.
"G'd evenin', Major" said the Squire
back of the bar Whether or not he had had
his fears that Katy had been running amuck
among certain glassware there, his glance
seemed To ea.-. his mind. Every bottle was
in its place intact, and the Old Settler sat
down, plainly relieved
"G'd evenin" he said, distributing u bland
smile equally between the BOYS and the
Squire. Il thort tht mebby mowt run agin
two, bar, : ,i,bt anil
says to Mriar jst afore left hum tht
guessed III drop over an see wat the pros
PEGS was fur siurf, an She says She wisht
would, ez she's kinder anxious bout the state
o the kentry herself Ben any candidates in
latelyl"
"Three left here not more'n five minutes
ago" said the Squire; two on EN- fur shurf
an one on EN- fur jedge But ez thur three
more candidate, fur shurf and three fur jeige
due yet we didn't none IN Us commit 'urselfs,
though don't think ever see inducements
Hyin' round so fast an so INJURIOUS, got
seven on EN- myself, an ev'ry one on EN- had
btters an sugar in it Major, its little
unusual fur yer to be behind hand wen self
sacriicin' patriots is around savin' the
kentryr
Wall, Squire replied the Old Settler,
somewhat sadly, I'm ginerly around an
willin' 10 lie nrsicd with that's a fact and I'd
a ben here in time to consider some o them
inducements tht was offered this evenin' il |
hadn't stopped TO give my little granson some
p'ints in nat'ral hst'ry th't he orter know
about. Ii won't do to let the youth o. the
kentry grow up in ign'lance, Squire, even il
perventin' i We hef to cut yerself a leetle
short. Is the proSpec's cheerin 'Suuref
4Rc tho. rhcer;a'," said tha 'So,,ire IN.
,ber, wan VIII, t;ye can.1jJ.,,as T., ,h,. caII
fcIJ for slurf rorr r,,,sririn, follor ci,i,ons
sai1in, oIon.r ncrk nm, meek fur ie,,,,e on,
dnnno how ,n,ry so,,;n, st,tesmen ,;ni,,' ,,r
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dat. boin't n,,.an tho woods Tin tho ,.oils a,
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Am, 'ro,,n1 Lin mn, with hitta,s In to-,
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was n tim, won It stood ve more in hand N
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