Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1889-07-18
A HARD-WORKED BOY.

s'Now. Jacky, I'll tell you what
chores you have to do this morning"
''Oh, dear!" walled Jack, Il want to
go fishing. right Off. ~
You can go fishing. All you have
to do won't take you more than half IN
hour, if you hurry"
Il hate to do chores said Jack.
'Of course you do. Every body
knows that. But chores have to be
done, and it is a good thing for small
boys to have something to do"
Yes yes" said Jack. Livery body
thinks small boys ought to work all the
time"
You are to carry this pail Of cream
over to Mrs. Lee's.n
'.It's ever so far"
cit is scarcely half mile. And cut
a basket of kindling, and dig enough
potatoes for dinner
Il hate to dig. 1t always makes my
back ache. And / hate to split kim
dlings; 1 most cut myself the other
day
Here's the cream"
Jack whined dolefully as he took
the small pail and went through the
back yard.
Chores, chores!' he grumbled.
II do believe they think boys were
made for nothing else but to do chores.
/ shall be all tired out before / go
fishing. If mother d ever been a boy
and had to do chores she'd know
Hannah, the girl that helped in the
kitchen, was in the yard, and Jacks
remarks had been half to her and half
to himself.
''Do you think your mother has no
chores to do, thens'' asked Hannah.
''Of course she HASN'T" said Jack.
''Did you ever see her piling wood, Or
running errands, Or driving the cows
Or cutting kindlings'
did you ever see her making bread
or pies Or cakes for little boys to eat?''
asked Hannah did you ever see her
butter and cheese and soft
soap2 Did you ever see her sweeping
and busting and making boys beds?
Did you ever see her making pants
and coats and mendfng stockings and
sewing on buttons?''
Here, Watch. Watch, Watch!
called Jack, as he turned into the lane.
II believe I'LL hitch Watch to the
little cart and make him draw me-"
said. Jack. He's a lazy fellow, and
ought to be- good for something
Jack set his pail down and hunted in
the barn for some straps and strings.
By the time. he had found enough,
Watch was, gone. and had to be hunted
up again. It took some time to har-
ness him In, and, then he showed. as
he had often shown before, that he did
not enjoy being turned into horse.
"Get up, Wateh!. Behave yourself.
saw" Jack seated himself in the cart.
and ordered Watcs to go on. Then
Watch came to a. dead stand still until
Jack got out and led him, when he
would start off on a brisk run. and
Jack would. Jump, into the cart. But
the moment he felt the small boys
weight Watch again came to halt.
After this had taken place about
dozen times. the cream, strange to say,
arrived safely at Mrs. Lees.
Jack worked his way home as he had
come, and turmoil his dismal face to-
ward the woodward.
Il never did like to chop kindling. /
don't see why Hannah uses up such an
awful lot of it,. don't see why she
can't cut it herself Stop nowhere
are some good pieces lying hore..
That'll be so, much less to cut. -
He pounced Or some small bits of
wood, and then began looking for
more.
Perhaps Z can find enough without
cutting a mite"
Up and DOWN the yard went Jack,
picking up chips and small
bits of wood. He found long stick,
and. with much labor. broke it into.
short pieces with his hands He turned
over some heavy sticks of wood to find
a few bits which lay under them. He.
spent q good deal of time breaking
splinters from the hard wood, getting.
many il silver into his fingers.
Il do declare, I've most got my
basket full,'' he at length said: I'm
finish with some of these dry bushes
over On that heap in the corner"
The bushes were thorny and hard to.
get at, but in the course of time Jack
had the satisfaction of seeing his basket
filed.
Now for the potatoes. / think Joe
ought to dig the potatoes. Its, dread-
fully hard work to dig. 1 believe AGl
get my bait first. and then shall be all
ready to go fishing
Bait was rather scarce, and it took
Jack a full half-hour to get enough.
This duty done, Jack looked, with a
groan, into the potato patch.
It'll take three hills, anyhow. I
what folks want to. eat so many
potatoes for. All! there's one most on
top of the ground. wonder why they
plant potatoes so deep under the
ground, anyway. Perhaps can find
some moro on top Of the hills. Yes,
there's one over in that row."
For an hour the small boy walked up
and down between the rows, bouncing
upon any potato which might chance
10 be peeping out of the ground, often
roofing deeply with hands for others
which lay concealed near them.