The intelligencer. [volume] (Lexington, Mo.) 1887-1891, 1889-01-26
HOW A LITTLE BOY OAMPED OUT.
Emily Fl. Leland, in ST. Nicholas

Emily Fl. Leland, in ST. Nicholas
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
lar 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 Just like
truly camping" So his mother gave
him large old crumb cloth tor a tent;
pair of blankets and a sofa-cushion
for a bed; tin pail full of bread, cold
meat, and hard boiled eggs, and some
gingerbread and apples for his break
fast; also q bottle of milk, a tin cup,
wooden plate, and small package OF
pepper and salt. She then gave him
some cotton TO put in his ears-to keep
out little bugs and things. She lad
the hired man help him drive the stakes
and tasten 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 a 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"-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. Everything was dread
fully still; but the bright tin pail and
the bottle of milk looked very comtorta-
BILE 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 dreadtully still Not
even the smallest baby breeze was stir
ring; through hole in the crumb-cloth
shOne a star. and the star made out
doors seem stiller yet. Panl anbutton-
ed one shoe and then the other, and sat
for while listening. Then suddenly
kicking off his shoes, he scrambled
under the blankets and lay quite still.
He was very small boy, and somehow
camping out wasn't delightful in every
way.
It was nearly half-past eight.
| Ihdtuhd was hulttliiSs tbO ouho "do
sewing, and the big sister was stand
ing 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,
mamma 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
Paul's room. There in the starlight,
she saw the brown curly head cuddled
into its customary pillows. She was a
good and faithful mamma, and so she
did not laugh-out loud. She stopped
over the half-hiddeu head and whisper
ed, "Were you lonesome, dear?' and
Paul whispered back 'eKind of lone
some,-and l heard something swal-
lowing, very close to ny head. And
SO l came in. And-you WON'T tell,
will you Mamma2"
Faithful mamma didn't "tell, mot
until long afterward when Paul had
grown to be 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 !?
| think it must have been an imagined
noise. Don't your