Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1889-08-01
JAY EFF BEB
Visits The Scene Of His NATIVITY.
hs Recalls the Familiar Sesnss md
Events Of Happy Childhood
And Tells a Characteristic Story Of
Good Old Deacon Q.


MN. khtfoht
Nearly fifty years ago l Was obliged to
visit this place for the drst time. Then I
hadn't dollar In my pocket. aud to-day
after careful search into my financial affairs
l mud have held my own with remarkable
pertinacity.
AZ leok to the southwark and view
Mount Jeherson's rounded top crowned with
. lusuriant growth Of the lowing kine-d--
and TO the north at the dense forests that are
spread loosely over considerable territory
to the east and the wcst--then drop my
leaking eyes 10 the diminusive lake al my
feet recognize the fact that the town also
10 still here.
To be sure the mountain does not pirrcc
the sky TO such an extent a. the remnants of
our youthful Imagination had supposed, anal
the mill pond At its foot looked smaller BY
many acres, but the drift wood was the same
and the eel that took our halt
had all the fantastic Ryrations Of ita FORE
| fathers, The house In which | drst made
frantic demonstrations In favor Of u Hrst
class, able bodied soothing syrup, still atands
surrounded by = rank growth Of sorrcl AM.
thistle, and front yard cut bias divides the
highway from this ancient domicilc, which
looks for all the world like q bottle green
gown with yaller bustle on to it.
In whatever part of the globe our eye
teeth may have been cut matters not, hut our
ineisors worried their way through tho gum
in or near this locality and some OF them
were lost during our school boy days In the
INN cdiaie vicinity. We make this coufes-
sion with regret. but when We remember that
the "other Teller eraved no solid food for .
fortnight drop Of pride mingles with our
cares and va step high. wide aud lively ~ In
former days.
onc hundred rods from the village behind
. feeble and cxprcssionlcss barn found tho
exact spot where injured the parental
T. elinys by allowing the masculine portion
thereof To tan my jacket I'll never do IL
apain--l said 50 then, ! say 50 now.
A short distance north OF tho business end
Of the town .,anl. Lee Normal Academy.
An isti,u ion oil which not only tho town L.
"if but the whole State should he proud.
to' . nunh,r II years Its popularity and
iuytls hRv, b,eu on the increase and to-day
the facilities for board are inadequate to the
demand. A large and commodious boarding
house will undoubtedly be erected In the
near future.
1t was at this school that the writer lent
his ears that he might hear and spoke his
little piece Of a Wednesday afternoon. The
ears have been returned with intercst
and even 10 this day our weak.
ening knees knock one against the
other At the thought Of our oratorical splurges.
II was here that some Of the boys during .
nocturnal flight Of fancy extracted the tongue
Of the bell. piled huge hayrack crosswiss
OF the ridgepole and secured the fattest calf
In the belfry. The prodigal 80, never has
returned to own up. for Id a knowd IL II he
had. II was here that VIZ went lightly over
our latitude and longitude, making up for II,
by some hard work In after years. Here We
discovered that figures wont lie. and that ex-
perimepts In chemistry sometimes end In de
Rster. as scars We still carry, will prove.
Here we elevated by contract the whole
writing school of seventy five busily engaged
pupils, by holding hideous but ArtistiCally
carved pumpkin lantern to the window and
humping on the glass, and to pay for II sang
chorus to the rcverberant admonitions Of our
sire. For several days Immediately follow
ing we used to remove our haA and stand
rather than sit even In the presence Of our
interiors.
The town of Lee boasts neither lawyer,
doctor or minister, but the shades Of = good
deacon still hover over the community, and
Of him ! must tell you a story.
The deacon owned n large farm and kept
several cows, priding himself on the quality
and quantity of the butter made. lie also
kept hired help and among the farm hands =
man we will call Jacob. The deacon had
bargained that Jacob should have bread and
milk for supper every night but took good
care that the milk was first carefully
SKINNED. the cream 10 the cream pot and the
skim milk for Jake. Jacob ate his breal
and blue milk three evenings and not q mur-
mur. The next morning the deacon was
awakened by great commotion In the barn
yard. Looking out he saw Jacob hanging 70
his best Jerseys tail with one hand while with
the other he belabored her with bean pole
a. she fairly flew around the enclosure.
There, gol dang you said Jake, "don't you
ever dare to give another drop Of skim milk
a. long a. you live" The result was satis-
factory to Jacob-as IL should have been.
jar Eyv BEE.