Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1891-10-01
A PALS HISTORY.

Checkered Career of q Twenty-Five Cent
Lard Bucket-From Market to Ash Heap
The first time 1 remember seeing the
light of day, was sitting in store on
a shelf. / was filled with lard, and a
number of other pals sat near me.
was not long in finding out that we
were there to be sold, and that our
price was quarter of a dollar. only
a quarter of a dollar" thought l. WAY
it seems to me as though bright new
pail, which holds three pints and IS
filed with lard in the bargain, ought
to be worth more than a quarter OF a
dollar.
Well, as the days went by the greater
number of my companions We're sold,
and, as no one bought me, l began to
feel little worried for fear was never
going to get to see the world after all;
until one day small boy came into the
store and inquired if they had any lard
in pals for sale. He was told they had
and l was handed down to him.
The boy paid his quarter. picked
me up and left the store. l was
real glad, and looked as bright
as l could. When we reached
the boys home, number of other boys
were waiting for him to go some place
with them. Where. / did not find out,
for he ran into the house, sat me down
on the table with jar that terrified
me and was off in second, slamming
the door behind him till ] thought the
noise had unsoldered my ears. Nothing
more happened of Importance until my
lard was all used. Then a girl took me,
washed me thoroughly, wiped me dry,
and set me away with some basins
pans, etc. Next morning the boy who
bought me took me to bring milk IN,
and the next morning, and the next, for
about month, until, being used for
this one thing all the time, it began tc
be rather irksome. So, one day, askec
a basin who sat near me how it was that
/ was never used for anything else
The basin replied that she didn't know,
when a pitcher, who had overheard the
conversation. informed me that was
the millS-pail, and he was used to bring
milk in before | came.
A few mornings after this, however,
1 was surprised at the boy taking the
pitcher instead of me to bring milk in.
A short time after this the girl took me
down, filed me with good things to eat
and left the house with me. A party
of girls overlook us, and / learned from
their conversation that we were on our
way to school and that / contained the
girls dinner. When we reached the
school l was sat under the girls desk.
1t was a very pleasant position, for ]
heard all her and her seatmates' inter
esting conversation. At noon the din
ner was eaten and at night we re.
turned home again. l was used for the
purpose for about a week, then l re-
turned to my old duty of bringing the
milk for about a month longer when,
to bring milk in again. But l was not
surprised at it this time, for l had
learned that 1 was used for other
things than to bring milk in. A short
time after this the girl who took me to
school took me again, but this time she
put no victuals in me.
l was filed with wonder, for surely
she wasn't going to school, for what
would she want of an empty pail at
school; but at last we arrived at the
place Soon after a party of boys and
girls Joined US, and we went little
further into the patch of berry bushes.
l began to think now that likely she
had brought me to put berries in, and
in a few moments i knew / was right,
for she began to pick berries and put
them into me. We stayed till it was
quite late in the afternoon, for / re-
member of hearing them say that the
sun wasn't an hour high. On the way
home couple of boys began to quar-
rel One of them got very angry and
kicked at the other, but missed him,
and kicked me. l was knocked out of
my mistress hand, the berries were
spilled, and my bail lost in the dust
and dirt of the road My mistress had
worked a day for nothing. After
they had found my bail, in putting
it into my ears they found
that my side was badly dented. But
this was not the end of my troubles.
When we got home my mistress took
me and tried to hammer my side
straight. She thought she had straight
ened it some, but she had only jammed
it more. / was laid away then and not
used for a month or two, until the men
took me to the woods to carry coffee in
for their dinner. / was set on a fire
when dinner time came to heat the COT
fee. That night when l was washed
,he girl couldn't get off all the black,
and the next night she couldn't get off
as much as she did the night before.
Thus the time went on until at last I
was set on the fire to warm the coffee
is usual, and it became so hot that one
IF my ears was unsoldered. That
hight when the men brought me
home they drove a nail through
ny side, where my ear was, and
out the bail through it. The
next morning L was taken to the woods.
out this time could not hold as much
Is usual because / leaked now. That
hight 1 was left in the woods-what for.
do not know-but / do know it was
1ery dark and cold out there However.
,he next day 1 was taken home, only
20 be thrown into the back alley, and
here l have laid for don't how long.
The other day boy took my bail off
20 make some thing of, and little while
after another boy used me for drum
md beat me so hard that he knocked n
lole in my side, and a small girl took
ny lid for a play-dish. And here I am.
With a hole in my side, no bail or cover
'nly one ear, and one side badly dent.
ID. And think now that got to see.
he world, alas, too soon!-N. V. Tr;h-
Inc.
Polly and Her Blister
Polly had been sick in the spripa.
ind her experiences with blisters and
oOultlceS had not been yeru ,,lo,so.