The Hot Springs star. (Hot Spings [Hot Springs], Dakota [Dakota Territory, i.e. S.D.]) 1886-189?, 1891-01-30
RAMBLING IN TfHiE Woops.
a City Mans Return to tHis Ses.;s;s Il ~
ohaldh0n6a.

RAMBLING IN THE Wooos:
A City Mans lastsrn to tkis sess;s;s Il ~
Childhood.
It was . hot, cloudless day In August.
A gentle breeze was stirring. and, sit-
ting on tho little back porch Of the old
farmhouse and looking across ! Vista Of
yellow stubble-f1elds to the dark line Of
woods. nearly half milo away, could
see the tops Of tho tellest trees swsying
gently, and could almost. I fancied, hear
the faint rustling of their leaves, Of tho
music Of which I have ever, sinco
child, been ovcr-fond, writes Ed B.
Prttchard, in tho Arkansaw Ttavclcr.
It had been throc years sinco had
visited the old farm, three long years Of
toilat the desk, amid tho noiso and busy
strifc Of q great metropolis, and this was
my first day Of short weeks vacation
ut tho old home, among tho friends Of
my boyhood days and tho scenes Of tho
happiest years Of my life. ),
had reached tho farm about ten
o'clock in tho morning, md. after .
bounteous dinner at noon, was sitting
on the porch, tho coolest place. a. I we'll
know, about tho house, fcasting my eyes
on the dear old landscape that I had
known so long. and which, during all tho
years that had boon away from it, wss
always charming picture that, though
paradoxical it may sound, had only 70
shut my eyes to sec ut will.
must got to those woods, and that At
once. No matter that tho afternoon
August sun was sending down his fiercest
rays, no matter that must walk half o
mile across stubblc-lcIds, which, from
whore sat, could sec wcrc almost
quivering with heat, know what sweet,
familiar sounds shall hear, what re-
freshing coolness and quiet shall hnI
when l have reached their grecn and
shady depths. Even whilo am think
ing Of these things, a solitary crow witt,
loud ''caw! caw!" flies swiftly over tho
stubblc-ficlds, high in mir, and light
ing on the top of huge oak sends forth
series of exultant ''cnws!" to his mates
whom he has loft in the orchard back of
tho barn. To mc he seems tosay to them:
''There arc no hens nests in that old
straw-stack. Why stay over there in that
hot, broiling sun? Come over hero
into these grand old woods. Hard by
is tho creek, and know dark and
shady pool where we can bathc, and be-
low it shining, singing ripple, whero
VIC can wadc and play to our hearts con-
tcnt."
Evidently, they understood the mean
ing of his cries, for moment later q
bcvy Of tho black and saucy rasca;s 20
scurrying across tho fields and Join him,
where thcy oil set up q perfect chorus
OF ''caws::" which tako to be expires.
sions OF approval of their companion's
suggestion.
Hastily divesting myself of coat and
vest. for in the country it is no breach
OF etiquette ITO go in your sbirS
sleeves" step into the hail and take
from the rack w:de.br;mmed straw
bat. and after briet stop at the oia
spr:ns.ho at tho foot ut the hill, ! ana
OF, as the crows fly, across fields fer
tho woods
On rcacning them find I am sweat
ing prOfuscly. What? You say sweat
ing IS vulgar, I should say pcrspirinc,
Weu, no matter; 4 know am heated
and flushed, but l never fclt better.
Tho air is pure and sweet, tho birds are
singing in tho woods on tho borders of
tho little stream, and now as l pause to
n:op my dripping face hcar wood
pecKer beating his lively tattoo on a.l
Old bcccn stub and chirp, chirp comes
from saucy little ground Squirrel ;.s
he streaxs it like a flash of russell light
along the rails OF tho old fcncc near
which ain s:aniing. I shy rock ~
ht M f,f spa t1tn nj
muraerous enough to wish had o gun
with which to take crack at that WHY
Old wUva. .pecker, who has, on catching
sight Of me. slyly slipped around to tao
otncr side Of the old beech stub, where
I can still hear him pecking away xs
busy as nai.er.
hastily scramble over the fcncc. and
five minutes later stand under tho
thick shade OF tho wide-spfeSaing
branches of grand old beech trac
and on tho cdgo of a steep bluf, at
whose base runs tho turbulent but ro-
mantle Lfttie Wildcat creek. throw
myself down on the grass, which is here
SO luxnriant that it is softer than tho
heaviest carpet, and there lie for ha.i
an hour idly listening to the soft ana
indescribable music OF tho waters be-
low. Then, having cooled OF, go
down to the waters edge and delih-
eratcly disrobc and-''go in swimmin' :"
Mind, don't say bathing, for had no
bathing suit. just did as wc boys used
to do years ago-''just stripped of and
went in swimmin'." You see, there was
nobody there to look except the birds
and the squirrels and an old black
water snake which caught summing
himself out on rock at the waters
edge, and which ruthlessly killed with
q club.
How did enjoy that swim, that froiic
oil by myself in tho watcr! Tired of
that, continued my stroll until a cool
ness of the air and rapidly-deepu. ming
shadows warned mo that 1t was tine 20
turn my face homcward.
When reached tho house I made q
discovery, and that was that while in
swimming had donc just as had
often done before when o boy-had sun
burned both shoulders into blisters, ono
on each tho sizc of my hand. Then,
too. as in days long agonc. . liberal ap-
plication of sweet cream was given and
went to bed with the chickcns,' was up
with the birds and tho ncxt day was
able to go squirrel-hunting and had q
glorious time. But Of ali my brief va
cation days shall not soon forget that
afternoons ramble in tho woods
Tho Worst Form Of slavery. .
To do wrong, or, what is tho sanc
thing, to refrain from doing right, when
tho time for action arrives, because wc