Waterbury evening Democrat., 1892-09-29
A oiRL.s FIRST SHOT.
Her Painful and Mortifying Experience
 With . Gun That "Kicked."

Her Painful and Mortifying Experience
 With . Gun That "Kicked."
 shall not go back to the old days when a wee tot of girl used to cry for my fathers gun, shut my eyes when pulled the trigger and then cry again when the gun went of, because the noise frightened me so; but will tell of my first shot when I took hold of gun all alone, aimed at something and shot-nothlng. I had gone with my brother and two cousins to the thew ground" where the boys said there was some fine bird shooting. We had ridden over on our ponies, and after we had dismounted and were climbing a five-rail fence my brother said: "Lucy, you are girl, and girls can't shoot" waited to hear no more. I just slipped to the ground, mounted my pony, gave him the bridle and in a short time was back home again.
 On going to the gun-rack to my dis may found only a heavy, old-fashioned shotgun, which was always spoken of as the kicker" I did not hesitate long to take the ''lxicher," for was fully determined to learn to shoot What matter if did get a kick or twoP Was that half as bad as to be told, '-you are a girl, and girls can't shoot?' could not load the gun, and dare not ask any one about the house to do it for me lest it should be taken away and forbidden to touch it again. l was in despair, when I bethought me of "Uncle Sam,"a superannuated negro who lived with his wife in one of the cabins which belonged to fl ! old negro quarters This old nek had been a slave of my father before the war and was still pensioner on the family.
 He was very fond of me and would do anything for me. I took the ''kicker," all the powder and shot I could find, and made a bee line for Uncle Sam's cabin. I found him outside praying most Justify, ''Oh, Lord, chicken is mighty good, but po' ole Sam doan want no chicken; he jes' wants a ham bone. o, Lord, please jes' sem ole Sam a ham bone''-with much stress on the bone Long since we had all learned that when Uncle Sam was calling so loudly on the Lord for a ham bone he was doing so to drown the noise of chicken sizzling in his frying pan; hence I did not hesitate to interrupt his devo- tions by asking him to load the kicker for me.
 He obeyed my injunction to put in a big load, but hesitated before he gave it to me, saying, "Honey, what is you gwine to shoot?" was stumped
 My thoughts had been so busy with the pleasure should experience at my brothers surprise when had proved to him that girls could shoot that had not thought about what I was going to practice on. I confided my ambition to | Uncle Sam and he said: Down in desc woods jes' back dar is ole fat'nin' pen whar is hog what is gwine to be killed in de mo'nin. Now you jes' go down dar and shoot dat ole hog, den young marster will hear all de niggers a-laffin an a-talxin about how you done shot de ole hog, and eff he doan take all that he said back den ain't no nigger." made up my mind in minute to follow Uncle Sam's advice. I grew happy and | confident. In less than no time l was at the fat'nin' pen, where my career as | a sportswoman was to begin. My idea was to sit on the top rail of the pen, and when the beast looked up at me to shoot 1t in the head, never for a moment doubting should kill him.
 climbed up and seated myself on the top rail facing the inside of the pen The hog looked up. I stilled my throb
 ping heart, pulled the trigger, and found myself lying on the outside of the pen, and that pig still alive looking al me with as much curiosity in his face a:
 1t was possible for pig to have.
 picked myself up and hurried home ai
 fast as could. met the boys at tht
 gate, but try as would I could no
 smile. My whole body ached and my
 heart was sad. The boys were al
 smiles. I knew they saw me with the
 "kicker," but did not dream they hac
 taken a short way home and had seer
 me fall from the top rail of the pen un
 til my brother told me of it as he bade
 me good night-Forest and Stream.