Hot Springs weekly star. (Hot Springs, S.D.) 1892-1917, 1892-07-15
Learning to Write.

" uSk q AASGAO 0AU
s.. Nicholas.
Learning to Write.
Uncle Stephen, an old negro, had
come to cut the grass in the front
yard, and as Colonel Winter started
to his office he stopped to greet the
old man.
well, Stephen" said the Colonel,
II hear that you intend to give your
son an education"
"Dat's what l does, sab. 1 knows
what it is ter struggle along without
larnin', and L 'fermined dat my sou
sha'n't trabble bar'foot ober de same
hard road dat L did"
"a noble resolution, Stephen. ]
wish all fathers felt so. Is your boy
learning rapidly?"
"Ez fast ez er horse can trot, sab.
Why, last week he wrote a letter to
his aunt, dat Ibis mo- dan twenty
miles from here, an after a while
he's gwine tor write ter his udder
aunt dat Ibis fifty miles away.
why doesn't he write to her
now"
"Oh, he kaln't write so fur yet. He
ken write twenty miles flrst-rate, but
/ told him not to write fifty miles till
till he got stronger wild his pen. But
he's gwine ter git dar, / tell you.
Won't be mo- dan er year TO- dat boy
kin set down at one end of de CUB
ronment and write er letter clar to de
odder end.-Brandon Bucksaw.
Rack Yard Manners.
The twins were in a bad humor
that morning. Fred spatched a
piece of buttered toast from Ted's
plate, and the latter hit his head
with the syrup spoon. The butter
knife fell on the floor and made a
great big grease spot, both mugs of
milk were upset, and there was gen.
.eral confusion.
Tut! tut" quoth grandma, as
she wiped the syrup from Fred's
matted locks; "the idea of young
men 6 years old having backyard
,manners!"
"Wh-hat do you mean?" asked
Ted, stopping his bowling, while
Fred, too, paused to listen.
Backyard manners, don't you
know what they are?" said grandma.
well, then, you just carry out this
plan Of food for the hens; and il
you'll stand there awhile and watch,
I think you'll know what 1 mean"
Considerably mystitied, the twins
carried out the big pan, full of scrap
,ings from the table, together with a
generous sprink1ing of corn.
Nouu Orop1~nS hans ,rovo ,ou,,
tame, and as soon as they saw the
pan they ran to it as fast as they
could. First came the rooster, sRob-
inson." If you were to ask grandma
why she gave him such q name, she
would say, with a twinkle in her eye,
why, because he crew So"
/, Well. there was SNOWFALL, the
White Leghorn; Nugget, a cute little
yellow hen; Donna Inez, a shining
Black Spanish; ~Crosspatch, a big
brown hen, who was always scolding
and pecking; Jenny Lind, who had a
happy, contented way of singing as
she wandered around the yard. Then
there Rose and Priscilla Stand
.ish, the two plump Plymouth Rocks,
.and-but, dear me! l can't begin to
tell all the names. Ted and Fred
put the pan on the ground, and there
was a great fluttering and scram-
bling.
Nugget seized a long stem of mac
aroni; Donna Inez caught hold of
the other end, and both pulled till
the piece was divided. Rose Standish
pecked away industriously at a big
crust Of graham bread. SNOWFALL
showed a fondness for stray bits of
meat, while Jenny Lind made a raid
on cold potatoes. Priscilla worked
at a lump of bread pudding, and
seemed quite as delighted as Jack
Homer when she found a raisin in IL:
and when she held it up on her beak.
all the other hens jumped for it, SO
that she only saved it by eating 1t
with one big gulp.
As for Robinson, he stood quietly
helping himself to the corn, swallow
Ing kernel after kernel down his long
throat like a miser putting gold pieces
In his bag.
They all crowded, jostled, pecked
Mt, and scolded each other with many
. prolonged "ker-r-r-r!!" until both
Ted and Fred were quite disguised.
Pretty 500 the hens had finished
1t all. Every scrap Of food was
pecked from the tin, every kernel OF
corn scratched out of the dirt, and
beaks were briskly cleaned of by
scraping them on the edge Of the
walk.
Nugget and Donna Inez strolled
down to the brook for a drink; Snow.
ball took a dust bath; Robinson
jumped up on the fence. tapped his
wings, and gave an exultant crow;
.he rest of the fowls stood with necks
swry, sleepily rolling their eyes, that
IS, all except Priscilla and Rose
Standish, who were pulling and tug.
ging and quarreling over a bit Of
gristlc.