Elmore bulletin. [volume] (Rocky Bar, Idaho) 1889-1906, 1892-07-10
DISINHERITED JOE.


TO cultivating prize dahlias she could
not be matched. She did everything
SO easily, too; was SO jolly comforta.
BILE in all her ways-why, boy could
not help hanging around her
! was like her in some things;
wasn't named after hee for nothing.
] liked To turn my hand to lots Of
things. though wanted fun in EN-
And did like TO take life easy Jo
seph ii. Wingate, that's as near to Jo
sephine H. Wingate as you could ex.
pect a boys name to be. II seems my
parents had talked of naming me Jo
sepha; am glad they didn't. The
boys would have been surv to call me
Sissy. whereas | now flourish under
the sturdy name of Joe.
Ny aunt was immensely rich. OF
course, was To be her heir That was
understood in our family. Mother
would always say ''Sh !" when talked
Of il boldly, but her eyes would glis-
ten proudly just the same. More than
once, too, I'd overheard her talking
with some neighbor about my wealthy
sister-in. law, the widow without chill.
dren, for whom Joseph was named.
And father seemed to let me off easier
on chores and such things. He knew,
of course, that some tinie better fortune
would come TO the family through me.
We weren't very well-to-do. We
had TO ''scrape along" as father said,
and put mp with what we could get.
But both father and mother took
things cheerily; they understood that
it wasn't 10 last on in this way always.
There were six of us boys, and father
was a printer. tell you, it was a
comical sight 10 see, sometimes, the
long legs and arms stretching out Of
the ovcrgrown and patched up suits
of five OF 'em. But ! never looked
that way, because | was named for
Aunt Josephine. used 10 comfort
'em, specially when | got off easy on
my share Of the work, by telling what
/ could do for 'em when came into
my property.
spent my summer vacations with
Aunt Josephine every years after was
10 years old. She wouldn't have me
come before, because she said WASH I
old enough 10 study up" | didn't
exactly know what that meant then,
but believe found out afterwards
Aunt Josephine was queer, though
80 clever. She used to 90 about her
work on tile farm in thick, short
gray dress aud straw hat that looked
like a mans, and her hair was bobbed
up into little knot behind. She had
stout figure and eyes that looked
right into you. She really seemed
more like a man than woman. About
her work, ! mean. But when work
was done. she'd fix herself up in silk
dresses and the lady Of the White
House couldn't be grander.
! was like her that way, too. | liked
TO rough il at play; but could do jus
tice to q smart suit in the proper place
better than any boy knew of. Those
suits came pretty hard on father. but,
OF course, he knew they were due me.
1t was funny, but Aunt Josephine
didn't take TO those suits as one would
suppose she would.
Once she said to me, with sniff oi
her nose:
Seems TO mo, sir (she always said
sir instead OF joel, your father dresses
you better than he does the Other
boys"
''0h, yes. ma'am; why shouldn'
hef" | answered.
"Humphl" was all that she had tC
say then.
How | reveled in Aunt Josephine'i
strawberries, plump cherries anc
golden raspberriesl Those summers
spent with her were constant picnic
Nothing 10 do but eat and play. SHE
tended the fruits herself. She wouldn'
trust any Of the men, but was up early
every morning wedding or taking pre-
cautions against the bugs.
rtF L
III you want thing done well yor
must do il yourself.
"Do you live up to that principle
sir1' she asked sharply.
why, no ma'am; I'm not obliged
to" said l.
"Humphi" exclaimed my aunt
said was as fond of doing lots o
things as my Aunt Josephine, but
think rAade ii understood il was tn,
things that had plenty Of fun in EN-
There wasn't fellow who could pla,
cricket better, or swim. or shoot or II
fact do anything that required a stead,
arm or long leg
Once Aunt Josephine drew me ul
before her, and with her gray eye
fixed upon me keenly, asked:
DO you manage to have prett.
good time at school. sirf
"Yes, ma'am, answered, master
he's little deaf, and he's near sighted
too, and that gives us boys goo'
chance"
Don't get as high rank as you
brothers, do your
'.Of course not What's the need ;
"Humphl" she exclaimed again
But knew, if she didn't say so, tina
she wanted me TO enjoy myself. Many
the time she's said TO some one Of tn
men when had been asked TO do bi
OF an errand:
"Oh, let the boy alone, unless he
willing Somebody else can be sent.
or course she was thinking that
did not need 10 be worker.
Once she asked me what liked dc
ing the best Of anything.
"Peppering tom cats, answered
promptly.
What in tine worlds that1
.Oh, Dick Hawley aud | take ou
popguns and 60 up Cat alley that's
row of tenement houses where the ca
are awful thick-and we just til
away al them with little stones Il
there isn't tail TO be seen. It's gre
fun"
We'll, sir. do you expect TO ear
your living by and by, peppering toI
catsIf