Highland recorder. (Monterey, Highland County, Va.) 1877-1972, 1893-06-23

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that had SO stirred the tranquility of
the household as had his meek request
for the use of the old mare and the
buggy, with which to take Phoebe
Jones to "'the Fourth at KA Bob.
Jehial understood the lay of the
land we'll enough to know that his
startling petition should be put in
along with the first seeds of spring, in
order to ripen definite decision by the
time the smoke and tumult of In
dependence Day began to ascend from
the Ka Bob public square, which was,
to him, the grand theatre of all truly
metropolitan events.
Jehial had conceived this daring de-
sire to distinguish himself as man
among men while casting "sheep's
eyes" at the back of Phebe's bowed
head during the long prayers that con-
stituted the bone and sinew of the
weekly conference meeting" at Zion's
Church.
It must be confessed that there was
little courage about his first conscious
wish to celebrate the glorious Fourth
by SO bold stroke of gallantry. 1t
was simply wish. But as each warm
spring day spread its seductive in
Auences about him, and he strobe
across the steaming field in the wake
of pillow or drag, his longing grew
stronger, and he nursed it into sturdy
resolution.
But, somehow, his courage was
stronger when alone in the field than
when face to face with his father, at
home.
1t seemed as though the right op-
portunity for approaching his father
with the proposition never would pre-
sent itself, and he delayed the dread
ordeal from day to day.
At last the handbills announcing the
order of exercises for the great cele
bration at Ka Bob appeared. 1t was
to eclipse all former celebrations in
magnifcence, and each special attrac-
tion was discussed with as much zest
and relish as though it was not a pre-
else repetition of the programme that
had been advertised year after year,
until every adult knew just which
features would bc presented and which
omitted.
"Ma, wuz jest a-thinkin' I'd like t
go t. that Fourth of July down t Ka
Bob, :" said Jehial, to his mother, as
she came out to the old well sweep for
q bucket Of water, where he was wash
ing the plowed ground from gaunt
feet.
'Why, of course! Is'pose we're all
going" she replied,
"But / don't mean that. | WIZ
thinkin' I'd like to go alone and-and
take some one," he stammered.
"'Go alone and take some one =
Why, child, who ever heard of such a
thing? What on 'arth do you mean?'
Sch here comes pal" exclaimed
the timid Jehial, in an undertone, as
his father emerged from the barn,
looking like q rural conception OF
stern Justice, with the exacting bal
ances, as he lifted an old-fashioned
blueneck yoke to his shoulders and
stopped to hook pendant arm into the
bail Of froth-fecked pail of milk.
When they were again alone, Jehial,
without IOokino nm from his labor OF
ablution, resumed the conversation.
"Tes, ma; I'd like t take Phoebe
t. the Fourth; but 1 amt said nothin'
t pa bout it. I kinder hate to, some
how Can't you have little talk with
him bout it?"
"Wcll, Is'pose 1 can," replied the
mother, ''but I'm sure 1 don't know
what he'll think bout it. "
Accordingly, after Jehial had re-
tired, she laid the proposition before
her husband.
''Lord-a-massy, Maryl What n
idee! That boy abowin' Square
Jores's little gal round on Fourth OF
July! Why, he's nothin' but colt,
an the whole town would be apokin'
fun at the little fools. An, what's
moro, no Jayhawk's got any call to be
,nixin' with the Jones after all the
trouble that we've had with the old
Sonero over that line fence. It's all
pdrpy-cot. Tn willin' that Jehial
should 60 t the Fourth, but l don't
want muy gal business bout it. Why,
Mary, jest think of that youngster's s
takil' n horse an buggy an gal
round there where they'd be a-shocS-
in firccrackcrs an Gnvils, and a-snap-
pin them pcsky little torpedoes
faint no place for p horse, let alone
srustin' II with o boy that's got a gal
aboard. He'll break mis- neck an the
gals too"
"But you remember the time when
you took me to the Fourth at Busti,
end You weren't any older than Jehial,
and hadn't had any more experience
with horses than he has. "
This was an argument ad hominem
that The father had not counted on.
He gave it several moments of silent
consideration and then took refuge in