The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1893-07-19

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Sr~AF' 'V'"" that rural house,
that had so stirred the tranquility of
the household rs 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.
Jehisl understood the lay of the
land well 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 a man
among men while casting "sheeps
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.
1t 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
fiuences about him, and he strobe
across the steaming field in the wake
of plow 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 OPP
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
magniticence, and each special attrac-
tion was discussed with as much zest
and relish as though it was not pre-
else repetition of the programme that
had been advertised year after year,
until every adult knew just which
features would be 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 ont to the old well sweep for
a bucket of water, where be was wash
ing the plowed ground from gaunt
feet.
''Why, of counsel Is'pose we're all
going, she replied.
''But ] don't mean that. 1 wuz
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 ?"
'S-c-h here comes pat" exclaimed
the timid Jehial, in an undertone, as
his father emerged from the barn,
looking like a 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 Il froth-hecked pail of milk.
When they were again alone, Jehial,
without looking up from his labor of
ablution, resumed the conversation.
eyes, ma; I'd like T. take Phoebe
t the Fourth; but l amt said nothin'
& pa bout it. L kinder hate to, some
how. Can't you have little talk with
him bout it?"
''Well, I s'pose / can," replied the
mother, "but I'm sure 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
Jones'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
more, no Jayhawk's got any call to be
mixin' with the Jones after all the
trouble that we've had with the old
Square over that line fence. It's all
poppy-cot. I'm willin' that Jehial
should go T. the Fourth, but l don't
want any gal business bout it. Why,
Mary, jest think of that Youngsters
takin' a horse an buggy az "A gal
round there where they'd be a-shoot-
in firecrackers an anvils, and a-snap-
pin them peslSy little torpedoes
'Taint no place for a horse, let alone
trustin' it with a boy that's got gal
aboard. He'll break his neck an the
gals tool"
''But you remember the time when
you took me to the Fourth at Busti,
and you weren't any older than Jehial,
and hadn't had any more experience
with horses than he has. "
This WAS mn argument ad homineIn
that the father had not counted on,
He gave it several moments of silent
consideration and then took refuge L.
his last platitude;