The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1894-03-28
A Ride For Freedom

Therel l do believe that boy will be
the ruin of me. He never knows how to
do anything right. And now here he's
been and cut down all the naples and
basswoods in that wood lot in my alb
sence, and found the oxen mismated,
and everything was all wrong. A boy
that don't know enough to tell the differ
ence between hard and soft wood won't
ever amount TO much, in my opinion. l
was so provoked that tod him he could
90 to bed without his supper. Perhaps
it will teach him lesson.
Old Squire Holton was emphatic in his
criticism of the ignorance or the thought
lessness that characterized the daily do
ings Of his farm help. To him there was
nothing excusable in such conduct. He
had taken pains TO tell the boy just what
trees he wanted felled, and it was an es-
sential matter to him whether the naples
were cut down or left standing in that
fne new lot he had recently bought of
Mai. Jackman.
81 believe the boy did it on purpose to
bother me-" he concluded, as he sat down
to his supper of hot porridge and milk
and sried doughnuts which his wife had
Just placed on the table.
"0h, no, father! John wouldn't do
that" said kind, motherly Mrs. Holton.
"John means to do right, but his mind
isn't on bis work"
"No, that isn't it, III be bound, !" NUT
tered the Squire, between his mouthful
of warm porridge.
"He hasn't had a mind for anything
ever since that day General Washington
and his officers rode by, month ago. 1t
was only the other morning, when sup
posed be was busy watering the stock at
the barn, and happened TO open the
door for something, and there he was,
marching up and down the floor, turk
ey's tail feather stuck in hiscsp band
and a pitchfork at his shoulder, and he
giving off orders as though he was
corporal. Ialmost wish the Continental
army was sunk"
"Why, father!' exclaimed his wife;
ond then we should lose our liberties,
and the battles of Lexington and Bunker
Hill and Trenton would have TO be fought
over again."
"Well, it would be better, anyway, for
John ifthey were farther off than Valley
Forge" answered the Squire testify, at
tacking huge doughnut that was as
crisp as frost.
And, overhead, in the large, open gar
ret where bundles of thoroughwort and
pennyroyal hung down from the long.
slanting rafters, and which was warmed
only by the heat ascending through a
ventilator from the kitchen below. the
subject of the 'Sguire's wrath lay listening
to every word.
He was tail, fair lad, strong and act
i've, with steady, gray-blue eyes and
shock of brown wavy hair that had
knack of always falling into his eyes.
John Russell was sixteen years old, and
was an orphan. Mrs. Holton was his
fathers sister, and the Squire, being
without children Of his own, had cheer
fully consented, when it was first sug-
gested, that the fatherless boy should
came and live with them. He had lived
there now three years, but he did not
take kindly TO life on farm.
The boy had an imaginative tempera-
ment, inherited from his mother, and to
drive the slow oxen day after day, do the
milking and all the drudgery incident to
a large farm, were not the most congenial
employments. He honestly strove to do
his duty, though, and the Squire, if
tough, was kind in his way.
A shade of deep thought overspread
his face as he hearI his uncle's words,
and two or three tears rolled down his
freekled face which were brayely dashed
away.
"He did tell me to cut the naples" he
said to himself; II know be did, and, as
for playing soldier, what hurt did it do?
had turned out tho cows and done just
as do every day. ! wish | was soldier
in Washington's army, and ] will be
when am older, unless We whip the
British before Bat l hope / thall be
able to do something for my country. II
/ only could-if only could ~
He lay for long time, his mind full of
conflicting thoughts, bot at last he fell
asleep, and forgot alike his trials and his
ambitions in the sV eet refreshing slum.
Der of boyhood.
In the morning when he went down
stairs into the kitchen the Squire spoke