West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1894-05-24
CHAPTER XXX
DRINKING CIDER IN THE CELLAR.

lowed by the boy, who looked sick and
yellow and tired, and he had lost half
his flesh. What's the matter with you?
Haven't got the yellow fever. have your"
and the grocery man placed chair
where the invalid could fail into it.
mo, got the ager," said the boy as he
wiped the perspiration off his upper lip
and looked around the store to see If
there was anything in sight that would
take the taste OF quinine out of his
mouth Had too much dreamy life of
ease on the farm and been shaking ever
since. Darn farm anyway"
What, you haven't been to work for
the deacon any more, have you?
thought you sent in your resignation"
and the grocery man offered the boy
some limberger cheese to strengthen him.
"Oh, take that cheese away" said the
boy as he turned pale and gagged.
You don't know what n person needs
any more than professional nurse
What | want is TO be petted. You
see, l went out to the farm with my
chum, and l took the fish poles and re-
manned in the woods while he drove the
horse to the deacon's, and he gave the
deacon my resignation, and the deacon
wouldn't accept it. He said he would
hold my resignation until after harvest
and then act On it. He said he could put
me IN jail for breach of promise if quit
work and left him without giving proper
notice, and my chum came and told me,
and so concluded to go to work rather
than have any trouble, and the deacon
said my chum could work few DAYS for
his board if he wanted to. 1t was pretty
darn poor board for boy 10 work for
but my chum wanted TO be with me, so
he staid.
''Pa and Ma came out TO the farm to
stay day or two to help. Pa was go
ing to help harvest, and Ma was going
to help the deacon's wife, but Pa wanted
to carry the jug to the field and lay un-
der a tree while the rest of us worked.
and Ma inst talked the arm off the dea-
cons wife. The deacon aud Pa laid in
the shade and see my chum and me
work, and Ma and the deacon's wife Cos
siped so they forgot to get dinner, and
my chum and me organized a strike, but
we were beaten by monopoly. Pa took
me by the neck and thrashed out n shock
of wheat with my heels, and the deacon
took my chum and sat down on him, and
we begged, and they gave us our old
situations back. But we got even with
them that night. tell you, when boy
tries to be good and quit playing Jokes
on people. and then has everybody down
on him and has his Pa hire him ont ON q
farm to work for "A deacon that hasn't
got any soul except when he is in church.
and boy has to get up in tho night 20
get breakfast and go to work and has 10
work until late at night. and they kick
because he wants to put butter on his
pancakes and feed him sldmmilk and
rusty fat pork, it makes him tough, and
he would play joke on his aged grand
mother.
After my chum and me had got all
the chores done that night we sat out on
a fence back Of the house in the orchard.
eating green apples in the moonlight and
trying to think Of plan of revenge
Just then ! saw skunk back of the
house, right by the outside cellar door.
and told my chum that it would serve
them right to drive the skunk down eel
lar and shut the door, but my chum said
that would be too mean. l asked him if
1t would be any meaner than for the dea-
con TO snatch us baldheaded cause we
couldn't NOV hay away fast enough for
two men to pitch IL, and he said it
wouldn't, and 80 we got on each side OF
the skunk and sort OF scared 10 down cell
lar, and then We crept softly and closed
the cellar doors. Then we went in the
house, and / whispered 60 Ma and asked
her If she didn't think the deacon had
rome cider, and Ma she began 20 hint
that she hadn't had a good drink Of cider
since last winter, and the deacon's wife
said rs boys could take pitcher and 20
down cellar and draw some.
THAT was too much. didn't want
any cider anyway, so 7 told them that
belonged 90 p temperance society, and
should break my pledge II ] drawed
cider. and she said ] was % good boy. for
me never 20 touch a drop az cider Then
she told my chum where the cider barrel
was. down cellar. but no amt no SLOUGH.
He said he was afraid 30 20 down cellar
in the dark. and 20 Pa said he and the
deacon would go down and draw the
cider. and She deacOn's wife asked Ma 10
90 down, too, and look at the fruit and
berries she had canned for winter. and
they al went down cellar. Pa carried
an old tin lantern with holes IN e 90 light
the deacon 20 the cider barrel. and the
dcacOn's wife had a taller candle to show
Ma the canned fruit. tried 20 get Ma
not 70 20, cause Va IL Is friend u mine.
and / didn't want her 10 have anything
10 do with the circus. but she said she
guessed she knew Fer business When
anybody says they que they know their
own business, that settles 10 with me.
and J don't t.y Co argue with them.
swell 10y churn aua mo at tdore in
the kitchen. aai ] stuffed piece of rcd
tabIeclotn BOO my mouth TO keep from
laughing and my e.uu held his nose
With Dol finger aaH t.4a.I .3 Doe wouldn't
snort right out Wncea'd heartss cider
sm iu tae pitcher. auI tan it stopped
ard The deacon drank out of the pitcher.
and then 90 DID, aud tam they draved
aoms moro ciIr and SIS and tlo dea.