Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1894-04-19
Old Times.

| does one just such morning as this
come to my mind. just as fresh as if
| but yesterday. We had, at the old
red schoolhouse that spring and for
the summer months, lady teacher.
She was a rather large, tall young
| woman, with a sweet, smiling face.
To see it was to love. On this particu-
lar morning, which was Monday morn
| ing, my ma fixed me up nice-my face
clean, hair we'll brushed, my clothes
tidy-and as | started she gave me a
kiss AS l passed the gate, inside
which stood a large lilac bush just
loaded with blossoms, l stopped and
gathered handful of the incest bunch
es. When I reached the schoolhouse
and went inside, found the school
mum sitting at the desk. l walked
up to her and gave her the lilacs. AS
| did so she put her arms around me
and drew me up to her and gave me
such kiss right on the lips! Oh, my,
how the prickles went all over me,
from head to foot, and such "a feeling
it gave me; and l havn't got over it
yet! l can, in my Imagination, see
and feel it as if but yesterday. l have
always thought that one kiss gave col
or to my life. To me there is nothing
that gives me more pleasure than
sweet kiss from pretty pair of lips!
Oh, my! Now, Mr.. Editor, don't laugh
at me, for can't help it-no, indeed,
l can't can't! And then to sit be-
side that little black-eyed girl-Ah,
those were golden, happy days-days
never to be forgotten.
And In alter years, while at the Ell
lington School, in the spring days,
what walks and what times we had on
the play ground with '.wicket," "shin-
ney-hackey," and all of the other
games. have always thought wicket
was one of the best games l ever in
dulged in, although l have never seen
it played in this country. The play
grounds at our school were large, and
had all sorts of places to play, so that
there could be half dozen sets play
ing in different parts of the grounds.
In the centre, was the wicket. The
ground was smoothed off nicely about
forty feet in length by twenty feet in
width. At each end the wickets were
placed; that is, two short sticks, about
an inch square and a foot long, were
driven into the ground about four inch
es. These sticks or posts were about
four or five feet apart; then square
stick, about as large as a broom-han-
die, long enough to reach and rest in
the posts. Two boys-one at each
wicket-on the inside, with large bats,
made of twoinch plank; one at
each wicket, to defend his wicket
against a large ball, about six or eight
inches in diameter. Now, when / bat
tIdt OIil1 WduU W AldhO GuS OesAA 81
rolling down the ground and knock
the lower wicket off its posts, and the
man at that end must knock the ball
away and defend his wicket. If he
lets his wicket get down he is counted
out, and another takes his place.
The boys ofteu chose sides, just as in
other kinds of ball. Sometimes there
would be twenty or thirty In the game.
Sometimes the game would last for a
week, before all would get caught out. |
remember, in one game, there was a |
batman by the name of Eldrige, fine
fellow as ever swung bat. His side
had all got out but him, and he had to
defend both ends. l tell you it took |
some tall running to keep each end.
when he would send the |
ball spinning along the ground the
outsiders would catch it and throw |
the ball to the pitcher at the end |
where the batman was. Then you |
OuS ue W SCS Guc Uct1ludu ShdSO ohoo |
ball and give it a sidewinder, before it
could hit the wicket! l tell you, [
used to think it was the most exciting
game l ever played. Shinney-hacky
was too rough a play to suit me. How
many shins and hands would get crack
ed in game was hard to tell, only by
those who got hurt.
And one of the funniest games was
"Mumble-the-peg. That was a fa-
vorite with the little chaps. used to
love to stand and see dozen of the
little chaps seated on the ground play
ing. l well remember one little fell
lOw-I think he was the most faithful,
honest, persevering little chap / ever
saw. One day the boys drove the peg
down even with the ground; not a bit
of it stuck out for him to get his teeth
on; yet that fellow, every recess, as
soon as out of school, would go to
that place and gnaw and root the
ground with his teeth and nose, until
he got it out fairly and honestly.
There wasn't the least bit of cheat or
give up in that boy.
And as the days drew near to the f.
nal exhibition. in which everybody