The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1897-12-24

him his room. and grandpa said to Uncle
Joel:
You bear your years well. joe One
would hardly guess YOU to be six years
older than L.
NO. Hiram. they wouldn't. One thing.
I'm Il good deal teshier n you. I'm kind
o sprised TO see you SO kind O all SKIN
and bone"
Come. now, 1 amt quite that. Joel.
! weigh 139
rs that all; why, Hi, l weigh IT'S
and
Come. Uncle Joel. want to show you
! some Of the family portraits in the par
| Tor. said Madge. noting grandpas rising
! coior. This left Uncle Harvey and grand
! pa together
Joel and Henry were always unneccs-
sarily blunt in their Speech said grand
! pa.
Yes. but they gen'ally hit the nail on
j the head" said Uncle Harvey. You do
look if the wind would blow you away.
Hiram. and notice you've kind Of limp
in your gait
I've nothing of the sort, Harvey My
| Ter, and | amt more than two-thirds as
bald as YOU are and not half so gray
"Oh, you amt; I'll count gray hairs with
YOU any time. and I'll bet you Il jews
harp that
Come. Uncle Harvey l SAID ''let us
20 to the stable. | want you to give me
your opinion Of horse I've just bought"
The combined efforts OF Madge and Nell
and | sufIiced TO maintain peace at the
dinner table. We kept up such rattling
fire Of conversation that the four broth
crs had hardly ii chance to speak to each
other. We saw grandpa vince when Tn
Gle Henry ate his mashed potatoes with
his knife. and we knew the full extent OF
! our grandsirp'S agony when Uncle Joel
poured his coffee into his saucer and blew
it before drinking it. Uncle Harvey spoke
hut once. but that was once too often. for
he said. eXp.osively:
"Oh. | say. boys. DO YOU remember that
| Sary Jane SkimmerhOrn Hi used to be
so sweet on when we all went to the Hop
vine school? You member how he used
to kiss or there at the end Of the lane:
Well. she's Twin yit. an I'd give a deal
to see Hi kiss 'er now. She weighs 800
pounds and has a beard that Tom here
might be proud of. an she's had fifteen
children an they're all livin'. | was jest
thinkin' what if Hi had married 'er as he
used to swear he would! Eth. IIi?'
tnc.e Henry and Joel roared with
laughter and joel choked on mouthful
of coffee. Grandpa turned pale and it re-
Qured all of Nell's cleverneSs to prevent
Il scene.
All Of the cousins and unces and auntS
in the city had been invited TO come III
that evening. to enjoy Il Christmas eve
reunion of the family and to be entertain
Ell with family "reminiscences by the four
old and reunited brothers. At S o'cloc.>
, we gathered around Il great open fire to
hear our aged relatives "reminis," as
Madge mischevousiy put il.
, Tel us all about when you were boys
together" said Cousin Ned Drayton. Il
guess there wasn't much time nor money
wasted celebrating Christmas when you
were boys
We'll. guess there wa Mt said Uncle
Joel. Il guess-O say boys, do you re-
, member that Christmas we four boys
went bear hunting back there in the
Maine woods when we wa mt none of us
, fully grown"
Il remember it as well rs if it was yes
. terday. said Uncle Henry. Il remem-
Der iist how that bar squealed when
shot i'm.
+ You still stick to it that You shot i'm.
Henry" said Uncle Joel AN | am as
: sure as I'm Twin that it was my shot that
fetched i'm.
In horn it was!' said Unc.e Henry
= testify. "Icur bullet went clar over the
@ bar and lodged in that big pine we found
with bullet hole in it.
"There's no use in Henry an Joel spat-
+ tin so about which killed that bar" put
V in Uncle Harvey, for I've an idee the
! Il
I with both your bullets. 1t was my knife
- thrust that finished the beast"
Yes. it was.' sneered joe, oh. yes
= to he sure it was. snorted Uncle Henry
! Il guess that the blows | rained down
| on the beasts head with the club car
| ried. had something to do with finishing
4 him. said grandpa. calmly.
i We'll. We amt got over dTa win on your
j imag ination for facts. hev We. Hi?" SAID
! Uncle Henry. THE rest of us kin re
1 member how We hid in the bresh trembnn
i an belerin' until we was almost ready
4 to skin the bear an then you come out
4 with your little club and give the beast q
4 whack or two
i Henry Myier. that is not true
| If it amt I'll eat my hat.'
q Il dubbed the life out of him." sale
4 grandpa.
] Il tell We killed that bear myself
"Ye didn't
4 know | did,
My club counted for more than-''
Your club. POOH"
o Now, Henry. won't stand it to-
= I'D like to see We help YOURSELF
~ "Shet up. all of We. for /"
Don't We tel me to shet up
The dispute WaXed hot and hotter I'm.
{, til Madge got Uncle Henry off to his room
~ and Nell had done the same service for
A Uncle Harvey, while l dragged Uncle Joe
n away for a smoke with me IN my own
:. room, where he berated his brothers fear.
+ fully. Grandpa stalked off to his OWL
4 room.
% We managed to keep the four old hot
4 heads from getting into row on Christ
n mas. but Uncle Henry and grandpa did