The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1899-09-15
THE WONDER BOAT.

the water it extends up a steep slope
.bat n little further north becomes q
cf. but Peter and his wife are from
thp highlands Of Norway and a per-
nendieular farm is their choice. A
soften little pier juts into the bay and
IN the little plot of level ground they
have built after the fashion Of their
fathers in the old country. 1t looks
like small village, for, beside the
main house there is a sleeping house
nf two stories, a cook house, a dairy,
a COW barn and the shed where Peter
huilds his boats. The two main houses
are painted white, with pale green
trimming and they are surrounded by
curiously carved fence of black wal
nut tortured into strange devices. At
the pier fleet of skiffs always rides;
some are old and half full of water
and some are glistening with fresh
nant and gliding, for Peter loves to
build boats, and in the winter he hews
and shapes all day in his shop, making
a strange build of boat that has a
high PROV, carrying an emblem and q
curious keel of intricate curves that is
braced with ribs Of bent wood.
Peters wife is sour old woman,
who is forever Iiagging her husband to
leave his BODYBUILDING, that he loves,
to work on the farm-labor that he
hates They live a lonely life, rowing
over to the village only to buy their
necessities or to sell the scanty pro-
duce of their stony acres. They have
no neighbors, for behind their farm
Is forest of hemlock and spruce and
to the right the cliff raises its rocky
shoulders.
One day when Peter was trading at
the village store he heard some Nor
wegian sailors talking of the Worlds
Fair. The crew of the schooner Ar
row had seen the buildings as they
were trying to beat into the barber
aud even their rude hearts had been
thrilled by the beauty of the domes
and cleaning facades as seen against
the red evening sky. ut wass de new
Jerusalem wat de Bible tole about"
& big Olaf Hanson said. relapsing into
English-he was proud of his command
over it. 81 am going to dat fair If l
hat to schwim dere"'
Peter listened to the talk and asked
when this great fair was to begin
When he had heard he went out and
stewed his groceries in the stern Of his
boat The glories of the fair had
stirred his sluggish old fancy, and as
he rOwed home in his high-prowed,
green skiT flash Of inspiration came
to him. He would build a viking boat
and take it to Chicago-the idea was
all his own. for he had not heard of
that other ship which was to come
u from Norway.
When he had tied the painter to the
pier he ran to the house to tell his wife
what he had heard. She was seated
by the window knitting coarse gray
sock. The living room was so clean
that it reeked with the odor of yellow
soap and whitewash. "Take off your
shoes" the old woman screamed as
her husband came in, his boot soles
leaving their print on the white floor.
He went out and returned in his
stocking feet. "Everina," he said,
"have you heard of the great fair In
the South-in Chicago?
81 read something about it in our
paper" she grunted-they took the
scandinavian Gazette, for they spoke
little English and read none. "But
what is that to you, old fool"
The old man moved about the room
In his excitement: his faded brown
eyes were bright and his wrinkled
cheek showed touch of color 81 am
going to build beautiful boat" he
cried, "a viking boat, and am going
to take it to the fair. There can sell
II for much money" he added cunning
ly, knowing that the hope of money
would interest his wife-for himself
the Joy of planning and building would
4 be enough.
you are a dreamer" she retorted
scOmfully. you will build a wonder
boat-you are always building boats
that fall to pieces or rot on shore"
For moment Peter was abashed. 1t
was true that heretofore there had al
WAYS been grave defects in his boats
that made them safe only in smooth
weather, but he was ever dreaming of
the perfect boat that could ride out
any storm. He had not been born
builder-he had picked it up after he
was grown, but he came from family
who had been shipwrlghts as far back
as their annals ran. In minute he
was cheerful again. 81 will build
wonder boat" he said stoutly 81 will
make viking galley for I remember
well the model that used to be in my
grandfather's house at Aardal. He
mas told me that it was very old and
was exactly like the long ships Of the
sea kings-and my grandfather was
wise man and builder of stanch
ships"
"Ay-your grandfather was, but you
are but land grubber. If you make
1t how will you get to Chicago? VIII
you hire men to row it, as in the old
Gays, or have a silken sail as did Eric
the Red" the old woman sneered.
Il will sew square sail, as my
grandfather said the later vikings
used. must have my boat ready by
the time the ice Is off" Peter said, I'M
mindful of his wife's sarcasm. 81 will
paint it white with blue trimmings
ana have a golden Prov and It will
roe like gull on the waves" He fell
70 dreaming of his wonder ship, and
ms wife knitted in silence until the
fading light obliged her to lay down
ner needles.
p Through the long Wisconsin winter
refer was busy in his shop. He set up
= s small wood stove that kept out the
oI.terest of the cold, though the wind
'ame in at the cracks and pinched his
iean Old body. He had seasoned tim
Ser iald by, and before the snow fell
~ mad hewn his first rough model OF
me viking ship. A thousand stories
lame back to him, and when he c'os'd
ms eyes he could see his boat filled
Smn yellow-haired giants whose great
0.loKes sent it shooting "cross tie
tsater like an arrow. When he went
] 10 IlA Ia is.