The Washington weekly post. (Washington, D.C.) 1878-1916, 1900-02-13
TALES OF YANKEE
ENCH4NTlHEN7.
The Boy Who Required Winding.

and don't spend your time reading i'm
probable tales-ought TO be able TO ap-
preeiate the sad case Of Jimmy Whortle-
berry. Of Winchester. Massachusetts,.
Jimmy looked and acted and felt like
other boys with one exception. He had
to be wound up like clock every day
lust at the back OF his neck there was
a little keyhOle and he was wound Up
with a silver key that fitted into IL
It's no use for you TO ask me TO explain
why, or how or anything else Some things
| have 20 be taken on trust. II you don't
| believe this story the first thing I'll hear
/ is that you haven't believed the others.
and then what would become of my conf
dence in myself?
/ Jimmy had very remarkable mother.
She was always thinking Of Jimmy's COM
| fort and Jimmy's pleasure. and she was
60 kind to him that he actually loved her.
Now a great many mothers have 20 do
a great deal for their boys. They have TO
| remember where the cap was thrown
| when the boy came home from his play,
| they have 10 know where he left his
! skates, and what became of his top, but
/ | never knew Of any ether mother who
I had 10 remember TO wind her son up every
morning before breakfast. You see the
\ keyhole being in the back of his neck.
| Jimmy couldn't reach 1t himself But his
mother was only too glad to keep the boy
/ going, for he was such a CHEEKY little lad.
/ Up 10 mischief and dreadfully naughty
sometimes. but we'll worth winding up for
all that.
! II was the funniest performance his
/ winding up. / was there on a visit once,
! and saw Mrs Whortleberry wind him.
/ She put a pretty silver key into his neck
and began to turn 1t. and the blood ran
through hts veins with a sweet crinkiing
noise that sounded like music boxes miles
and miles away. Jimmy always liked to
| be wound up. 1t was like taking tonic.
| He would run and jump and sing gayiy
and act for all the world as II he had been
| charged with electricity.
Not half the boys in Winchester who
| played with Jimmy knew that he had to
be wound up for he was just as natural as
any boy, and could climb and skate and
wrestle with the best of them.
One day the boys got up a foot race. In
this they were aided and abetted by old
Mr.. Dixon. They were to walk from Win
! chester to Arlington Center and back
| again for silver medal that Mr.. Dixon
| had promised TO the winner. Old Mr..
Dixon is a silver-haired gentleman whom
all the Toys like because he is still a
good deal Of boy himself in spite OF his
seventy years.
Il think Jimmy will win II he doesn't
run down." said Mr.. Whortleberry.
Run down indeed" said Mr.. Dixon,
hotly.. Jimmy won't run down when he
knows II is a walking match. He'll win
fair, you may depend upon it From
which it will be seen that Jimmy was a
| favorite with the old man.
The race was to be run on Saturday.
1t so happened that the night before Mrs.
| Whortleberry was taken i'll with an at
| tack of grip and in the morning she was
too sick to rise.
She told the maid to wind Jimmy, but
| the maid was a rather feather-brained
creature and forgot all about IL, and as
for Jimmy, he was so full Of the race that
he never noticed that he had not been
wound. OF course, just as it is with
clocks, so he could run several hours
overtime. so he was able to go down to
breakfast and then run in and kiss his
mother good-by. and tell her that he was
sorry that she was too sick to come and
see the start.
Just as he was leaving the room she
called out, Are you wound up. Jammy?'
but he was halfway downstairs by that
time and didn't hear her. He put on his
cap and started off at dog trot for Mr..
Dixon's house, for that was to be the
meeting place for the contestants.
There were Chelsea Concord and Dor
chester Medford and Elgin Waltham and
Somerville Newton and his brother, Cen
ter Newton.
Old Mr.. Dixon was In tip-top spirits and
gave each of the boys an orange. The
start was to be made from the Winches-
ter library, and was TO go over the line OF
the trolley road to Arlington, turning at
the railroad station and coming back over
the same route.
Jimmy felt unusually buoyant. He
bounded around until Mr.. Dixon said
BOY. if you'll save some of that energy
for the race haven't doubt but you l.
win the medal"
Elein Waltham knew that Jimmy had tC
be wound up and he said. Did they vino
you extra tight, Jimmy
Jimmy's face went white as 1t strucs
him that ne had not been wound at all
but boy like, he thought he'd probably get
through all right, so he said nothing. Bu
he stopped jumping and said. Let's hurry
I'D and get to the library"
There was quite a crowd Of WinchesteI
|
, had contained a notice Of the coming race
and as IL was Saturday nobody In tow
had ANYTHING to do-that is, nobody wh'
counts for anything. ! believe some OF th'
| eroWn-ups did have some work TO attea'
| TO. but, after all, what are grown-ups
I Only children who have outliVed incl
usefulness. You'll have great times whei
!. YOU grow up. and some OF you won't re
, | greet that you are no longer children, bu
| tell you that when fellow Is boz
| everything is fresh and new and he dOesn'
know It all. even il he sometimes think
! he does When he grows up he doesn'
| know il ali either. but he certainly doe
| know that he was awfully lucky 10 hay
| had a boyhOod, and the more he keeps hi
| memory on il the better time he will hay
| right up 70 the end Of the chapter.
AT 10 o'clock old Mr.. Dixon started then
off. Il was to be a square heel-and-io
. / walk. and for block they kept prett,
close together Then Jimmy and Elgil
began 10 walk away from the others. ant
il began to look as If ii were going to II
between them. But it's long way to Ar
tington, and some Of the boys were re
serving their force for the end Of the con
test, so there was hope even for ploddini
Dorchester Medford, who at the end o
] S%SN%@@
, Of the procession.
Mr.. Dixon had hired a wagon. and 2
rode along. cheering the boys and urgin
them 10 DO their best.
Say. this Is going 10 be dead easy,
.. said Jimmy. 1t lies between me and you
: apd / bet I'll win"
He and Elgin were neck and neck.
'You'n have 10 take an electric 20 IL
! It, tnen," said Elgin, with spirit. ANY
> hOv a boy that's wound Up ought 10 q
faster than a plain everyday boy.
don't think it was fair 20 let you n"
Again Jimmys heart sank. What !
he should run down. He felt all RICH
! but he knew that when he stopped he''
stop all at once and without say wara
. ing.
Don't talk. walk" said he shortly
and begged away, bis 1.-THE little lex
swinging back and forth with he regu
: larity Of piston rods
When they cached Arlington. Med
ford had crept Up 10 the fourth place an
: SomeFville Newton was neck and nee
! An1 rs..a .