The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1903-04-12
.L L, of 3 3 J 5:
on the Farm.
II Life for boys on F1u " farms ms Il bt %
gins in the spring. when
''The alder by the river n.
Shakes o,it her powdery curls,
And willow buds are silver, &, 5$5s


'The alder by the river
Ok Shakes out her powdery curls,
And willow buds are silver, i5g5 III
Tor little boys and girls
True, they exist through the dreary,
muddy days OF winter; still It Is only
dormant state compared to the life
that begins on the first bright afternoon.
when all the little pools Of water have
disappeared from between the last years
corn rows and when mother takes III
her hat Instead OF that ever-present
companion, her work basket, and says,
50 Now, boys. for a walk to the river"
This proposition Is hailed by Joyous
shouts from Louis and Archie, there is
a scramble for hats (somehow boys hats
are never Just where they should bel
and they are off for the river. q &
The sun shines through soft haze;
and the boys are as joyous as the robin
that fits among the bare twlgs OF Q per-
simmon tree over their heads How the
healthy blood bounds through their veins.
giving warm, rich color to cheek and lip.
How their spirits rise and effervesce at
each elastic STEP What care they II their
Jackets are frayed and torn and what.
thought do they give to the yaWning
holes in their. little shoes. Is not the
sun shining. the sky blue and the wa ter
ripping clear and bright2 Is not the
clean, bright sand spread In tempting
array before them. and oh, the possi-
9biltles that llesin that stretch OF yellow
sand. Louis, who last night climbed on
grandpa's knee and heard the oft-re-J
speated stories OF how grandpa did in the
willow switch Yankees until all the sand
is covered with his victims. The more
practical Archie hunts rocks to throw
in the water and make n big Splash"
Then the erstwhile soldier becomes
sailor, and Confederate guns and slain
Yankees turn into boats that glide slowly
down the river out of sight. Now mother,
who has been seated in a sheltered nook
where the sun shone warm and lent
herself for an hour to the boys, now
recalls the work basket. with It's torn
waists and trousers. With&a sigh, tells
the boys It's TIM to 20 homo. 3 ss
This Is hut the beginning. The sage
grass IS to he burned; the boys run de-
l!ghtedly hitter and thither, lighting new
places with their torches. and the excite
ment increases MS the blaclenel space
broadens and the waves of flame are
caught by tho wind and swept over the
field. Then they follow the first burrows
that are turned and pull &out the fish
worms and mn their pockets with the
wriggling, twisting mass. They scratch
In the mud for the first frogs they hear
and when the ugly little things are un-
earthed they watch them with delight
jump from their hands to tho ground.
only to be caught again with the little
muddy fingers Mother suggests that
froggias nre not happy away from their
homes; then tender-hearted little Archie
trots back with them. and said he put
them In the hole with their mother and
covered them warm with mud,
The baby lambs must be tended, ana
no matter how unsightly they appear to
grown up people, they are simply beauti-
grow warmer the frayed Jackets and rag
ged shoes arc laid aside: tho boys como
out In fresh. clean waists and blue denim
pants and patter over the clean-swept
yard with white. tender feet that are
sorey tried by gravels and briars. Soon
the sun and wind change the white legs
that tWinkled about over the fresh. green
turf into nut brown ones. and the tender
feet that limped 80 painfully over grnvels
have become toughened. SO that by
strawberry time they carry the boya far;
over the fields In search OF the scarlet
beauties, then carry them home again.
hot and tired. but still happy. with their
berries and visions OF strawberry pie
floating before them III
Now comes the haying and the harvest
time. What fun to follow thu mower and
toss the sweet. new hay and ride the
hay cocks to the barn, The days so by,
each bringing new pleasures MS the
peaches apples and pears rrAn, the
raspberries and blackberries como and 20,
The trees are climbed for delicious fox
grapes; Chnuuepin burrs omen II giving
gimpses of sweet brown mute; walnuts
and hickory nuts must be gathered and
stored away, The perslmmon loses It's
pucker. retaining only its honeyed sweet
ness, Tho rabbit traps are to be set and
the soft coats OF tho unfortunate cotton
tails are sold by tho boys at the country
stores forlhalf penny apiece.
Some folks say the farm offers little
amusement for boys. hut Louis and Archie
think there Is lots OF fun to be had on
a Fluvanna farm L.. W. Ca,