The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1904-07-03

DartlCkler. Ter SOUR bul5 - gJeS
( down the river. we. amt been down
| there fer a whole week.
They crossed the road. climbed alothef
| rail fence and sooD We're under Z ne
shade of the old sycamore5by the swim
ming hole. i.
"Blll. when was you in swmmin' las'?'
Las summer. B8E5,
The two looked at each other in ST.
i5lencc Then each looked out wistfully at
| the placid running river, a rnin-cro
broke the silence with its "kow, kow,
kow!"
Coin to rain inside O. three days. New
j er knew the sign to fail this time o
| year" remarked Uncle Joe.
Sure sign.' agreed Uncle Billy
Silence for another minute.
linen Uncle Billy said:
Joe, let's go swimmin'.'
"S'pose the waters warm enough!
Eyes, OF course it is! Jest try your
hand In IT." @
Uncle Joe stoopedS down. rippled his
land for bit in the water, squinted one
eye at the descending sun. and answered:
II believe the water Is warm enough,
Billy I'd shorely enjoy swim this hot
| afternoon but I've got to be awful keer-
full bout stayin' In too long My rheu-
matiz amt bothered me much lately. an
don't want to do any fool thing ina II u
make me wuss agn, (Here he squlnteu
one eye slSUlIt ul LIZ 6stSA11''.
suns low enough not TO sunburn. COLO
sweet cream II cure sunburn. but can
Jane'd never git through mMn', fun o.
me fer goin' swimulin' like a boy. She
SAYS that half the time act like a ten
year-old boy. But always tell her.
What's the use o. iivn' ef you cant
have q good time? Then she'll laugh an
say, pap, you're the youngest one or
the hun FAMILY. spite ossyour three score
an ten an I'VE to carry And the old
man chuckled at the thought
I'm one year less an YOU" unused
Uncle Billy. 's.ometines when i saint
shaved fer three days | look into the
glass an say TO myself: William Bate
man, you're gittin 10 be an old man.
You amt good ie,. nothin' hut 10 set
around tile fire In winter an nuss the
gran children to sleep, or else hoe in'the
ryarder, in spring an keep the grass cut
| in the ward Jest a-swingn' your scythe
llalongsitl4 old Father Time an cxpcctin'
! every swath he cuts that he'll make a
! mis-iicR an take you in the next spring
! An then, when git out along the river
| on day like this an see the same old
| swirnlnir hole where We used TO swim.
| an duck. an dive, an the old sycamore
| that aint changed mite IN the last
| sixty years, it don't seem possible that
| / am counted an old man. Well. here
| goes! as Tom Ward used 10 say.
The old man hastily disrobcd and be-
] gan to wade out In the water.
| Wet your knees billy. It'll keep you
from havin' cramps" cautioned Uncle
| Joe.
Don't yon s'pose know ,hat?' re-
| sponded Uncle Billy. '',,aerc do you
think Is raised. o-e-o-o-o! It's sort or
cold"-~
NO. 1t aln't. Jest feels that way. Take
| n Quick souse under the water like this. !
| and Uncle Joe. excmpliiied by dropping
down into the water only his head Delhe
/ unsubmersed,
/ ''Souse. Billy, souse! Don't stand there
shiyerin'. You'li be all right when you
| Souso"
"oh. Joe, can't, It's too-o-o-o
Chilly! shucksl ri take the chill off
OF you'll" And Uncle Joe began to spray
water all over Uncle Billy. using his hands
! like couple OF paddle wheels,
"O-o-o-o! OH Dont-don't," begged
Uncle Billy.
Say, Please, please, purity please"
"P-p-please. please. purity please"
"All right; I'll not throw another drop"
! And Uncle Joe, making a sudden dive.
| graaped Uncle Billy by the ankles. In
three seconds Uncle Billy's head and feet
had changed positions. With a whoop
! Uncle Joe swan away and Sncle Billy
| 'Fs''N'' F''''HN''i 'RA'NN''''n aN""' N''"'N
ing.
Toe Graham, II you don't play fair I
wont stay in a minute longer That
want ~. so II want"
II didn't think you'd let me ketch yoll
that way. | s'posed you'd get out of the
road when you saw rne dive" explained
Uncle Joe In conciliatory tone. Say,
Billy, let's swim across an back like we
used to-
/. Uncle Billy was conciiated and agreed
They both had been good swimmers in
their youth, and they made IT across and
back in fair time, albeit both We're puff
ilng like porposns
Got warm Billy?n
You bet, But don't you think we'd
better git out? We ortn't stay in too
long, It's close on TO dog days
: well, We amt had diving match yit'
, I'd ruther not ] don't like To Kit wat.
, err in my ears, It amt good fer my
hearin'"
. IAN right, then. III jest take one old,
$ fashioned dive fer luck"
Uncle Joe climbed upon the slantine
trunk OF the old sycamore,
Now, Billy, you count, one, two. three
d Jest ~ YOU use 70, you understand. Sec