The San Francisco call., 1904-11-06

We WASH the IckS. We'll. JUST dLLcI
We got started scrubbin I had to go
down an tend to my bread an I left
Jimmie down on his hands an knees,
scrubbin' away. There's cne good thing
about both those boys. Like their pa
in that; if they once get started doin'
a thing they don't stop till they get it
done. 1 had just got my bread in the
oven when 1 heard a shout outside. I
stepped out on the porch an there was
one of the neighbcrs' boys on horse
back. Got anything to send to the
boys? says he. I've been to town an
got to go right by the schoolhouse on
the way home There's just Frankie
says I. Jimmie didn't want to go this
term oh, l didn't know I hain't
started yet. Where's Jimmie? says he.
told him he was dOin' some scrubbin'
for me an you ought to have seen
that boys face 1t broadened into
grin like an apple. cracked in roastin'.
Then he said. Wei, thought maybe
you'd been bal1in' an wanted to send
somethin' to the boys It's quit rainin'
now. But-Jimmie scrubbin'' An he
turned that horse an went of down
that road Iickety-larrup.
Pretty soon down come Jimmie an
1 must say he'd done the scrubbin'
well. I had a good dinner ready an
we had a right good time there that
afternoon. It was rainin' harder again
an Jimmie read to me while / worked.
Jimmie had rather read any time than
eat. but they didn't have a single thing
round that house to read when I went
there. I had some things packed away
in my boxes, though, but I hadn't un-
packed hardly anything yet. 1 got out
some papers, though, for Jimmie an
he reads fine for a boy that amt had
no more chance than he has.
after while frankie come homo an
II he wasn't a sight! Mud from head
to foot, all over his clo'es, an all the
buttons off his waist an most OF 'em
off his pants. I asked him what was
the matter an he said, Bill Jones
Che was the neighbor boy that stopped
at the house, Bill Jones come to school
this afternoon an said that Jimmie,
our Jimmie, couldn't como to school
cause he had to stay at home an scrub
the floors. I told him he He'd an he
said he seen him An then he tried to
lick me for sayin' he lied, but he
couldn't. an he's bigger'n me, too
Then Jimmie says. oh, ma, was
that who you was talkin' to this morn
in? I was goin' to ask you an I
forgot. You didn't tell him what was
doin', did your I told him had an
he felt so bad he almost cried. Just
then their pa come home an 30 they
had plenty to- do with the chores an
unharnessin' an all.
Next mornin' Jimmie come IN when
frankie was gettin' ready for school
an said, Ma, put up dinner for me,
too. I amt goin' to have the boys
think I have TO stay at home to do
scrubbin' I went an got out a tablet
an leadpencil I'd been savin' an put
'em with his dinner pail an when he
started lookin' for his slate I said,
You'd better not take that 1 hear this
teachers goin' to have a class in al
gebray. You've been clear through
your arithmetic, hain't you?' Yes.
twice., says he. He likes that best of
anything except just readin'. Well.
then, if you're studyin' algebray, an I
guess you might as well go into the
class if they is one, you don't want to
be usin' slate an pencil like a primer
class boy. An got an old algebray in
one Of my boxes if they use that
kind
"After he'd got started I called him
back an told him that seems the next
week Tuesday was his birthday. il he
wanted half dozen Of the neighbors'
boys to come an spend the evenin'. I'd
make candy. 1 guess they hadn't ever
made much Of birthdays.
Then he started off on the run, to
catch up with frankie. an I guess he
run all the way to school, for he was
one Of the first ones there, the teacher
told me afterward, an when she got
there he was hOldin' one of the biggest
boys down on the ground (he'd finished
with Bill Jones) an was sayin', Yes,
was scrubbin' yesterday an learned
how to do it so well that you'll have to-
do a lot Of it yourself to get clean
Then he'd scrub the boys face with
mud an fill his ears. That put an end
to the boys sayin' anything about
scrubbin'.
"Well, the next Tuesday came round
an we had an early supper SOS to have
time to get things ready, for the boys
was comm early. Pretty soon they all
come, seven Of 'enn, three families, Bill
Jones among 'em. They'd all forgotten
or at least didn't say nothin' about the
scrubbin'. / made candy an the boys
cracked nuts an never see boys have
better time. After while Jim went
to bed an the boys was playin' games
in the kitchen, so I slipped away.
come back soon an when the boys
quieted down after a game of blind
mans buff. 1 says, Jimmie. don't you
want to show the boys your birthday
present?' His eyes stuck out 'That'a
I Il fOrCOf QhAuv -
Just go upstairs. The boys can go with
you an you'll find it in the old store
room. There's light up there They
all started, Jimmie ahead. heard 'em
all talkin' all the way up the stairs.
Then heard the door opened into the
storeroom. Not sound for a second
then if Babel itself wasn't turned loose,
1 don't know what 1t was.