The Washington times., 1904-07-28

Old Mr. Hunt IS a dairyman and lives
down in Virginia where he has a farm
inhabited by the incest, sleekest. most
comfortable looking cows it is posi-
BILE to imagine outside a Paul Potter
art collection. The low. rounded Vir-
ginia hills-even the land in Virginia
is too dignihed to rise In a hurry-are
covered with soft bright grass and
blooming clover. and the low-roofed
farm house nestles in the curve OF one
Of those hills like a baby IN the hollow
of its mothers arm. The dooryard Is
brim full of roses and snOwbalis and
syringa and peonies, and Old Mr.. Hunt
plays with his grandchildren there in
the cool twilight, just as he did with
their fathers and mothers twenty or
thirty years ago They are not con-
cerned about race suicide down there;
they haven't even taken the trouble TO
study the question. They know that
ali the cultivation that can be added to
life is simply trimmings. and the main
Fpart of the work has TO be done where
IL is quiet and clean. You can do
without palatable cake. but If your milk
and butter are spoilt. where are you?
| Old Mr.. Hunt has had his time of
travelling about the world. too. He
/ fought in the great war. and pays his
| taxes and church dues, and attends
/ to his other public business; but he
1 thinks there is a limit at which pa
triotism ought to stop. and when the
/ District militia established a rife range
next his dairy farm he thought he
would draw the line and toe it,
1t was ABOUT the time when reports
from the Boer war were beginning to
be specific. and It was discovered that d
regiment Of so-called Edinburgh Sharp
Shooters" was made up OF shopmen.
who had never handled a rife before
they went into camp. They had taken
the name because they considered IL
pretty. Another regiment, listed as cav
airy, had to be sent into the field after
four riding lessons. Manifestly. our
own boys in blue must have lessons in
sharpshOoting.
This theory was a very pretty one
1t ought 10 have been kept In an ineu-
bator, until ii grew to an age of dis
erection. Shooting at a mark is good
but the live mark cannot be expected
to think so. And even when the mark
is painted target, the raw recruit does
not always hit 1t, else would there be
miracles In these days that would in
terfere with the reputation Of John
Alexander Dowie
The consequence of all this was that
old Mr.. Hunt was contemplating q
Tusted bit OF barbed wire fence one day
when ip-siss-hip! bullet sung past
his ear. a moment later lively young
COW gave a Mortified snort, and plung-
| ed across the field Two Of the hired
men came at a lively -trot over the hill
from another direction Old Mr.. Hunt
having received no orders to stay on the
firing line, followed the COW and the two
hired men. AS he retreated the bullets
threw up little spurts of dust around
him. exactly. as Mr.. Kipling would say
as they do in pictures OF the Rea
Thing.
In the barn they held a council of wal
barns have been used for that purpose
in more formal and less perilous cam,
paigns. The younger hired man knew
what the matter was.
It's the militia" said he. they r.
practicin' on the Three-Mile Run"
Huh" grunted the other hired man
IT thought from appearances they wa
practiein' on you, and you was on tn
! run"
You sprinted pretty good yourself. m
son." remarked old Mr.. Hunt mildly
We'll. saw considerable fighting In thi
neighborhood when was q boy, but
sort o expected to be exempt by thi
time. How long is this amatoor Sai
/ Jewan business goin' TO last?"
"AIl summer, 1 reckon" answere
young Sweeney dolefuliy.
well. boys, we'll have 10 turn IN
cattle into the other meadow for awhile