The Ocala banner., 1905-01-06
CHRISTMAS In The COUNTRY
al she Fun Not For the Town Boy
with Gun and Dog the Country
Boy Enjoys Life to the Limit.


TO the Editor of the Ocala Banner
We who have lived through that
interesting chapter of life, "A Boy
at the old Country Home Christmas
Tines can recall the delightful
pleasures as the picture is vividly
reproduced by the boy of today,
whose good fortune it is to be blessed
with a country home; or with a
grandpa, who has country home.
To the many boys who live in town
and spend the holuays Unere 1 would
like to say that it is not so dull for a
boy in the country as You might
imagine, and the fine impressions
that boy gets on a well regulated
country home through just one
life. There is..reality in it; it is not a
big display of paint and artificial
subjects. The big fires and welcome
rooms after gallop of two miles on
horse back to the postoffice teaches
appreciation.
At break % day the boy is out of
bed and before he is half dressed is
into the hall with d bound and yell
of delight. He is no ways careful
about noise as that is one of the
features of the festivities" and the
door is slammed with a tremendous
bang which brings a severe scolding
from grandma, but her words are
drowned by the greeting of a half
dozen dogs as the boy leaps across
the hall to the pantry where his coat
pockets are filled with cakes and
doughnuts and his hands with lemon
few complaining remarks at him as
he makes his way through the back
yard, but they fall short of their aim
and the boy is soon into the lane that
leads to the big barn. All the dogs
are at his heels ready to obey any
request for they know the hard
crust from the outside edge OF that
piece of pie is coming to them and
possibly a cake and couple of
doughnuts. The next thing is a bat
tie of ''bluff' between the dogs and
a herd of hogs. With the boys as
sistance the hogs are soon put to
fight. An old cow is disturbed from
har--sofU bed of straw and leaves and
minute to feel the warmth and mel;
the frost from his bare-toes.
The hired man lat the barn helps
him to saddle and mount the old
mare and with the dogs and his first
new gun he gallops off through the
woods pasture and through
big swinging gate enters the plant;a-
ton. From an old hedge row the
dogs route a rabbit and lively chase
is witnessed 'crOsS the field. There
are so many cattle, sheep and colts
here that he is most afraid to shoot
and (even though he does) the rab-
bit makes safe in the hollow of a
cypress tree. Just here his atten-
ton is suddenly attracted to a big
hickory full of nuts. He approaches
1T carefully and with searching ewes.
Suddenly squirrel drops a nut and
jumps TO another tree With Gun
made ready he keeps in close pursuit.
The squirrel stops and the boy shoots;
but the squire. jumped again too
quick The gun is reloaded and the
boys nerve is a little quieter. The
second shot brings the littly bushy
tailed beauty scrambling to the
ground. The boy-with almost as
quick activity as the squirrel-jumps
from his saddle and tussels here and
there with the dogs for his prize.
Then he gallops back to where the
curling blue smoke is flavoring the
fresh morning air with the rich per-
fume of country-cured ham; to
where the old red dairy is full of big
bowles of sweet milk and eggs are
piled up like cannon balls in the old
vor1S 4