River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1905-09-21

language. and then he took us off to his
farm where the most of the relics were
found, and began to sell things to dad,
until he had filed the hind end Of the
wagon with bullets and grape shot,
sabers and bayonets, old rusty rifles,
and everything dad wanted, and we had
enough to fill museum, and when the
farmer had got dads money we went
back to Brussels, and got our stuff un-
loaded at the hotel. Say, when we came
to look 1t over we found two rusty Colts
revolvers, and guns of modern construc-
ton, which have been bought on the
battlefields in all countries, and prop
erly rusted to sell to tourists. showed
dad that the revolver was unknown at
the time of the battle of Waterloo, and
that every article he had bought was q
fraud, the sabers having been made In
America, before the war of the rebellion,
and dad was mad, and gave the stuff to
the porter Of the hotel, who charged dad
seven dollars for taking 1t away.
Dad kept one three-cornered hat that
the farmer told him Bonaparte lost
when his horse stampeded with him,
and it had drifted under a barbed wire
fence, where 1t had lain until the day
before we visited the battlefield. Say,
that hat is as good as new, and dad says
it is worth all the stuff cost, but would
not be found dead wearing it, cause II
is all out of style.
We have seen the king Of Belgium,
and actually got the worth of our money.
He is an old dandy, and looks like a
Philadelphia quaker, only he is not as
pious as a quaker. Dad wrote to the
king and said he was distinguished
American travelling for his health, and
had a niece who had frequently visited
Belgium with an opera company, and
she had spoken Of the king, and dad
wanted to talk over matters that might
be OF interest both to Belgium and
to America. Well, the messenger came
back and said dad couldn't get to the
palace a minute too quick, and so we
went over, and as we were going
through the park we saw an old man in
citizens clothes, sitting on a bench, pat
ting the head Of boar hound, and when
he saw us he said. Come here, Uncle
Sam, and let my dog chew your pants. A."
Dad thought it must be some lunatic,
and was going to make sneak and get
out, when the man rose up and we saw
it was the king, and we went up to him
and sat down on the bench, and he asked
dad il he had come as a relative Of the
opera singer, to commence suit against
the king for breach Of promise, or to
settle for a money consideration, re-
marking that he had always rather pay
cash than to have any fuss made about
these little matters. Dad told him he
had no claim against him for alternating
anybody's affections, or for breach Of
promise, and that all he wanted was to
have a little talk with the king and
find out how a king lived, and how he
had any fun in running the king BUSH
ness, at his age, and they sat down and
began to talk as friendly as two old
chums, while the dog played tag with
me. We found the king was irregular
boy, and that instead Of his mind being
occupied by affairs Of state, or his
African concessions with Congo coun-
try, where he owns few million slaves
who steal ivory for him, and murder
other tribes, he was enjoying life just
as he did when he was barefooted boy,
fishing for perch at the old mill pond,
and when he mentioned his career as
a boy, and his enjoyments, dad told
about his youth, and how he never got
so much pleasure in after life as he did
when he had a stone bruise on his heel,
and went off into the woods and cut a
tamarack pole and caught sunflsh till
the cows came home.
The king frightened up and told dad
he had a pond in the palace grounds,
stocked with old fashioned fish, and
every day he took off his shoes and
rolled up his pants, and with nothing
on but a shirt, and pants held up by
one suspender Of striped bed ticking, he
went out in a boat and fshed as he did
when boy, with bent pin for hook,
and he was never so happy as when so
engaged, and they could all have their
grand functions and balls and dinners
and Turkish baths, il they wanted
them, but give him the old swimming
hole.
ME, too" said dad, and as dad looked
down into the park he saw little lake,
and dad held up two fingers, just as boys
do when they mean to say, Come on,
let's go in swimming" and the king
said, All go you," and they locked arms
and started through the woods to the
little lake and the dog and followed