The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1906-10-06

strong, agile, and as merry as the day
10 long. At the close of the first even
Ing Miss Emily heard this new ac-
Quaintance remark to Reginald:
We'll, I've been kinder loafin' to-day,
shown you around but tomorrow I've
got to 60 to work again"
What do You work at, AmosY was
the inquiry that followed.
Chopin and splittin' wood for next
winter" replied the sturdy little back
woodsman.
And then Aunt Emily was startled be-
yond measure to hear Reginald ex-
claim:
"Oh. Ill 60 with You. I've always
wanted to know how to chop wood"
The next morning, not without many
misgivings, Miss Emily meraphorically
slipped the bride off her charge and
saw him start for the woods in the
wake of Amos, carrying the basket of
lunch that was to serve them for din
ner, for they were not coming home
till evening. All day her mind was
filled with visions of a worn-out little
figure, dropping YEARLY homewards,
and she was watching for 1t down the
road all the evening.
And there he came at last, rushing at
her like whirlwind and crying before
he was anywhere near:
"Oh, Aunt En-, 1 can chop. Amos
showed me how, and l cut six little
trees down, didn't 1, Amos? And I
found doves nest and the dove pre-
tended to be crippled, SO I'd run after
her and leave the nest How do you
suppose she learned how to do that?
And I'm going back to-morrow-and
my hands are blistered a little, but
Amos says they'll get over it. And, oh,
Aunt EN-, l am having such a good
time, and I'm as hungry as a bear"
This from the boy that had been tired
of everything. This from the pining
fretful child that had confessed that
he was unhappy because he could have
everything he wanted. Miss Emily
smiled as she saw how well her expert
menL was succeeding.
Day after day Amos and Reginald
plunged into the woods with ak and
lunch basket, and evening after even.
ing, when they came home, Reginald
detailed to Miss Emily the woodland
lore he had acquired in the course of
the day.
I'VE saw snake to-day, Aunt En-, ~
he would cry, but we didn't kill it. be-
cause 1t wasn't a poisonous snake, Amos
says. He knows by the shape of their
heads, and he's teaching me. As soon
as learn, then I'll know which snakes
to kill"
And another day he came home, flush
ed and breathless, his eyes shining with
eager delight and exclaimed raptur-
ously:
''Oh, Aunt En-, I've been studying
ants all day, and Amos has helped me.
There was an army of 'em down in the
woods, and they carried little pieces
of green leaves over their heads like
flags, and when one of them fell down
a crowd Of them ran and helped him
up. Oh, there never was anything like
It'll"
mot even the pony and the wheel p
asked Aunt EN-, but to her astonish-
ment the boy replied:
II don't care for them any more"
Aunt EN-
But you can't always stay here,'
she suggested. You'll have to go back
to the city some time, and then you
will be glad to see your city playthings
again"
"Ho! I've outgrown playthings,' -
said Reginald, with the utmost serious
ness. amos found out what was the
matter with me a great deal quicker
than you did, Aunt Elm. He says that
1 just naturally must be busy, and the
trouble with you and mamma was that
you wouldn't give me anything to do
But, Reginald" cried the dismayed
Aunt Emily, you can't always chop
wood and do farm work with Amos.
Your father expects you to grow up
and be lawyer as he is and have a
fine education"
ooh, well, you know can't be law
yer" replied the boy. amos and I
have it all made up. He's going to
teach me all he knows this summer,
and he knows lot, Amos does! l
never saw anybody that knew as much
as Amos and then we're both going to
school, I'm going to help Amos through
school, because I have plenty of money
and he hasn't any; and then we're both
going to study birds and animals and
insects and be great naturalists. -
Chicago Daily News.