The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1912-12-19
THE HOLLOW
LOG
BY NJ. QUAD
Copyright. 1912. by Associated Lit
erary. Press.

luz ihly hiuu OF the Nlliuse or Com
stock was Tom White. lie made nc
iretensions TO lame backs and other
Pains and aches. but said that the girl
he married knew all about his lazIness
beforehand and must therefore abide
the results. AS she made no kick about
earning with her needle the main sup.
port. the public did not feel toward him
as II otherwise might
All lazy men are more or less Opt.
mistic. Tom White was wholly so.
Any man who lost COW or horse by
death, any one that had barn burned
by lightning. any one that bought a
gold brick OF passing stranger. was
made TO feel that life still held some
thing for him after a talk with Tom.
Tom White was lazy. but he was not
liar. Lying and laziness generally
70 together. The community took this
into account when sizing him up and
said of him:
mo matter how lazy he is, you can
always believe what he says"
OhC CfChiuS aitCA lOib DCth hbC
champion lazy man of the village for
fifteen years be had a seat with half
n dozen other men around the redhot
stove in Snyder's grocery. He hadn't
been doing any talking when all Of a
sudden he said:
Boys, had a singular dream We'd
nesday night. and 1t was repeated
Thursday and Friday nights"
WAS 1t hard work. was laughingly |
asked by one.
Il thought you looked done up" add
ed second.
Nearly all had some remark to make. !
aud when they were through Tom con- !
tinued:
You have all dreamed all sorts of
dreams. but femme ask if any one here
has ever dreamed of a boiler log?'
Beech. oak or maple?"
IL dunno. Jest boiler log"
"ln the woods or whereY
Didn't seem to be in the woods in
my case, and yet can't say where
else
How long was it?'
"Ten or twelve feet. mebbe."
''Was the hollow large enough for
you to crawl into:"
1t was some time before they would
take the man seriously. but his serious
face and sober answers finally prevail
ed. and he said:
II didn't dream that l was walking
anywhere. but did dream that | stood
beside a boiler log with an ak in hand.
There was some one else near by. aud
voice said:
TON. split it OPEN
Yes. boys, the voice said them
words. and obcyed the command"
And out jumped a dozen rabbits. and
you killed them all and are going to
have rabbit potpie for a fortnight TO
,ome?"
mo rabbits jumped out"
what did?"
The log was punky as well as boiler.
Two or three blows split it wide open.
ind there in the middle of the boiler
vas an old tomato can. 1t looked as
t 1t had been there for forty years"
But you are not going to tell us
hat the tomatoes were spoiled:"
Boys. the contents of that can could
lot Spite in thousand years. The can
vas sealed up, and when broke it
pen it was full Of twenty dollar gold
ieces."
by Georger'
you don't say-'
"But it was only a dream" h
Jest Dream" replied Tom. but ] n
rearned 1t three nights running, you =
,ust remember
.Shucksv' exclaimed one of the lis
,ners after a moment Of silence. n
We all know what drea ms are There
mt a man in the state that ever -
reamed anything that came to pass
Reckon not" was Toms comment. 4
But you think this will?" r
"Of course J.
Then you haven't got the sense OF =:
chickadee,'' %
II know. II. but 1t will come to pass. Fl
m going to look for that boiler log
I'd find it. There's can of gold in II" 81
In day or two the whole town was 80
the dream, and the people
ere pretty evenly divided. No matter
wv vigorously the opposition denied I
e dream business they we're among If
ose that shouldered axes and went
Inting through field and forest in -
arch of hollow logs. This search IA.
ntinued for week and then was Goo
ven up. Tom White himself did not TIN