The Washington herald., 1913-11-30


small owners, In commemoration OF an
other retainer, a white COW; the fact
that the cow and the dog were not Of
the same sex being treated with indif-
ference. Much the most Individual of the
dogs and the one with the strongest
character was Sailor Boy. Chesapeake
Bay dog. He had a masterful temper
and a strong sense OF both dignity and
duty He would never let the other dogs
fight, and he himself never fought unless
circumstances imperatively demanded IL:
but he was a murderous animal when he
did fight. He was not only exceedingly
fond of the water. as was TO be ex-
pected, but passionately devoted to gun
powder in every form, for he loved fire.
arms and fairly reveled in the Fourth of
July celebrations-the. latter being rather
hazardous occasions, as the children
strongly objected to any safe and sane"
element being injected into them, and had
the normal number OF close shaves with
rockets, Roman candles, and firecrackers.
One OF the stand-bys for enjoyment,
especially in rainy weather. was the old
barn. This had ben built nearly a cen
tury previously, and was as delightful
as only the pleasantest kind of old barn
can be. 1t stood at the meeting-spot Of
three fences. A fayorite amusement
used to be an obstacle race when the
were timed and were started success
sIvely from outside the door. They
rushed inside, clambered over or bur-
rowed through the hay, as suited them
best, dropped out of q place where a
loose board had come on. got over.
through, or under the three fences, and
raced back to the starting-point. When
they were little, their respective fathers
were expected also to take part in the
obEtacle race, and when with the ad-
vance Of years the fathers finally re-
general feeling Of panied regret among
the children at such a decline in the
sporting spirit
Near the Sound.
Another famous place for handicap
races was Cooper's Bluff, a gigantic
sand-bank rising from the edge of the
bay. a mile from the house. II the tide
was high there was an added thrill, for
some of the contestants were sure 10
run into the water.
As soon as the little boys learned to
swim they were allowed to go OF by
| themselves in rowboats and camp out
for the night along the Sound. Some
times / would go along SO as to take
the smaller children Once a schooner
was wrecked on a point half dozen
miles away. She held together well
for a season or two after having been
cleared of everything down to the tim
bers, and this gave US the chance to
make camping-out trips in which the
girls could also be included. for we put
them TO sleep in the wreck, while the
boys slept on the shore; squaw picnics'
the children called them.
Ny children. when young, went to the
I
school, as it is called. For nearly thirty
years we have given the Christmas tree
to the school Before the gifts are dis
tributed i am expected to make an ad-
dress, which is always .mercifully short.
nv own children having impressed upon
me with frank sincerity the attitude of
! other children to addresses OF this kind
I on such occasions. There are, OF course.
performances by the children themselves.
while all of US parents look admiringly
on, each sympathizing with his or her
particular offspring in the somewhat
wooden recital of Darius Green and his
\ FLYING Machine" or The Mountain and
| the Squirrel Had a Quarrel" But the
tree and the gifts make up for all short
comings.
Christmas Time.
We had a sleigh for winter: but II.
when there was much snow, the whole
family desired to go somewhere. we
would put the body OF the farm wagon
on runners and all bundle in together.
We always liked snow at Christmas time.
and the sleigh-ride down to the church
on Christmas eve. One OF the hymns al
ways sung at this Christmas eve festival
begins, It's Christmas eve on the river.
| it's Christmas eve on the bay" All good
natives OF the village firmly believe that
this hymn was written here. and with
direct reference to Oyster Bay; although
\ II such were the case the word river
would have to be taken in a hyperbolic
sense. as the nearest approach to a river
is the village pond. used to share this
belief myself, until my faith was shaken
by a Denver lady who wrote that she
had sung that hymn when a child in
Michigan. and that at the present time
her little Denver babies also loved IT,
represented by even a village pond"
| Church, Study, and Reading.
When we were in Washington, tht
children usually went with their mother
| to the Episcopal Church, while I went
to the Dutch Reformed. But If any child
misbehaved itself. II was sometimes sent
next Sunday to church with me, on tbs
| theory that my companionship woulc
have a sedative eTect--which IL did, as
| I and the child walked along with rather
| constrained politeness, each eying tht
other with watchfuI readiness for the
unexpected. On one occasion. when tbs
chIld's conduct fell Just short of warrant
ing extreme measures, his mother, as
they were on the point OF entering
church. concluded homily by a quota,
ton which showed a certain haziness OF
memory concerning the marriage anc
baptismal services: mo. little boy. Il
this conduct continues, shall think tha
you neither love, honor, nor obey met
However. the culprit was much i'm
pressed with a sense Of shortcoming a: