Saturday news. (Watertown, S.D.) 19??-19??, 1915-10-28
CHAPTER x
.Twelve.

WEI&Est 81 hAVCFGA kndk NJ us u ky>
roscope. 1t keeps steadily whining
along its lawful track. and, thus farf
seeming to hold a right OF way, spins.
doggedly on, with no ~perceptible dimi-
mutton OF speed to mark the most III
gantic human events. 1t did not pause
to pant and recuperate even when.
what seemed to Penrod its principal
purpose was accomplished, and mn enor.
nous shadow, vanishing westward
over Its surface, marked The dawn OF
his twelfth birthday.
To be twelve Is an attainn ent worth
the struggle. A boy, just twelve, is
like a Frenchman just elected to the
academy.
Distinction and honor wait upon him.
Younger boys show Difference to a per-
son OF twelve. bis experience is guar
anteed, his Judgment, therefore, mel
low; consequently his influence Is pro.
found. Eleven is not quite satisfac-
tory. 1t Is only an approach. Eleven
has the disadvantage Of six, of nine
teen, Of forty-four and of sixty-nine.
But, Hike twelve, seven is an honorable.
( o6Op lii tAC aUhDlllOu ~ uLlhkhW IL lS
laudable. People look forward to be-
Ing seven. Similarly, twenty is worthy.
and SO, arbitrarily, is twenty-one; for
ty-ive has great solidity; seventy is
most commendable and each year
thereafter an increasing honor. Thir
teen Is embarrassed by the beginnings
of a new colthood. The child becomes
s N vnrrfhA - n,YA %xry0Ivyn a., %nn a~r =, ~
boyhoOd
Dressing that morning, Penrod felt
that the world was changed from the
world Of yesterday. For one thing, he
seemed to own more of It. This day
was his day. And it was a day worth
owning. The midsummer sunshine,
pouring gold through his window. came
from a cool sky, and a breeze moved
pleasantly In his hair az he leaned
from the sill to watch the tribe Of
chattering blackbirds take wing, fol
| lowing their leader from the trees In
the yard to the days work In the open
country. The blackbirds we're his, as
the sunshine and the breeze were his,
| for they all belonged to the day which
was his birthday and therefore most
surely his. Pride suffused him. He
was twelve!
His father and his mother and Mar
garet seemed to understand the differ
ence between today and yesterday.
They were at the table when he de-
scended, and they gave him a greeting
which Of itself marked the milestone.
Habitually his entrance into a room
where his elders sat brought g cloud Of
apprehension. They were prone to
look up In pathetic expectancy, as IL
their thought was, What new awful
ness is he going to start now| But
this morning they laughed. His moth
er rose and kissed him twelve times.
SO did Margaret. And his father
shouted: "Well, well! How's the
mann
Then his mother gave him a Bible
and ssThe Vicar of Wakefield" Marga-
ret gave him a pair Of silver mounted
hairbrushes, and his father gave him a
Pocket Atlas" and a small compass.
"And now. Penrod.'' said his mother
after breakfast, I'm going to take you
out In the country to pay your birth.
day respects to Aunt Sarah Grim"
Aunt Sarah Grim. Penrod's great
aunt, was his Oldest living relative.
She was ninety, and when Mrs. Scho-
field and Penrod aiighted from a car
riage at her gate they found her dig
cling with a spade In the garden.
sim glad you brought him. she said,
desisting from labor. "Jinny's bak-
ing a cake Pm going to send for his
birthday party. Bring him in the
house. I've got something for him.
she led the way to her ..sitting ROOM,
which had Il pleasant smell. Unlike any
other smell. and opening the drawer OF
a shining old whatnot took therefrom
a boys ..siingshot,u made OF a forked
stick, two strips OF rubber and a Bit
OF leather.
This isn't for you.. she said. plac
ing it In Periods eager hand. mo
II would break all to pieces the frs
time you tried to shoot9it because # Y
thirty-fve years old. I want to sent
III back to your father. think ~
time. You give 1t to him from me an,
tell him I say | believe can trus
him with ii now. I took 1t away from
him thirty4fve years ago, one day at
er he'd killed my best hen with Y ae
cidentaiIy and broken q glass pitcne
on the back porch with it-accidental
DIN. He doesn't look like a persol
who's ever done things of that sorl