Warren sheaf. [volume] (Warren, Marshall County, Minn.) 1880-current, 1916-01-26

| lett as soon as possible: now When the
family met it was joyous occasion.
and each one seemed to have some
thing amusing and cheerful to tell.
'Son, aren't you going to take rest
day after tomorrow asked his mother
| one day in mid-June.
"Well, could; everything is getting
along nicely and won't need another
| working until next week. What's up?'
Its your birthday, and your father
and l and Annie thought we'd make a
holiday of it,
Il declare, have been so busy for
got itv' laughed Joe.
Il didn't" said his mother.
The subject was dropped, but on that
morning Joe was allowed to sleep until
o'clock, most unusual thing for him.
Then the wagon was ready, and the
whole family climbed in for day at
Magnolia Dell, some five miles distant.
There was beautiful large spring at
the Dell, which fed a clear, small lake,
famous for it's fish. Poles were provid-
ed, crickets caught for bait, and soon
the party was busy landing sun perch,
| blue Dream and rock bass. A frying
pan had been brought along, with salt,
| meal and lard. At dinner time the
abundance Of fish was prepared for
cooking. Joe got three good sized
stones to set the frying pan on and
built fire.
| When the fat was almost boiling
the fish were rolled in the meal, sailed
and dropped in. In a few minutes
each one was cooked to crisp, golden
| brown.
The dinner in the basket Mrs. Wes-
ton had provided was a fine one to
supplement- the fish. A pitcher of lem
onade made from the icy water of the
spring and favored with sprigs of
mint from it's edges completed the re-
past, partaken Of with keen appetites
whetted by the zest Of novelty,
After lounging about on the messy
carpet beneath the great magnolia
trees in pleasant laZiness both Joe and
his father fell asleep, each with bun
die of fragrant fern for pillow. While
they slept Mrs Weston and Annie
washed the dinner things, packed them
in the wagon and caught pretty good
string of perch for the mornings
brea kfast. It was nearly O'Clock
when the tired men folks Weakened
from their nap.
Come on, Joe; let's have a swim
then we've got to be hitching up to 20
home,'' said his father.
Down at the lower end of the lake
was famous swimming hole, with
firm, sandy bottom and springboard
to dive from. Both went into the wa
ter at once, and after good swim and
a brisk rundown each felt as if he were
tread1ng on air when he walked.
Dusk had fallen over the land whe1
they got out Of the deep shadows OF
the woods about the lake. In the mys
ferrous recesses of the forest q little
screech owl gave it's shivering cry
again and again. The whippoorwills
in the distance kept advising the whip
ping of poor WILL while others in
sisted that they were ''just poor Will.
widow
Katydids were arguing with one an
other that Katie did-or she didn't-a
never ending controversy. A great ow
in giant cypress tree among the long
festoon of gray Spanish moss wanted
to know "Who-who-who cooks fol-
you-u. abr Back in the lake among
the marshy edges and lily pads the
bullfrogs began their sonorous chorus
"Deep-very deep. very deep-deepv
mot very. Not very! Not veryv
"Jug-er-rum! Jug-er-rum! Jug
er-rum!''
] "Deep-so deep-deerv'
Myriads Of great cleaning flrefliet
danced in the denser shades. In the
east, as the wagon rolled beyond thu
confines Of the forest, the immense
ruddy full moon hung just above tn.
horizon Of field and meadow.
! "Oh, isn't it beautifulr' exclaimed
Annie and her mother in one breath.
With the cool air of night came
scents of woods and fields, the odors Of
wild flowers, Of growing things. The
air here became heavy with the per
fume Of yellow jasmine; farther on
the scent of magnolia blossoms. Sud
denly from high above them food o,
ripping melody seemed to make, tn.
moonbeams vibrate.
The hooking birdy' cried Joe. 'sIt'.
the sweetest music in the world, for i
IS the best of the songs of all the othel
birds, improved by the hooking birt
himself!''
! The joyous rascal seemed to hove
above them in the enchanted silver
radiance, for as the wagon rolled in th,
gate at home the liquid notes of til,
sweetest songster Of the south followed
family, as if in echo to the memory O.
perfect day.
/ Joe's four acre farm" was now on,
of the show places Of the neighborhood
The county road ran by it, and al
most any time Of day could be seen
wagon, a man on horseback or some on
afoot under the shade of the big oak o,
the other side, which extended it
branches almost across the highway.
!. swell, did you ever see such corn?''
why, that corn's so green till it's al