Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1919-01-14


"Nospanks and bread and butter
ayes p
When 1 asked what were "nospanks"
she told me that they were part of
the wages of a good child. l was
better paid for my care of the water
melon vine, for its growth was mea-
sured with string every day and kept
me interested. One morning l found
five blossoms on it. / picked one and
carried it to Aunt DeeI. Another l
destroyed in the tragedy of catching
humblebee which had crawled into
its cup. In due time three small mel
ons appeared. When they were as
big as baseball picked two of them.
One l tasted and threw away as
ran to the pump for relief. The other
l hurled at dog on my way to
school.
So that last melon on the vine had
my undivided affection. 1t grew in
size and reputation, and soon
learned that reputation is about the
worst thing that a watermelon can
acquire while it is on the vine. III
vited everybody that came to the
house to go and see my watermelon.
They looked it over and said pleas
| ant things about it. When / was a
boy people used to treat children and
watermelOns with a like solicitude.
Both were subject for jests and
produced similar reactions in the hu-
man cOuntenance.
At last Uncle Peabody agreed with
me that it was about time to pick the
melon. 1 decided to pick it immediate
| ly after meeting on Sunday, so that
7 could give it to my aunt and uncle
at dinner-time. When we got home
L ran for the garden. My feet and
those of our friends and neighbors
had literally worn a path to the mel
, on. In eager haste l got my little
| wheelbarrOw and ran with it TO the
| end of that path. There I found
| nothing but broken vinesl The melon
had vanished. l ran back to the
house almost overcome by a feeling
of alarm, for l had thought long of
! that hour of pride when l should
bring the melon and present it to my
aunt and uncle.
Uncle Peabody" 1 shouted, my
melon is gone"
| "Wen, / want" said he, somebody
| must "a stole it,"
! But it was my melon" 1 said with
trembling voice.
Eyes, and l yum it's too bad But,
Bart, you amt learned yit that there
! are wicked people IN the world who
| come and take what don't belong to
! EN-"
| There were tears in my eyes when
! I asked:
They'll bring it back, won't theyY'
"Never.I" said Uncle Peabody, I'm
! afraid they've ct it up"
+ He had no sooner said it than a
/ cry broke from my lips, and I sank
! down upon the grass moaning and
sobbing. 1 lay amidst the ruins of
! the simple faith of childhood. 1t was
as if the world and all It's joys had
| come to an end.
| Aunt Deel spoke in a low, kindly
! tone and came and lifted me to my
! feet very tenderly.
| Come. Bart, don't feel SO about
| that old melon" said she, at amt
| worth it. Come with me. I'm going
! to give you q present-ayeS l be-"
1 was still crying when she took
me to her trunk. and offered the
| grateful assuagement of candy and
a belt, all embroidered with blue and
| white beads.
"Now you see, Bart, how low aud
| mean anybody Is that takes what
don't belong to 'em-ayes! They're
snakesi Everybody hates 'em an
| stamps on 'em when they come in
sight-ayes !"
The abominatiOn of the Lord was
| in her look and manner. How it
| shook my soul! He who had taken
! the Wa termelon had also taken from
me something | was never to have
| again, and a very wonderful thing il
! was-faith in the goodness of men.
, My eyes had seen evil. The world
had committed it's first Offense against
, me and my spirit was no longer the
! white and beautiful thing it had been.
F., Still, therein is the beginning of wis
/ dom and, looking down the long vista
! of the years, ] thank God for the
: great harvest of the lost watermelon.
Better things had come in its place
understanding and what more, often
| / have vainly tried to estimate. For