Polk County news. [volume] (Benton, Tenn.) 191?-1983, 1920-07-08
THE ANCIENT SCHOONER.

This is the story that Uncle Tan
told on the third evening, after the
supper dishes were all washed, and
. Peter and Jane were perched on the
long bench to listen.
Once upon a time, said Uncle Tan,
the children's dog Aristotle got lost,
all by himself. Usually he helped
the children to get lost, but this time
he simply went and got lost alone. He
went away one afternoon and did not
come home that night. So the chill
dren held a council of war to talk
about him.
wherever he is" said Sister, Il
think we ought to go and find him."
"Bnt how ca1 we tell which direc-
ton he went in?" said Brother.
You see there were three directions
in which Aristotle might have gone.
He might have gone north or south or
west. He could not very well have
gone east, because this happened when
the children We're staying at the sea
shore, and all the east direction was
made of salt water.
Just then their father came out of
the house. 1t was not his house, but
Aunt Matilda's. Aunt Matilda was the
sister of the chidreG's fathers moth
er. So Aunt Matilda was the
children's great-aunt. She was rather
a fussy old lady, but very nice.
The children went to meet their
father and ask him about going after
Aristotle. He told them that they
might co. but that they need not take
anything to dig with. If they found
that Aristotle was really in so deep
in the ground he and Aunt Matilda's
hired man would come and dig him |
out.
So the children got some lunch |
ready. They got some bread ard but
ter sandwiches and some cookies and
a bottle of water and some marsh
mallows.
Then they started out. But Aunt
Matilda ran out after them and said,
81 want you to take this steamer rug
with you. children. because it looks
like rain, and you might need some
thing warm. That time when you
went blackberrying you nearly froze
to death in the woods"
"Oh, bother" said Brother. But his
father said to him, Take it along
Babs If auntie wants you to take it.
Maybe YOU will find Aristotle tumbled
down into a cold well, and have to
bu1de him up warm and feed him
dOgnip tea"
So the children laughed and took
the rug. Afterward they were ex-
tremely glad that they did.
They walked north along the sand
until they came to where the sea
rushed into the pond through a mar
row channel. This channel was called
the Breach. They walked west along
the channel till they came to the
bridge. Having crossed the bridge
they went back to the shore and kept
on northward
The clover field was about mile 6
away, tut they got there before lunch v
time. Then they got up on the highest
point OF The field and called the dog. {
But he did not answer. They kept on f
calling "Totte! Tottle! Tottle" till 1
they wore hoarse. Then they went all \
over TINT great field and looked at S
every MoOdchuck hole. Once they
nearly fell over a woodchuck Vie was Il
sitting be"ide his front door. lie
popped into his hole very suddenly, [
and thry saw him no more. But they 4
saw no igu of Aristotle, either. There fl
was no place to be found where II dog s.
had been digging lately. r.
"Oh. dear said Sister, when It was s.
lbOut two O'Clock. what shall we do
lextT 9,
Eat our lunch" said Brother. 81
That is one thing we can do. There W
ire so many things that we can't do
when we hunt for our dog that I say &,
cts do something we can do" "
SO they found cool place In the II
'ext field, in the shadow of big h,
ock. and ate their lunch. That is TO III
ay they ate part of II. For Aunt hi
Iatldn's cook had given them so
luch bread and butter ard so many or
ookieS that there was no use to try IN
D stuff them all down. But they ate eli
u the marshmallows. II Is surprising he
ow little room murshmallow takes IN
p inside you. III
As for the bottle of water. they did ho
OF even open II. On the other side of in
ne big rock there was splendid nm
,ring. The spring itself was not just or
lere. but long pipe came out of I'm,
he rocks there, and there was n tub he
lder II to catch the water You see, as