The Emmett index. [volume] (Emmett, Idaho) 1893-1925, 1920-11-11

Jon were young. Whenever . boy
| puts up . Job on me. and l feel my
self getting mad, ! recall some Of my
own exploits when was Z lad, and
that enables me to forget my troubles.
II was looking through an ancient
album last evening. and NV the pic
lures Of lot Of people who ten ~
the earth many years ago. Thy were
venerable men and women In my
schOoldays. anG had played tricks
on every one Of them; not with mai
ice aforethought, but Just because o
kid must have bis fun.
There was Z picture Of old Aunt
Betsy, who used to come to our house
once in while. on . visit. and AZ soon
~ she came she took charge Of every
thing. She knew how to do things
better than anybody else. and she was
always crIticising my mothers meth
DDS. Whenever mother started to do
anything. Aunt Betsy would take the
Job out Of her hands, saying she would
show the right way to do 1t.
II had heard somewhere that II you
put drop or two of acetic acid In
a gallon OF cream. that cream will
never make butter. i had a great
memory for such facts. and kept them
on file where they would be useful.
One morning mother said she would
hive to churn. and she got things
ready. / knew that as soon as sshe
started Aunt Betsy would want to
show her how IT should be done, 80
when l had chance, dropped some
of the acid into the churn. which was
one OF those old upright affairs, with
q dasber that you worked up and
down until the butter came.
Mother seated herself on a stool
and began churning, and then Aunt
Betsy came along. and said that while
she was q modest and unassuming |
woman, she did claim to know a lit |
tie more about churning than anybody |
OF her weight In that part Of the I
country. Let me do 1t, my dear, said |
she, and I'll have butter in seven
minutes by the clock So she took
hold Of the dasher and began slapping
away with It, She worked and worked.
and the sweat began rolling down her
face, and every once In while she'd
lift the lid Of the churn to see what
allied the doggone cream, and then 4
she'd pour In some cold wnter, and 1
then some hot water, and the more
she wrestled away. the less sign Of
butter was there.
"She whanged away at that ding
busted churn for two hours and
couldn't get results, and she was so
mad and disgustet over 1t she want
ed to pack her trunk and go back
home. Mother saw me rolling around
N the yard all doubled mp with un-
holy mirth. and she realized ut once,
~, deductive reasoning, that l wag
and the licking l got thai
evening took the edge on my sense
Il humor for three weeks.
Another time Uncle James was Wis
ting us. He used to sit In a rustic
hair under an apple tree and doze,
lfter dinner He had bald head,
md his hat always slid on after he
lad snored few times. One day
neaked up behind him with a feather
nd began tickling his head. He'd
lap his dome Of thought and Gus
little. and then doNe again. when
rould get busy with the feather. That
rent on for quite while, and ! was
aving the time Of my life. | never
card any language more highly COZ
red than Uncle James put up.
MY mother heard him saying
Kings, and came to the door and asked
i'm what was the matter. and ne
aid n iing-donged lopsided fly was
hewlng his scalp on. He had chased
away three million times but 1t al
'ays came back. got another lick
x that night. and my mind was oc-
opied with serious things for
'onth.s