Year: 1868

apology it may need for its intrOduc


tion into polite literature. We dc


not know its origin:


As novelists say, it wasa beautiful


day in August. The trees ware laden


with golden fruits, and the beautiful


birds twittered their songs of love in


the branches. We were about to say


that ''earth had yielded her beautiful


harvest of a years grass and clover,


and honey suckles, which the noble


yeomanary of Chesterville had gath


cred within their storehouses, +" but up


on a second thought have concluded


to say it thus; "The farmers Of Ches-


terville were done haying."


John Jaclson's sister had a quilt


ing party that afternoon; his father


had gone to get some wheat ground,


and John was left to repair some tools


to be ready on the morrow to COM


mence moving the meadow grass.


Suddenly it occurred to John that if


he remained about the house in the


afternoon he would be called in at tea
time, and be required to do the hOnOrs


at the table. To avoid this, he quiet


ly shouldered his scythe and stole


away to the meadow half a mile dis


tant, fully resolved that he would not


leave until it was so dark that he


could not see to NOV at all, and thus


avoid seeing the girls. The meadow


was surrounded on all sides by thick


forest, which efectually shut out what


little breeze there might chance to be


stirring. The sun poured down its
rays as though the little meadow was


the focus point where the heat was
concentrated. John moved and
sweat-sweat and moved until he


was obliged to sit down and cool of.
Then it occurred to John that if he


took off his pants he might be more
comfortable. There would be no inn
propriety in it, for he was entirely
concealed from observation, and there
was not the slightest reason to suppose
that he could be seen by any person.
So John stripped of, and with no
covering save his linen-cOmmOnly
called a shirt-he resumed his work.
He was congratulating himself on the
good times he was having, when he
CHANGED to disturb huge blacksnake.
a genuine tWister, with white ring
around his neck. John was no cow
ard, but he was mortally afraid of
snakes. "Self preservation" was the
first t'passage" that flashed upon
Johns mind-''legs, take care of thy
body" was the next. Dropping his
scythe, and spinning round like a top,
he was ready to strike 2.40 gait,
when at that moment his snakeship
was near enough to hook his crooked
teeth in Johns shirt just above the
hem. With a tremendous spring he
started off with the speed of a lOcOmO-
tive. His first jump took the snake
clear from the ground, and as John
stole hasty glance over his shoulder,
he was Mortified to find the reptile Sc
curely fastened to the extremity of his
garment, while the speed with which
he rushed forward kept the serpent at
an angle of ninety degrees with his
body. Here was a quandary. If he
stopped, the snake would coil about
his body and squeeze him to death;
if he continued the race he must soon
fail from sheer exhaustion. On he
flew, scarce daring to think
how his dreadful race would end. In
stinctively he had taken the direction
of home, and as he emerged from the
forest a feeling of security came over
him. Suddenly the thought flashed
across his mind of the true state of af-
fairs-his father gone-the quilting
and worst of all--the girls. This new
horror sent the blood back, curdling
about his heart, and he came to a
dead halt. The next moment he felt
the cold, clammy monster in contact
with his bare leg, as though his snake
ship only meditated little fun, by the
way of tickling John upon the knees.
This was too much for human endu
rance. With a yell such as man new
er uttered save when in mortal terror,
poor John again set forward at break
neck speed, and once more had the
pleasure of seeing the snake in his old
position, somewhat after the fashion of
the tail of a comet. On, on they few.
John forgot the quilting, forgot every
thing but the snake.


His first wild shrek had startled
the quilters, and forth they rushed,
wondering if some Indian was not
prowling about. By this time John
was within few rods of the barn, still !
running at the top Of his speed, his
head turned so that he might keep
one eye on the snake, and with the
other observe what course he must
take. The barn now concealed him
from the sight of the girls. He knew
they were in the yard, having caught
a glimpse of them as they rushed
from the house. For moment mod
esty overcame fear, and he once more
halted. The snake, evidently pleased
with his rapid transportation, mani
tested his gratitude by attempting to
enfold the legs of our hero within his
embrace.


With an explosive "Ottch!" and
urged forward by circumstances over
which he had no CONTROL" poor John
bounded on. The next moment he
was in view of the girls, and as hel
turned the corner of the barn the
snake came round with whiz, some
what after the fashion of coach whip.
reached the barn-yard, to his
dismay, he found the bars up. But
time was too precious to be wasted in
letting down bars. He gathered all
his strength, bounded into the all, snake
ditto, and as he alighted on the other
side, his snakeship's tail cracked across
the upper bar.


The house now became the center
of attraction, and around it he revOlv-
ed with the speed of thought. Four
times in each revolution as he turned
the corner, his snakeship came round
with a whiz that was quite refreshing.
While describing the third circle, as
he came near the group of wonder
struck girls, without removing his gaze