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Show I Boyhood in the Country. "Tho city boy sees tint Utile of tho HJ real fun of boyhood days," said tho HJ man who was brought tip on a farm. 11 "About this tlmo of year, when I was' Hi n lad, camo the last day of Rcliool. HJ Christmas, Fourth of July and the HJ last day of school were great days In HJ my boyhood calendar. That day Itself HJ was not only crowded with fun, but HJ 'It meant tlio beginning of four HJ months of tlio same thing. The last HJ 1 , day and then nothing to do but fish Hj J for bullbcailH nml go In swlmmln' un- Hi j til dog days. Then camo hayln' time. Hj Who wouldn't bo n boy In hayln' Hj ..Iruo? j "Tho morning of the last day wo Hb forgot to turn tho cows Into tho mend- Hj ows or water tho hogs, wo were so ox- Hi cited. Fathor camo In Just as wo HJ wcro all dio3scd up. Everybody wore Hb his Sunday suit on the Inst day. Hi "Why ain't those llds dono their Hi work 7' ho ashed. Hi "Mother Interceded: 'This Is the Hi last day of school, you know, pa; and Hi they Just forgot.' H "School didn't tnko up until ton Hi o'clock. Wo had an hour and a half Hi to play 'niovo up' In. Part of tho HH Slmpkins school had como over early HI to play with us. Every school within Hi a rmlltis of six miles that hadn't HV closed camo to visit us on tho last Hi clay. Thoy came a-glggllng mass of Hi I. youngsters squeezed In one big lum- HV bor wagon. HV "Thcro woro no lessons assigned tho HB last clay. Koch ono recited what ho Hj ' liked be3t. Tho rending classes wcro Hfl In tho morning. On such occasions HH my favorito was 'Old Ironsides.' With HV sltouldcrs thrown back, book held HV straight out in front, I bellowed: Ay, tear hor tnttcrod cnxlKn down, Lonjr tins It waved on IiIrIi. HH "Jimmy Green always read, 'Tho HV Brook.' Slouching on ono hip, look- HJ Ing out of tho window most of tho HH .1 tlmo that ho might Impress tho small HH cr children with his learning, Jimmy HH read In monntono: For men tuny come nnd men may go, Hut I no on forever. HQ "Jimmy couldn't read very well, but HJ ho knew 'Tho Ilrook' by heart. On HJ tho Fridays wo had to speak plccas, H Jimmy spoko 'Tho Brook.' Wo hnd n HH new teacher nearly ovory year, so she HJ thought It was a plcco Jimmy had HB )learncd for that especial occasion. It H was hard on Jimmy when tho snmo HJ teacher camo back tho second year. HJ i Jlmy had to learn a now plcco. HJ "Just beforo noon, our pas and mns Hl ,nnd tho rest of tho children's pas and HH mas began to como In, Ma nlwnys H camo and sat with me. That mado mu HH mad, bccatiso Suslo Whitty, In tho seat HHJ behind mo tlttorcd: 'Ho Is tied to his H mamma's apron strings.' That cut. I HH was In lovo with Susie. HH . "Old Squlro Itogcrs was tho last one HHJ to arrive. Tho squlro didn't havo any HB children, but he had been on tho school HH) board over since tho district was or- HH ganlzod. Tho teacher boarded nt his HH place Johnny Jones left tho room HH and when ho como back, started It HH down his alslo: 'Treats aro coniln' HH causa tltoro Is a big candy bucket In HH tho back of tlio squlro's buggy.' HH Would sho or wouldn't fllio trltt on HH tho last day? had been discussed In HH hushed tones by groups of chlldron HH on tho playground for weeks. HHJ "Dinner tlmo camo and from tho HH buggies and wagons great baskets of HH eatables covered with big cloths wcro HHJ brought out. Tho teacher pretended HH to bo surprised, sho hadn't drenmcd HHJ of it. Sho had brought her own llttlo HH lunch basket as usual. That dinner, great platters of fried chicken, big HH juicy pickles, watermelon preserves, HH hard boiled eggs colored red, with HH i toothpicks In one end to pick thorn up HH byl Tho squlro nt tho head of tho HH tahlo asked tho blessing In his deep HH volco. Jncklo Scltcmmurhorn giggled. HH Jncklo always gtgglod when tho squlro HHj said graco. Jackie's father wns a HHj godless man and It amused Jncklo to HHl see peoplo talk to their platter as ho HHl HHj "After dinner tho smnllor children HHJ said plocas, and four of us big boys HHl bad a debato. Tho question was, HHj 'Who suffered the moro, Enoch Arden H or Evnngcllno?' I was leader on HHJ Enoch's slilo and Johnny Jonos was H Evnngcllno's chnmplon. Neither H Knoch nor Evnngellno over got tho do- H clslon. Squlro nogcrs, tho third Judge, H alwnys said, 'as near as ho could soo, H It was six of ono and halt a dozen of HHl tho other, so ho would call It a hung HHj Jury.' Tho squlro was a tactful man. HHJ "Tho best wns last. Thnt big bucket H was brought out of tho squlro's buggy. HHfl Wouldn't this bo u happy old world If HHH every day was tho last day of school?" HH Knnsas City Star. |