Produced by Roger Frank and the Online Distributed
Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net
Transcriber's Notes:
1. This text has numerous intentionally misspelled words.
2. In several instances, what would normally be a full stop has been
presented in the original text and here as an extra space.
3. The punctuation and spelling of the original text have been retained
throughout.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
"SEQUIL"
Or Things Whitch Aint Finished in the First
By
HENRY A. SHUTE
Published by
The Everett Press
Boston, Mass., Mcmiv
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Copyright, 1904, by Henry A. Shute.
Entered at Stationers' Hall.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
"SEQUIL"
OR THINGS WHITCH AINT FINISHED IN THE FIRST
Sept. 7, 186- Gosh, what do you think, last nite father and mother and
me and Keene and Cele and aunt Sarah was sitting at supper when father,
he sed i am a going to read your diry tonite. Gosh i was scart for i
hadent wrote ennything in it for a long time. so after supper i went
over to mister Watsons and asked him if he dident want to see father and
he sed he wood and i went home and told father mister Watson wanted him
to come over jest as quick as he cood and father went over. i knew
father woodent ever think of it agen. father and mister Watson Beanys
father set and talked about what they usted to do and father sed do you
remember Wats that time you and Bill Yung and Brad Purinton and Jack Fog
went down to, and then he saw me and Beany lissening and he sed, you
boys run away and he giv me 5 cents and me and Beany went over to old Si
Smiths for some goozberies but i have got to wright that old diry some
more whitch is pretty tuf, i have forgot whether it was brite and fair
sence i wrote my last diry or not, but ennyway it is brite and fair
today. Lots of things have hapened sense i wrote my last diry. Beanys
father is a poliseman now and Beany feels prety big. Beany hadent better
say mutch to me ennyway. the stewdcats have come back and they has been
lots of fites. Scotty Briggam licked 2 stewdcats in one day. one day me
and Pewt and Beany was standing in frunt of the libary and 2 stewdcats
went in and Pewt threw a peace of dry mud and it hit the stewdcat rite
in the neck and bust and went down his coller and he see us laffin and
he walked rite out to where we was standing and he sed sorter sisy like
whitch of you boys throwd that, and Pewt sed jest like him, if you are
so smart you had better find out, and he grabed Pewt and throwd him rite
in the guter and roled him round in the mud and hit him 3 good bats in
the ear. me and Beany run and Pewt he was mad becaus we dident pich in
and help him, but lots of times me and Beany has got licked and Pewt
never helped us. i told Father about it and he sed he was glad of it and
he wished the stewdcats had licked me and Beany two.
Sept. 8, 186- brite and fair. the band played tonite downtown. we all
went down but mother and aunt Sarah and the baby and Franky and Georgie
and Annie who was all two little except mother and aunt Sarah who had to
stop and take care of them. the band played splendid and Fatty Walker
jest pounded the base drum as hard as he cood. most of the fellers run
round and played tag and hollered but i set still. i cant see how
fellers can run round and holler when a band plays. they tried to pull
me out of my seet but i giv Beany a good punch. when we came home
mother asked if i had behaived and father sed i set there jest like a
old potato. he sed i dident know much ennytime but when i herd music i
dident know ennything.
Sept. 9, 186- Will Simpkins is coming to visit us. he is my cuzon and is
older then i am and every time he comes he licks me. i dont dass to tell
becaus he is company. so this time i am going to get Gim Erly or Tady
Finton to lick him. he is coming next Saterday. he lives in a city and
wears a neckti every day and feels prety big and says i am a countryman.
I see Gim Erly today and he says he will lick time out of Will for a
nife and a slingshot. i had lost my nife so i told Beany and he sed he
wood give Gim his nife if he wood let him see the fite. Will licked
Beany last summer and Beany aint forgot it. then i dident have enny
slingshot and so i told Fatty and Fatty he sed he wood give Gim his
slingshot if he cood see the fite. it seemed kinder mean not to tell
Pewt, so i told Pewt and he sed he would give me his fathers pigs
bladder when it was killed if i wood let him see the fite, that makes 2
bladders i am going to have this fall. Oliver Lane is going to give me
his, they will make bully footballs. i gess i can get Potter to give me
a leest flycatches egg if i will let him see the fite.
Sept. 10. Brite and fair. Will Simpkins is coming tomorrow. i bet he
will wish he hadent after Gim Erly gives him that licking. Potter gave
me a red wing blackbirds egg and a chippys egg and 2 blewjays wings to
see the fite.
Sept. 11. Brite and fair. it was the best fite i have seen since Cris
Staples licked Charlie Clark you had aught to have seen it. Will came
this morning he was all dressed up and had his shoes blacked. i knew
that wood make Gim want to lick him. i felt kinder mean when he came
becaus he seamed glad to see me, and mother sed i hope you boys will
have a real nice time together, and i sed i gess we will. so after
dinner i asked him to go over to Beanys and we went over and Gim was
there and Potter and Pewt and Fatty and Billy Swett came with Fatty and
he wispered he wood giv me a whailbone bow. Gim sed to me easy have you
got them things and i sed yes and Gim sed no fooling and i sed hope to
die and i crosed my throte and i sed you have got to lick him first and
he sed he wood lick him. so we went over in the high school yard to play
prisners bass. well prety soon Gim sed Will cheeted, and Will said he
dident, and Gim sed do you mean to call me a lier and Will sed he dident
cheet and Gim sed he wood giv him a paist on the nose, and Will sed he
want man enuf and Gim scrached a line in the dirt and told Will not to
dass to step over it and then Will put a chip on his sholeder and told
Gim not to dass to nock it off and Will sed if he hit Gim he wood nock
him so far he woodent come down at all and Gim sed if he hit him there
woodent be ennything left of him but a red neckti, and Will told Gim he
was a freckled faced mick and Gim told Will he was a curly haired nigger
and just then Fatty give Will a push rite into Gim and they went at it
and Gim licked time out of Will and got him down and lammed him until he
hollered enuf. then Will he went home balling and i had to go two and
when we got home mother sed it was a shame and she wood tell father when
he got home. when father got home mother told him and sed it was a shame
that Willy, she calls him Willy, i am glad my name aint Willy, i had
rather be called Skinny or Polelegs or Plupy then Willy, well she sed it
was a shame that Willy coodent play with me without having that dredful
Erly boy fiting him and she wanted father to go up to Mr. Tucks where
Gim lives and tell him about it. Well father sed boys always fit and
she mustent wurry about it he gessed Willy wood get over it. but he told
me not to ask Gim Erly down here agen. so after supper when i had to go
for the yeest i ran up to Gims and giv him the nife and the slingshot
and told him not to tell.
Sept. 12. Brite and fair. Will has got a black eye and a scrached nose.
Nellie has got well and we had a ride today after church and i let Will
drive. in the afternoon Beany and Pewt came over and we had a shooting
mach with the whailbone bow behind the barn. i told Beany and Pewt not
to tell for if they did father woodent let us go together agen. Fatty
and Potter and Billy Swett wont tell ether.
Sept. 13, 186- Brite and fair. today we had a good time. mother let me
invite Beany and Pewt and Nipper Brown to supper for company for Will.
Pewt coodent come becaus he shot one of his fathers hens with his arrow
rifle jest like i shot my hen whitch was eating eggs and Mister Purinton
Pewts father woodent let him come. i gess if father had been at home for
supper i wood have got a licking but he dident get home til the 7 oh
clock train. well we had been raising time up in my room and when we
went down to supper i pulled a chair out when Nipper went to set down
and he set rite down on the floor bang and grabed the table cloth and
pulled of his plate and cup and sauser and Beanys sauser and they came
rite down on his head and broak to smash. Nipper was scart but mother
picked him up and said he needent wurry for she dident care for the
dishes and asked him if he was hurt and said it was my falt and she told
me i had aught to be ashamed and I hadent aught to have company if i
dident know how to treet them. she dident send me to bed becaus she had
to be polite to Beany and Nipper and so i was all rite, after supper we
played domminoes til the nine oh clock bell rang and then Beany and
Nipper went home.
Sept. 14. Brite and fair. Will went home to-day i was sorry he went, we
had a good time and i never knew him to be such a good feller before. i
gess it did him good to get a lickin. father says it always does me good
to get a good lickin. before he went he got me to throw a ball easy at
him and he let it hit him in the eye so he cood tell his folks that a
ball hit him in the eye, so he wood not have to tell a lie to his father
about his black eye. a feller feels a good deal better when he doesent
have to lie to his folks. when i usted to hook in swiming i usted to
stick my head in the rane water barril so I cood tell father how i wet
my hair. i dident like to do it sometimes becaus the barril was full of
little wigglers but i had ruther do that then have to tell a lie,
ennyway i gess all the wigglers that got into my hair died becaus they
never bit me. father says they turn into musketers.
Sept. 15, 186- Brite and fair. i forgot to say that i giv Will the
whailbone bow that Billy Swett giv me to see the fite. he was glad to
get it i tell you, and he sed i was the best feller he knew. i told him
when he came here agen we wood have some more fun. mother gave him 25
cents and gave me ten cents for being so good to him. me and Pewt and
Beany had some goozeberies down to old Si Smiths. father told me one
time i cood have a football, so i asked him tonite and he sed i dident
desirve ennything, that i had caused him a good deal of truble, ennyway
i am going to have 2 bladders.
Sept. 16. Clowdy but no rane. Beany and Ticky Moses got fiting at resess
today. we was playing 2 old cat and we was chewsing sides, and Beany and
Ticky was chewsing and the way they did it was this. Beany he throwed
the bat at Ticky and Ticky he cought it about half way down, and then
Beany he put his hand above Tickys and Ticky he put his above Beanys,
and so on til when they came to the end of the bat the last one whitch
had his hand on has the first choice and no fudging, only he has got to
swing the bat around his head 3 times and throw it 3 times as far as he
can gump. well Beany he had the last hand on the bat and he cood jest
get hold of it a little and when he swung it round his head it sliped
and hit Ticky on his head, and he piched into Beany and jest as they was
fiting good the bell rang. that is jest the way. something always stops
the good fites. i bet on Beany.
Sept. 17. Brite and fair. the stewdcats have got back long ago--i forgot
to wright that in. they are some new fellers not enny biger then i am.
Honey Donovan licked one of them easy and made him ball like a baby.
Chitter Robinson and a stewdcat named Hall had a fite on the Plains and
neether licked. they fit until they was tired out, and Darlinton a big
stewdcat came up and stoped them. they aint much fun in going to school
now. all the girls go to school in the libary bilding and they is nobody
but fellers in the grammer school. i tell you it is pretty loansom. we
fellers dont care mutch if they miss in there lessons.
Sept. 18. Brite and fair. after school today me and Beany and Fatty and
Nibby and Lees Moses and Whacker went home by the libary building, when
the girls came out they dident pay enny attension to us becaus the high
school fellers was there. perhaps they will want to slide on our sleds
next winter and then i gess they will find out something.
Sept. 19, 186- Brite and fair. went to church in the morning and to
sunday school in the afternoon. i have got a new pair of britches. old
Missis Stickny made them out of a old pair of fathers. they wasent very
old becaus they was made out of the same blew coat that father had when
he was going to make his speach when old Dirgin put me out of the town
hall. father sed he wood never ware them britches ennymore. they was too
tite, and his new boots was too tite two, and so he giv them to me, only
i cood have the britches made smaler and i coodent have the boots made
smaler so i will have to wate a long time before i cood ware the boots.
well after sunday school me and Bug and Cawcaw and Pile Wood went down
to the dam. they are having the dam fixed and the water is auful low,
rite below the dam they was some big pikerel in a place where they
coodent get out. well we took off our shues and stockings and begun to
wade in after them and they wood dart round lively and we got pretty
well spatered, and than i fell rite down and got wet soping. after that
i went rite in and we got 12 big pikerel and we had 3 apeace. so i went
home and i was afraid i wood get a licking and i did two, for when i
came in father said where in thunder have you been and i told him and
said here are some good pikerel for supper and he said i will atend to
you sir, and he took me up stairs and gave me a whaling. gosh you bet it
hurt. well then he told me to go to bed and said i coodent have my
supper, and when i took of my close my legs were all blew and i called
mother up to see how i was black and blew and when she came up she said
for mersy sakes, the coler has all come out of your pants and you are
all chekered blew, so i tride to wash it of, and it woodent come of. so
i went to bed and i felt auful hungry and i cood hear them at supper and
i could smell beefstake and i almost wished father was ded, and when it
was almost dark mother come up with a tray and she had fride one of the
pikerel and had some tost and a baked potato and i set up and had a buly
supper. mother wasent mad a bit with me but she told me i did rong but
she gessed i got my pay for it and i gess i did. mother is jest as good
as she can be.
Sept. 20. Brite and fair. the coler hasent gone of my legs yet. tonite
father took me down to Erl and Cuts where he got the coat that my
britches was made out of and told Erl about it and made me show my legs,
and Erl said i gess George, the cloth hadent been spunged, and father
said i dont know about the cloth, but he was spunged most damly when he
got them. and mister Erl laffed and gave father a pair of new britches,
and we went home. father felt pretty good about it, it dont seam rite, i
got a lickin and got my legs all blew and it wont come of, and father
got a new pair of britches for nothing. enny way one of these pickerel
waid a pound.
Sept. 21. tonite i went over to Beanys. Mister Watson Beanys father was
leening his head on his hand and i stumped Beany to pull his elbo out.
and we nearly dide laffing to think about it and by and by Beany got up
his spunk and pulled his elbo out and his head came rite down on the
table and he jumped up and grabed Beany and hit him some good bats and
sent him to bed and told me to go home and never come over there
ennymore. so i cant go with Beany ennymore. the coler hasent gone out of
my legs.
Sept. 22. Rany. the coler has begun to go of my legs.
Sept. 23. Rany as time. we got some soft sope of old man Currier today
and the coler is most gone.
Sept. 24. It is all gone now.
Sept. 25. Lubbin Smith and Geen Titcum got fiting at resess today and
the bell rung before eether had licked. i bet on Lubbin. i went down for
some more pikerel today but the river is two deep now.
Sept. 26. i went to church today. they issent enny fun sundays.
Sept. 27, 186- Brite and fair. today we was playing football at school
and Whacker got rooted agenst Colbaths barn and hit his head whack and
fell down jest as if he was ded, and old Francis came running out and
grabed him up and put water on his head and then he waked up and was all
rite but he had a headake.
Sept. 28. Rany as time. father has sold Nelly to old Si Smith. she was
lame in her hind leg and when she stands in the stable she holds her
hind leg up in the air all the time, and when she goes out she limps
auful but after she goes a while she aint lame. so last nite father
hiched her up and took me and we drove over to Wire Shaws in Kensington
and when we came back he took out the whip and hit her under the belly
with it 2 times and you aught to see her go. when we came to old Si
Smiths she was going like old Billy Robinsons troter. then father turned
round and drove up to Sis and old Si and Shep Hodgden and Gimmy Biddle
and Charles Fifield was there and father said this will make jest the
horse you want for your store and old Si said she aint biger than a rat
and father said i gess she is big enuf to carry out all your lodes
unless you put down your price, and then they all laffed at Si, and then
Si said she was a puller and father said what do you want Josiar one
that you have to push, and then they laffed agen and when father called
him Josiar i know Si had better look out for when father calls me Henry
i know i am in for a liking. then Si said she is lame in every leg and
father said you get in here and drive her and if she goes a lame step i
will give her to you, and old Si said to Shep and Gimmy you get in and
drive her and they got in and drove off and father said he wood take 50
dolars for her and old Si said he wood give 35 dolars for her and they
talked and talked and then Shep and Gimmy came back and said she went
all rite and old Si said he wood give father 40 dolars and father said
she was worth 50 but as Si was a nabor he wood like to acomodate him.
well old Si was counting out the money when he said he bet she was a
kicker father said she is kind as a kitten and dont bite or kick dont
she Harry and i said she cant kick becaus she always holds up one leg in
the stall, and old Si said whats that and i told him how she coodent
kick becaus she held up one leg, and then Gimmy and Shep and Charlie
Fifield and old Mister Page all laffed and hollered and stamped round
and slaped their legs and said that is a good one, and old Si stoped
counting his money and swore aufully and father looked auful mad for a
minit and then he said she is wirth every cent of 50 dolars and asked Si
what he wood give and Si said 15 dolars and they talked and talked and
after a while he give father 25 dolars. then we went home and father
looked prety mad. i dident know what i had done but when we got home he
said Harry you go to bed, so i went up about scart to deth but by and by
i crep to the stairs and lissened and he was telling about it to mother
and he said if he had sence enuf not to ask me about it he cood had got
15 dolars more out of old Si and he was mad enuf to lick me, and then he
began to laff and mother laffed and said it served you jest rite George
to try and cheet a old man, and father said Nelly was wirth 50 dolars
and the last baril of flour that Si sold him was older then Methooselas
gread granfather and he wood have got square with Si if it hadent been
for that boy. well mother said you cant whip him for telling the truth
and father said thunder no i aint going to lick him but i was mad enuf
to. so i felt prety good and crep back to bed.
Sept. 29. Brite and fair. At school today Scotty Briggam jumped over the
fence today to get the football and fell on his arm and broke it, and
then he went home and came back before school was out with some shingles
tied on his arm. Scotty has got some spunk, but i gess Tady Finton can
lick him now. Old Francis said 2 axidents in 2 days was too mutch and we
mustent play football enny more. so at recess we go behind the school
house and have fites. Gim Miller and Ben Rundlet had a good fite, and
tomorrow Plug Atherton and Diddly Colket are going to have a fite it is
most as much fun to see fites as to play football.
Sept. 30. Brite and fair. we cant have enny more fites. at recess today
Plug and Diddly had the best fite i ever saw. they fit all recess and
none of us heard the bell and Plug had Diddly down and we were all
hollering, paist him Plug and hit him Diddly when old Francis came round
the corner and grabed Plug and Diddly. i tell you we all went into
school lively and old Francis made Plug and Diddly stand on the platform
all the rest of the day with their arms round each others necks and we
dident have enny recess in the afternoon. it is pretty tuf. we cant play
one old cat becaus old Polly Smith makes a fuss when the ball goes over
her fence and we cant play football becaus Scotty broke his arm and
Whack got stunted, and we cant fite becaus it is rong to fite. we might
jest as well be girls and roll hoop.
Sept. 31, 186- father has got a new pair of hip boots. rany.
Sept. 32. No i ment Oct 2. yesterday was Oct 1, and i got it Sept. 31.
went down to Henry Youngs tonite and had my hair cut. he put some auful
nise smeling oil on and when i got home they all took turns in smeling
of my head.
Oct. 3. i went to Church. Pile Woods sister played the organ she is
going to play all time now.
Oct. 4. brite and fair today and yesterday. it was so hot today that me
and Chick Chickering went in swiming, the water was cold as time, and we
jest ducked our heads and come out lively.
Oct. 5. nothing today. brite and fair. they hasent been enny fites at
school for the longest while.
Oct. 6. Keene and Cele has got some new balmoral skirts. they feel prety
big.
Oct. 7. Charles Talor was down to the house tonite and kept us all
laffing to hear him tell stories about father and Gim Melcher.
Oct. 8. brite and fair. tomorrow me and Beany are going to wirk for
Mister Hirvey making ice creem. he is going to give us some and some
creem cakes. i missed in school today.
Oct. 9. Brite and fair. i gess i shant forget today very soon. this
afternoon we went over to Mister Hirveys and we wirked a long time
making ice creem by turning the handles of the buckets and choping up
the ice. after we got done he let us come into his saloon and we had to
big glasses of pink and yellow mixed and some creemcakes. well after we
had et it Beany said less put some pepersass into the rest of the
creemcakes. so we did and then we went out and peeked through the
window. bimeby a man came in and set down and we saw Mister Hirvey bring
in some icecreem and some creemcakes. well we kept peeking and the
feller et one creemcake and we heard him say to Mister Hirvey that they
were the best creem cakes he ever et and then he took another and took a
hog bite out of it and then he jumped up and his eyes buged out and he
spit it out and begun to swear and drink water and stamp round and
Mister Hirvey said what is the matter and the man spit some more and
swore and said they was helfire in the creemcake, and Mister Hirvey
looked into it and said some one has put pepersass into it and i bet i
know who did it. when i heard him say that i ran round the corner, but
Beany waited too long and Mister Hirvey saw him peeking in the window
and came out lively. well Beany he ran down into Toles yard as tite as
he could go and Mister Hirvey came hipering after him with his white
apron on, i dident know he cood run so fast. bimeby he came back holding
Beany by the ear. Beany he wood try to hold back until his ear nearly
puled of and then he wood come along. well Mister Hirvey snaiked him
rite into his saloon and said, did you put that pepersass into my
creemcakes, and Beany he said he dident, and Mister Hirvey said i dont
want enny lying, and said that Beany and the long leged Shute boy were
the last ones in the place and that one of us did it. and Beany he said
he dident and he saw me with the pepersass bottel in my hand and Mister
Hirvey he said now you have got to eat that creemcake or take a good
licking and he took his cane, and held Beany by the coller and said 1
and Beany dident eat it, and then he said 2 and Beany dident eat it and
then he said 3 and he hit Beany a auful whack over the legs and Beany
hollered like time and held on to his legs, and then Mister Hirvey he
said 1 again and Beany dident eat it and he said 2 and Beany dident eat
it and jest as he said 3 Beany he grabed it and took a bite and tride to
swaller it and i thought i shood die to see him, he spit and clawed at
his mouth and he howled and jumped up and down and then he ran over to
Charles Toles pump and rensed his mouth and drank out of the horse troth
and Mister Hirvey and the man like to dide laffing. i waited till they
went in and then i went over to see Beany and when i asked him how he
liked the creemcake he said i was a long leged puke. this was one of the
times that Beany got cought and i dident.
Oct. 10, 186- Sunday agen. brite and fair it never ranes sunday. father
went to church today. he woodent have gone if Keene and Cele hadent
been going to sing a duet. i dident want to go becaus i was afraid they
wood brake down, but father he said i had got to go and so i went. old
mister Blake who sets rite behind us droped his hym book and had to bend
way over to pick it up when he set up he hit his bald head a feerful
bump agenst the book rack. i nearly laffed out loud and had to hold on
to my mouth.
Oct. 11. J. Albert Clark is teaching Keene and Cele a new tune. Keene
sings the treble and Cele sings the alto. it is there is a bank where on
the wild time grows. at supper tonite i asked what wild time was and
aunt Sarah said it must be what father and Gim Melcher used to have.
then we all laffed and father told aunt Sarah she was geting so funny
that she wood have to wear a kerb bit and a martingail. ennyway it was a
good one on father.
Oct. 12. the wind blows feerful. father wants me to lern to sing a tune
with Keene and Cele. i dident want to but he said i had got to, so we
tried it, and i sung it rong every time. i sung it jest enuf rong to
make you feel crepey in your back, and father said if you cant sing
better then that you had better shet up. so i shet up.
Oct. 13. clowdy but no rane. Georgie has lerned a new tune. it is i wood
i were a fary queen. we are going to have the minister to supper and
father is going to make Keene and Cele and Georgie show of. i hate
showing of. ennyway i havent got to show of becaus father says i cant
sing. i can sing but he dont know it you bet.
Oct. 14. rany and windy. i have got a sore throte. father dident want to
have the minister to supper. he said to mother, what in thunder do you
want a minister for, and mother said, we must have him becaus he will
think it very queer if we dont, only you must be careful not to say or
do ennything queer, and father he said he wood keep his eye peeled, but
he told mother she must look out for the children.
Oct. 15. still rany, my throte is beter. we are going to have chicking
for supper when the minister comes. tonite father brought some new
goblets from boston. mother and aunt Sarah wirked all day making pies
and cake. then mother let me lite a paper and hold the chickings over it
to burn of the little fethers and hairs i like it becaus it smels like
thanksgiving only i burnt my hand and it smelt jest like the chicking
but i dident like that you bet.
Oct. 16, 186- today the hole town was full of ministers, most of them
had long tailed coats and white necktis. Deekon Gooch came down to the
house with 2 of them. aunt Sarah was wating in her best dress and when
she saw them coming she said Murder Joanna they is 2 of them, what shall
we do, and mother said, mercy sakes what will George say. well the bell
rung and i went to the door and asked them in and Deekon Gooch said
they was Mister Fernald and Mister Robinson, he said they was his
brothers. then Deekon he went off and i showed them to the front room up
stairs and one of them asked me if i loved the lord and i said yes sir
and he said i was a good boy. and then he asked me if i went to church
and sunday school and i said yes sir and he asked me what was the tex
last sunday and i said i dident know what tex ment and he said what did
he prech from and i said he preeched from the pulpit in church and from
the platform in sunday school, and Mister Fernald he began to laff and
Mister Robinson he said i woodent laff if i was you brother, and then he
said what does the minister say after the first prair and i said o yes i
know now, he says we will now take up the usual colection and then
Mister Fernald laffed again, then Mister Robinson he asked me how many
sisters i had and i said 4 and he asked if they went to church and i
said Keene and Cele sing in the quire and Georgie goes but Annie and
Frankie and the baby was two little and then he asked if father went to
church and i said not very often, only when Keene and Cele had to sing a
duet, and then he asked me what else he did sundays and i said sometimes
he made viniger down celler and sometimes he went over to see John Adams
hens or down to Gim Melchers shop or up to Hirum Gilmores, and he said
it is very deploorible is it not, brother and Mister Fernald he laffed
again and said he gessed he better not ask me any more questions, and
perhaps my father woodent like to have me tell all about him, and i said
father wasent afrade, and he said he dident give much for ministers
ennyway and then Mister Fernald laffed as hard as he cood and Mister
Robinson looked mad, then we went down stairs and they shook hands with
mother and aunt Sarah and Mister Robinson he set down by aunt Sarah and
asked her about the church and prair meetings and why she dident always
go and lots of things like that and Mister Fernald he got the baby in
his lap and he talked to mother about the children and told us stories
and he was jest buly. then bimeby father he came home and he shook hands
with them and he said he was glad to see them whitch was a auful lie.
then mother said super was ready and we all went in to super and father
kept talking and telling stories until mother said George and looked at
him, and he shet up and turned red and then Mister Robinson began to
pray and all of us kept still but Georgie who began to gigle, and mother
looked scowly at her and she shet up two. then father looked at mother
and winked and i had to put my hand over my mouth. mother she almost
laffed to, and Mister Robinson he kept on praying till bimeby Frankie he
said Mama i wish that man wood stop and Mister Fernald he began to coff
i bet he wanted to laff. well ennyway Mister Robinson he stoped. then
father helped them to chicking and bisket and gelly and coffy and
everything and then he helped us and we all begun to eat and bimeby
Annie said we have got some napkins tonite, and Frankie said we have got
some little plates to put the butter on, and i saw them first, and Annie
said we have got some new goblets two, so there, and Frankie run his
tung out at Annie and she made up a face at him, and then father told
them to stop and they stoped and mother and aunt Sarah turned red and
Mister Robinson he looked auful sollum and Mister Fernald looked funny
and then he looked at father an begun to laff and father laffed and then
we all laffed as hard as we cood, and Mister Fernald he said, dont mind
a bit Missis Shute, i have got children of my own, i like Mister
Fernald. after super Frankie and Annie were sent to bed and we went
into the parlor and father kept us all laffing telling stories, and then
Keene and Cele sung now i lay me down to sleep, and there is a bank on
whitch the wild time grows, and Cele sung flow gently sweet Afton and
Georgie sung i wood i were a fary queen, and then Mister Robinson wanted
us to sing a religous song and we sung shall we gather at the river.
then they asked me to sing and i said i coodent and father said before
he thought, that boy is bedeviled to play a cornet, then Mister Fernald
he said let him play it, it wont hurt him, then father begun to tell
some more stories and kept us laffin fit to die, and Mister Fernald he
said he hadent laffed so much for years, and he said, to mother, Missis
Shute i gess you have a prety good natured husband, and she said yes,
and father he said he most never got mad and jest then the bell rung,
and Keene went to the door and said that Mister Swane the poliseman
wanted to see father and father he went to the door and in a minit we
herd him swaring and herd him say it is a dam lie Swane and you know it
and then Swane went away and father came in and said that someone had
ridden horseback over the concreek sidewalk and they tride to lay it on
me. Then it was bedtime and Mister Robinson he prayed some more and he
prayed for those who took the name of the lord in vane, and then we went
to bed.
Oct. 17. Brite and fair. the old ministers has gone. i am glad of it. i
liked Mister Fernald but i hated old Robinson. i gess he wont get
invited here again. this morning at brekfast he prayed again until the
brekfast was most cold and he prayed a good deal about takin the name of
the lord in vane and i cood see that mother looked mad but she dident
say ennything. bimeby he begun to talk to mother about father having a
unfortunate temper, and said his langage was shocking, and Cele she up
and said, i gess my father is as good as you are and Keene stuck out her
tung and mother sent them away from the table, and then old Robinson he
said i am afrade your children are not well brought up, and mother
looked rite at him a minit and then she said, i shood feel very badly if
my children shood xcept hospitality from another person and crittisise
that person to his face, at all events i cannot submit to have my
husband or my children crittisized, and Mister Robinson he dident say
ennymore you bet. after brekfast they went away, and Mister Fernald he
shook hands with us all and he asked mother to let Cele and Keene come
down to shake hands and she did. after they had went mother she gave us
a peace of mince pie apeace and we all hoorayed for mother. none of us
went to church today.
Oct. 18. brite and fair. tonite father borowed Gim Loverings horse and
wagun to go riding. Gim said it aught to be greesed, so father asked me
to greese the wheals, and then he said i will do it myself, and then i
will be sure it will be done rite. so he got the munky rench and the
lantern and some lard and went out to greese the wheals, and when he had
greesed them he come in and washed his hands and then he went out and
told mother not to set up for him and he unhitched the horse and
hollered gitap and when the horse started one side of the wagun went
down whack and out came father. well he held on to the ranes and stoped
the horse and mother said what is the matter, and father said that
infernal boy dident screw up the nut and the wheal come of and nearly
broke my neck, and as soon as i tie this horse i will give him a good
whaling and aunt Sarah said George you greesed the wheals yourself and
father said by thunder so i did. then i got the lantern and we looked
for the wheal and it was leaning up against the apple tree and father
said jest look at that, the wheal ran up to the tree and stoped, and
then we hunted round for the nut and we coodent find it and i got down
on my nees and father held the lantern, and Cele and Keene came out and
hunted and we coodent find it. bimeby father said he could put on the
wheal and hold it on till he got back to Gims and he lifted up the ex
and i went to put on the wheal and there was the nut all screwed on the
ex. father had put on the nut but had forgot to put on the wheal and had
left the ex resting on the jack. i gess he hadent better say mutch about
me.
Oct. 19. I have got a new box of paper collers.
Oct. 20. brite and fair. this afternoon me and Fatty Melcher wirked all
the afternoon puting leafs in old Putty Lowjys barn. old Putty said he
wood pay us but when we asked him for our pay he said we cood have all
the horse chesnuts we wanted. so we got a baskit and picked it full and
went back to Fattys and pluged horse chesnuts at old Puttys cat.
Oct. 21. brite and fair. Skinny Bruce and Ben Rundlet got fiting today.
old Bandbox Tomson came in to lern us some music and he left his fiddel
in the entry and at resess Ben he put some sope on his bow and when old
Bandbox tried to play on it he coodent make a squeak. then old Francis
asked every feller in school who done it, and when Ben said he dident
know who done it old Francis he up and whaled time out of Ben. i gess
old Francis see Ben do it. ennyway after school Skinny he hollered Ben
how did you like your licking, and Ben he hollered back Skinny Bruce is
a redheaded goose, and Skinny he got mad and paisted Ben one in the eye
and Ben he give Skinny a sidewinder and then they fit from first base to
Colbaths barn where Whack got stunted and old Polly Smith came out and
said if they dident stop fiting she wood go for the polise, and so they
stoped. i bet on Skinny.
Oct. 22, 186- brite and fair and most as hot as summer. that was prety
mean of old Putty.
Oct. 23. Mary Watson, Beany's sister and Mary Straton whose father
chased me and Beany when we broke the gaslite, can run faster then enny
of the fellers xcept Tomtit and Arthur Francis.
Oct. 24. i have been sick agen. not very sick but my legs aked ferful.
mother says it is becaus i am growin so fast, but i know why, me and
Boog Chadwick rassled all yesterday afternoon. ferst i throwed Boog and
then Boog throwed me, and when we got through Boog was only 2 throws
ahead. we dident get mad at all. ennyway i dident have to go to church.
Oct. 25. tonite we had company to super. Mister and Missis Merill.
Frankie did a funny thing. father asked mother for some chese and
mother she said they wasent enny, and Frankie he said he knew where they
was some and father said all rite Frankie if you can get some i will
give you a cent, father he thinks Frankie is auful smart, and so Frankie
he climed out of his high chair and ran out into the kitchen and bimeby
he came in with 3 little peaces of chese and father he asked him where
he got them and he brought in the rat trap. you had just aught to have
herd them laff.
Oct. 26. Clowdy but no rane. some folks can eat chese that is all
wiggly.
Oct. 27. still clowdy. i cant.
Oct. 28. Beany has got the best little ax i ever saw. his father got it
for him to split his kindlins. i wish i had one like it for i have to
split my kindlins with a old rusty ax that ways about a tun.
Oct. 29. brite and fair. tonite i went over and helped Beany split
kindlins with his new ax. it was jest as easy as ennything.
Oct. 30. brite and fair. old Tom Fifield killed his pig today and give
Beany the bladder, and we blew it up with a pipe stem and kicked it for
a football after school. Jack Melvin is going to have Micky Kelleys
fathers pigs bladder, only he dont kill his pig till most winter. i am
going to have Oliver Lanes, and his pig is the bigest in town. i bet his
will be as big as the stewdcats big football. all the fellers wish they
cood get it.
Oct. 31. cold as time this morning, but i had to go to church jest the
same.
Nov. 1. Beany got a licking today for hollering after old Nancy Marble.
she went into Beanys house and told Beanys father. i hollered two but
father was in boston and she coodent tell him.
Nov. 2. brite and fair. Oliver Lane killed his pig today. it was the
bigest pig in town. i had been wating for the bladder ever sense last
June and i thought such a big pig aught to have a big bladder, but it
was jest the littlest bladder i ever see. i suppose it was so fat inside
they wasent enny room for the bladder. Skinny Bruces pigs fathers
bladder, no i mean Skinny Bruces fathers pigs bladder was most twice as
big.
Nov. 3. Brite and fair. the water in the rane baril was froze over last
nite. today i blew up the bladder and dride it in the kitchen. it made a
prety good football. Pewt dident give me his fathers pigs bladder that
he promised me when i let him see the fite when Gim Erly licked Will
Simpkins. you jest wait Pewt and you will see.
Nov. 4. brite and fair. Georgie got sent to bed today and had to stay in
bed all the afternoon. mother told her not to tuch a vase that was full
of sand to make it heavy. i wanted the sand for my aquarian and so i
poored it out. well bimeby Georgie came in and went up to take the vase
and it was so lite that when she lifted hard it came up so quick that
she went rite over backward and smashed the vase all to bits. mother
came running in and found that Georgie wasent hurt, but she howled as
loud as she cood so that mother woodent lick her, and so she got sent to
bed. mother said it sirved her rite.
Nov. 5. Brite and fair. i have been sick today. i gess i et two much
spare rib. when i think of it it makes me sick. so i have been thinking
over the poitry about the fellers. some of it is prety good.
Ed Tole fell in a hole
and coodent get out to save his sole
i made that up.
Plupy Shute
is a dirty brute.
and never will fite
if they is a chance to scoot.
Pewt he made that up.
Old Tim Calahan
he was a hell of a man.
Fatty Melcher he made that up.
Frank Hanes aint got enny branes
and dont know enuf to go in when it ranes
Beany he made that up.
Nipper Brown tumbled down
and busted his head and cracked his crown.
i made that up too.
Granvil Miller the barber
went to shave his father
the razer sliped and cut his lip
becaus he forgot the lather.
Skinny Bruce he made that up.
i tell you they is some prety good poits among the fellers. but any
feller whitch gets poitry made up about him gets mad.
Nov. 6. brite and fair. Ed Tole can spit further than enny feller in
school.
Nov. 7. Keene and Cele are sick in bed and coodent sing today in
church. they have feerful headakes. docter Perry came in to see them.
Nov. 8. brite and fair. Keene and Cele and Georgie are all sick now and
the docter says it is scarlet fever. they are all up in the front
chamber and mother and aunt Sarah take care of them.
Nov. 9. clowdy but no rane. Annie is sick now and i cant go to school
ennymore. i like that. so i am making a hen koop.
Nov. 10. Rany today. Beany he hollered over today to find out how Keene
and Cele and Georgie and Annie are. i have got a soar throte but i aint
going to tell ennyone about it.
Nov. 11. i had a headake all last nite. i bet i am going to have the
fever. Frankie has got it now and mother is afrade the baby is coming
down, she asked me how i felt and i said buly.
Nov. 12. old Missis Smith is helping take care of the house and gets the
brekfasts and dinners and suppers. today docter Perry he came down
stairs and i was setting in a chair and he said what is the matter with
you, and i said nothing and he said let me look at your throte, and he
made me open my mouth and he looked down in my gozzle and then he said
you march upstairs into the hospitle and tell your mother that you are a
new pacient and i went up and when mother saw me come in she said well i
have been expecting you. then i went down to my room and got my
niteshert and i thaught i aught to write this down becaus i might die.
people do die of scarlet fever, i wonder if ennyone wood read it if i
did die. ennyway father said once that a boy whitch was born to be hung
never wood die in enny other way, so i gess i am all rite. ennyway i
aint going to wright ennymore till i get well.
* * * * *
Jan. 17. brite and fair. i dident die and every one of us got well.
Annie had it the wirst and i had it the next wirst and Frankie and the
baby want hardly sick any. today is the first time i have been out. Cele
and Keene went out last Wensday but i coodent becaus i hadent got done
peeling. after folks have the scarlet fever their skin dries up and
peels of and if you get cold in the peeling you die every time. i had on
my Hoppy Gad boots for the first time today. father brougt them up to
show me when i was in bed. i was prety sick and dident know nothing for
2 or 3 days. mother says i was talking about the fellers i knew in
Reading. we lived in Reading one year and so i thought i was there i
gess and she says i talked of George and Wendal Evans and Puggy
Fergerson and Totty Procter and Emma Wallis and Jonny Pike and Ed
Harndin and Nelly Minot. i had a fite with Ed Harndin and licked him.
when Willy died we came back to Exeter, and she said i talked about
Willy to, and everything. we had some fun while we was sick. Cele used
to tell stories and we made flyboxes and then when mother was out of the
room we wood turn sumersets, and bimeby when we got so that we cood eat
apples we used to have one apeace every day and we had to scrape them
with a nife and eat the soft part, and when we were geting beter we were
auful cross. i gess most every one wood be cross to lose thanksgiving
and crismas two, and my berthday, and all the skating and snowbaling.
ennyway i havent got to go to school this week.
Jan. 18, 186- buly snowbaling. i went out today a long time, mother told
me not to plug snowballs, so i only throwed 2 or 3. i am hungry all the
time.
Jan. 19. brite and fair. one of my hens died when i was sick and the
rooster frose his comb. it is prety tuf on me.
Jan. 20. i went sliding today on factory hill, it was buly. they wasent
hardly ennyone there.
Jan. 21. brite and fair. Whack and Boog have got a duble runner, they
made it out of there sleds dart and arrow. it is the fastest duble
runner on the hill. i went with them. we beat Pewts duble runner esy.
Pewts is biger and Mister Purington Pewts father painted it buly but it
cant go as fast or as fur as Whack and Boogs. Pewt was mad becaus we
beat him.
Jan. 22. i went to church today. Keene and Cele sung in the quire. Beany
kept sticking his head out from behind the organ and making up faces at
me to make me laff out loud till the minister spoke to him and he felt
prety cheep.
Jan. 23. snowed and raned today both, i had my sled painted today. it is
painted black with a gold stripe and Exeter Boy in gold letters on it.
Mister Purington Pewts father painted it. i went to school today. nobody
got licked.
Jan. 24. clowdy. my sled is most dry enuf to use.
Jan. 25. it misted last nite and frose and today everything was covered
with ice it was fun to see people fall down. most everybody fell down. i
went sliding on spring street.
Jan. 26. cold as time. i went to school. we are going over colburns in
revew and so i can keep up.
Jan. 27. I havent got ennything to wright today xcept that i went to
school. John Adams has got a new brama rooster.
Jan. 28. Brite and fair. i licked Ti Crummet today. me and Whack and
Fatty Melcher was over on Factory Hill sliding and Ti Crummet and Hirum
Mingo and Bobberty Robinson and Dinky Lord came over and i had my sled
all new painted, Pewts father painted it and Ti Crummet run his old sled
agenst it and nocked of sum of the paint, and i told him to keep his old
sled of mine and Ti he said he wood nock sum of the paint of me if i
said 2 words more and then he swoar feerfully. i dident say nothing
becaus i dident want to fite him, and Hirum Mingo said Plupy says he can
lick you Ti and Ti said i can nock hel out of you old spindel legs and i
said i dident say so and Ti he swoar sum more so it sort of scart me,
well then i was going and Hirum he pushed Ti rite into me and he kicked
me in the leg and got hold of my hair and i got the under hold and got
him down jest as esy as ennything and then i set on him and lammed him
til he holered enuf and then i let him up and he went home balling. i
bet he beter not fite me agen.
Jan. 29. Brite and fair. it aint the feller whitch can swear the
feerfullest whitch is the best fiter. i went to church and sunday school
today.
Jan. 30. Brite and fair. Johnny Kelly can lick enny feller on Court or
South Street and he can swear auful two. i gess most of the fellers is
scart of him becaus he can swear so. i aint scart of him.
Jan. 31. Rany. not mutch but sum. we was playing snap the whip today and
Johnny Kelly was on the end and got snaped rite into a pudel of water
and he said i dident hold on and he wood give me a slap in the mug and i
said he want man enuf and jest then the bell rang and we had to go in.
tomorow he had beter look out i am going to give him one in the eye and
then grab for the under hold and get him down and lam him good. i bet he
cant fite enny beter then Ti Crummet did, and when i have licked him all
the fellers will be afrade of me. i bet he will wish he had never fit
with me.
Feb. 1. Brite and Fair. i have got a black eye. this morning i went to
school erly and when i got there Johnny Kelly was there and he said now
old Plupy longlegs i will fix you and i said pile rite in and we will
see and he began to swear wirse then Ti did, and i said if you want a
good paist in the gob they is plenty of them rite here if you are man
enuf to sale in, and when i said that he come at me so quick that i
dident have time to get ready and he hit me in the eye and in the mouth
2 times and got the underhold before i cood and got me down and lammed
me till i hollered enuf. then all the fellers holered Plupy got licked
Plupy has got a black eye. it was prety mean ennyway. when i got home to
dinner mother asked me how i got my eye sore and i said i got it boxing
with Johnny Kelly and she said was you fiteing and i said we box every
day in school sometimes Beany and Whack and sometimes me and Pewt but
today me and Johnny Kelly boxed and he hits to hard and she said she
shood think so, and said i had beter box with sum other boy and i gess
so two. ennyway i dident lie to her for that wasent lying.
Feb. 2. Brite and fair. i gave Johnny Kelly the core of my apple today.
Gosh sum fellers can fite auful and swear auful two.
Feb. 3. Brite and fair. Beany has got a new blew jacket. he felt prety
big about it until Pewt took him in the back with a roten apple. Beany
staid in all resess a scraping the apple off of his coat. this afternoon
he wore his old jacket. but he is going to pay Pewt for that sum way.