Chapter I: Part 1

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.

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"SEQUIL"

Or Things Whitch Aint Finished in the First

By HENRY A. SHUTE

Published by The Everett Press Boston, Mass., Mcmiv

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Copyright, 1904, by Henry A. Shute.

Entered at Stationers' Hall.

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"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.