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diff --git a/old/trdrb10.txt b/old/trdrb10.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..48c6d29 --- /dev/null +++ b/old/trdrb10.txt @@ -0,0 +1,3025 @@ +The Project Gutenberg EBook of The Real Diary of a Real Boy, by Henry A. Shute + +Copyright laws are changing all over the world. Be sure to check the +copyright laws for your country before downloading or redistributing +this or any other Project Gutenberg eBook. + +This header should be the first thing seen when viewing this Project +Gutenberg file. Please do not remove it. Do not change or edit the +header without written permission. + +Please read the "legal small print," and other information about the +eBook and Project Gutenberg at the bottom of this file. Included is +important information about your specific rights and restrictions in +how the file may be used. You can also find out about how to make a +donation to Project Gutenberg, and how to get involved. + + +**Welcome To The World of Free Plain Vanilla Electronic Texts** + +**eBooks Readable By Both Humans and By Computers, Since 1971** + +*****These eBooks Were Prepared By Thousands of Volunteers!***** + + +Title: The Real Diary of a Real Boy + +Author: Henry A. Shute + +Release Date: February, 2004 [EBook #5111] +[Yes, we are more than one year ahead of schedule] +[This file was first posted on April 29, 2002] + +Edition: 10 + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ASCII + +*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK, THE REAL DIARY OF A REAL BOY *** + + + + +This eBook was produced by Kent Fielden (fielden3@aol.com). + +THE REAL DIARY OF A REAL BOY + +BY HENRY A. SHUTE + + + +INTRODUCTION + +In the winter of 1901-02, while rummaging an old closet in the +shed-chamber of my father's house, I unearthed a salt-box which had +been equipped with leather hinges at the expense of considerable +ingenuity, and at a very remote period. In addition to this, a hasp +of the same material, firmly fastened by carpet-tacks and a catch of +bent wire, bade defiance to burglars, midnight marauders, and +safe-breakers. + +With the aid of a tack-hammer the combination was readily solved, +and an eager examination of the contents of the box disclosed: -- + +1. Fish-line of braided shoemaker's thread, with perch hook, to + which adhered the mummied remains of a worm that lived and + flourished many, many years ago. + +2. Popgun of pith elder and hoop-skirt wire. + +3. Horse-chestnut bolas, calculated to revolve in opposite + directions with great velocity, by an up-and-down motion of the + holder's wrist; also extensively used for the adornment of + telegraph-wires, --there were no telephones in those days, --and + the cause of great profanity amongst linemen. + +4. More fish-hooks of the ring variety, now obsolete. + +5. One blood alley, two chinees, a parti-colored glass agate, + three pewees, and unnumbered drab-colored marbles. + +6. Small bow of whalebone, with two arrows. + +7. Six-inch bean-blower, for school use--a weapon of considerable + range and great precision when used with judgment behind a + Guyot's Common School Geography. + +8. Unexpended ammunition for same, consisting of putty pellets. + +9. Frog's hind leg, extra dry. + +10. Wing of bluejay, very ditto. + +11. Letter from "Beany," postmarked "Biddeford, Me." and expressing + great indignation because "Pewt" "hasent wrote." + +12. Copy-book inscribed "Diry." + +The examination of this copy-book lasted the rest of the day, and it +was read with the peculiar pleasure one experiences in reviewing +some of the events of a happy boyhood. + +With the earnest hope that others may experience a little of the +pleasure I gained from the reading, I submit the "Diry" to the +public. + +HENRY A. SHUTE. + +EXETER, N. H. Sept. 23, 1902. + + + +DIRY + +Father thot i aught to keep a diry, but i sed i dident want to, +because i coodent wright well enuf, but he sed he wood give $1000 +dolars if he had kept a diry when he was a boy. + +Mother said she gessed nobody wood dass to read it, but father said +everybody would tumble over each other to read it, anyhow he wood +give $1000 dolars if he had kept it. i told him i wood keep one +regular if he wood give me a quarter of a dolar a week, but he said +i had got to keep it anyhow and i woodent get no quarter for it +neither, but he woodent ask to read it for a year, and i know he +will forget it before that, so i am going to wright just what i +want to in it. Father always forgets everything but my lickins. +he remembers them every time you bet. + +So i have got to keep it, but it seems to me that my diry is worth a +quarter of a dolar a week if fathers is worth $1000 dolars, +everybody says father was a buster when he was a boy and went round +with Gim Melcher and Charles Talor. my grandmother says i am the +best boy she ever see, if i dident go with Beany Watson and Pewter +Purinton, it was Beany and Pewt made me tuf. + +there dos'nt seem to be much to put into a diry only fites and who +got licked at school and if it ranes or snows, so i will begin +today. + +December 1, 186- brite and fair, late to brekfast, but mother dident +say nothing. father goes to boston and works in the custum house so +i can get up as late as i want to. father says he works like time, +but i went to boston once and father dident do anything but tell +stories about what he and Gim Melcher usted to do when he was a +boy. once or twice when a man came in they would all be wrighting +fast, when the man came in again i sed why do you all wright so fast +when he comes in and stop when he goes out, and the man sort of +laffed and went out laffing, and the men were mad and told father +not to bring that dam little fool again. + +December 2. Skinny Bruce got licked in school today. I told my +granmother about it and she said she was glad i dident do enything +to get punnished for and she felt sure i never wood. i dident tell +her i had to stay in the wood box all the morning with the cover down, +i dident tell father either you bet. + +December 2. rany. i forgot to say it raned yesterday too. i got cold +and have a red rag round my gozzle. + +December 2. pretty near had a fite in schol today. Skinny Bruce +and Frank Elliot got rite up with there fists up when the bell rung. +it was two bad, it wood have been a buly fite. i bet on Skinny. + +December 3, 186- brite and fair. went to church today. Me and Pewt +and Beany go to the Unitarial church. we all joined sunday school to +get into the Crismas festerval. they have it in the town hall and +have two trees and supper and presents for the scholars. so we are +going to stay til after crismas anyway the unitarials have jest +built a new church. Pewt and Beany's fathers painted it and so they +go there. i don't know why we go there xcept because they don't have +any church in the afternoon. Nipper Brown and Micky Gould go there. +we all went into the same class. our teacher is Mister Winsor a student. +we call them stewdcats. after we had said our lesson we all skinned +out with Mr. Winsor. when we went down Maple street we saw 2 roosters +fiting in Dany Wingates yard, and we stoped to see it. i knew more +about fiting roosters than any of the fellers, because me and Ed +Towle had fit roosters lots. Mr. Winsor said i was a sport, well +while the roosters were fiting, sunday school let out and he skipped +acros the street and walked off with one of the girls and we +hollered for him to come and see the fite out, and he turned red and +looked mad. the leghorn squorked and stuck his head into a corner. +when a rooster squorks he wont fite any more. + +December 5. snowed today and school let out at noon. this afternoon +went down to the library to plug stewdcats. there was me and Beany +and Pewt, and Whacker and Pozzy Chadwick and Pricilla Hobbs. +Pricilla is a feller you know, and Pheby Talor, Pheby is a feller +too, and Lubbin Smith and Nigger Bell, he is'nt a nigger only we +call him Nigger, and Tommy Tompson and Dutchey Seamans and Chick +Chickering, and Tady Finton and Chitter Robinson. + +December 6. Gim Wingate has got a new bobtail coat. + +December 7, 186- Got sent to bed last nite for smoking hayseed +cigars and can't go with Beany enny more. It is funny, my father +wont let me go with Beany becaus he is tuf, and Pewts father wont +let Pewt go with me becaus im tuf, and Beanys father says if he +catches me or Pewt in his yard he will lick time out of us. +Rany today. + +December 8. Skinny Bruce got licked in school today. Skipy Moses was +in the wood box all the morning. + +December 9. brite and fair, speakin day today. missed in Horatius +at the brige. + +December 10. Clowdy but no rane. went to church. lots of new fellers +in sunday school. me and Beany and Pewt and Pile Woods and Billy +Folsom and Jimmy Gad and lots of others. Mister Winsor dident teach +today, gess they woodent let him on account of the rooster fite. + +December 11. My new boots from Tommy Gads came today. i tell you +they are clumpers. no snow yet. + +December 12. Crismas is pretty near, dont know wether i shall get +ennything. father says i dont desirve ennything. you can get +goozeberrys down to Si Smiths 1 dozen for 5 cents. He has a funny +sine it is + + flour + meal + molasses + sugar + coffe + tea + spises + pork & + lard + salt + butter + ham + eggs + &so + +December 15. Fite at resess today, Gran Miller and Ben Rundlet. +Ben licked him easy. the fellers got to stumping each other to +fite. Micky Gould said he cood lick me and i said he want man enuf +and he said if i wood come out behind the school house after school +he wood show me and i said i wood and all the fellers hollered and +said they wood be there. But after school i thaught i aught to go +home and split my kindlings and so i went home. a feller aught to +do something for his family ennyway. i cood have licked him if i +had wanted to. + +December 16. Tady Finton got licked in school today. snowed today +a little. + +December 17. rained in the nite and then snowed a little. it was +auful slipery and coming out of church Squire Lane fell down whak +and Mr Burley cought hold of the fence and his feet went so fast +that they seemed all fuzzy, i tell you if he cood run as fast as +that he cood run a mile a minite. + +December 18. brite and fair. nothing particilar. o yes, Skinny Bruce +got licked in school. + +December 19. Cold as time. Went to a sosiable tonite at the +Unitarial vestry. cant go again because Keene told mother i was +impident to the people. i want impident. you see they was making +poetry and all sitting around the vestry. they wanted to play +copenhagin and post office and clap in and clap out, but Mister Erl +woodent let them because it was in church. so they had to play +poetry. one person wood give a word and then the oppisite person +wood give a word that rimed with it. it was auful silly. a girl wood +give the word direxion and then a stewdcat wood say affexion and +waul his eyes towards the girl. and then another wood say miss, and +another stewdcat wood say kiss and then he wood waul his eyes, and +when it came my turn i said what rimes with jellycake, and the girls +turned red and the stewdcats looked funny, and Mister Burley said +if i coodent behave i had better go home. Keene needent have told +mother anyway. You jest wait Keene, and see what will happen +some day. + +December 20. Bully skating. went after school and skated way up to +the eddy, was going to skate with Lucy Watson but Pewt and Beany +hollered so that i dident dass to. John Toomey got hit with a hockey +block rite in the snoot and broke his nose. + +December 21. Brite and fair. nothing particular to-day. nobody got +licked. old Francis had his hand done up in a sling. he said he had +a bile on it. i tell you the fellers were glad. + +December 22. Warm and rany and spoiled the skating. coodent do +anything but think of Crismas. + +December 23. Saturday and no skating. went down to the library to +get a book for Sunday. me and Beany were sticking pins into the +fellers and making them holler and Jo Parsons the libarian jumped +rite over the counter and chased us way down to Mr. Hams coffin +shop. he dident catch us either. then we went down town and Billy +Swett lent me a dime novel to read sunday. it was named Billy +Bolegs a sequil to Nat Tod the traper. sequil means the things in +Nat Tod that was not finished. + +December 24. Brite and fair. Crismas tomorrow. went to sunday school. +Mr. Lovel is our teacher now. + +December 25. Crismas. got a new nife, a red and white scarf and a +bag of Si Smiths goozeberies. pretty good for me. + +December 26. Crismas tree at the town hall. had supper and got a bag +of candy and a long string of pop corn. Mr. Lovel took off the presents +and his whiskers caught fire, and he hollered o hell right out. +that was pretty good for a sunday school teacher, wasent it. +Jimmy Gad et too much and was sick. + +December 27. Beany has got a new striped shirt not a false bosom but +a whole shirt. Beany wont speak to me now. Lucy Watson has got a new +blew hat with a fether. she wont speak to Keene and Cele eether. you +jest wait Beany and Lucy and see. + +Jan. 1, 186-Had an awful time in school today. me and Cawcaw Harding +set together. when we came in from resess Cawcaw reached over and hit +me a bat, and i lent him one in the snoot, and he hit me back. we was +jest fooling, but old Francis called Cawcaw up front to lick him. +i thought if i went up and told him he wood say, noble boy go to +your seat, i wont lick neether of you. anyway i knew that Cawcaw +wood tell on me, and so i told old Francis i hit Cawcaw first, and +old Francis said Harry i have had my eye on you for a long time, and +he jest took us up and slammed us together, and then he wood put me +down and shake Cawcaw and then he wood put Cawcaw down and shake me +till my head wabbled and he turned me upside down and all the +fellers looked upside down and went round and round and somehow i +felt silly like and kind of like laffin. i dident want to laff but +coodent help it. and then he talked to us and sent us to our seats +and told us to study, and i tried to but all the words in the book +went round and round and i felt awful funny and kind of wabbly, and +when i went home mother said something was the matter and i told her +and then i cried, i don't know what i cried for, becaus i dident +ake any. father said he wood lick me at home when i got licked at +school and perhaps that was why i cried. ennyway when father come +home i asked him if he was a going to lick me and he said not by a +dam sight, and he gave me ten cents and when i went to bed i got +laffin and crying all to once, and coodent stop, and mother set +in my room and kept her hand on my forred until i went to sleep. +i drempt i was fiting all the time. when i get big enuf there is +going to be a fite between me and old Francis, you see if there aint. + +Jan. 2, Me and Beany has made up. i told him i had ten cents and +then he dident feel so big about his new shirt. ennyway we went down +to Si Smiths and got a dozen goozeberries and then went down to +doctor Derborns and got a glass of sody water and took turns +drinking it and seeing which cood gulp the loudest. Beany beat. + +Jan. 3. brite and fair. Went down to Pewts tonite to make hayseed +cigars. We made 5 kinds, hayseed, sweet firn, cornsilk, mullin +leeves, and grape vine. my mouth taisted aufuly all nite. + +Jan. 4. brite and fair. Pewt dident come to school today. i gess he +was sick. my mouth taisted aufuly all day. + +Jan. 5. clowdy and aufuly cold. Pewt came to school today and got a +licking for puting gum on Nigger Bells seat. Nig set in it til it +dride and then tride to get up and coodent. then old Francis come +down the ile and snaiked Nigger out and when he see the gum he asked +us who put it there. we all said we dident, but he licked Pewt +becaus he had seen Pewt chooing gum. + +Jan. 6. it snowed last nite and today. Speaking in school today. +i spoke the berrial of sir John More. old Francis said he never +heard ennything wirse in his life. i hope he wont tell father. +this afternoon we pluged stewdcats. + +Jan. 7. Ed Towle has got a gote. the fellers stumped me to hold him +by the horns and he buted me over in the slosh. mother said i had no +bisiness to be playing on sunday. + +Jan. 8. brite and fair. there is going to be a nigger show in the +town hall tonite. father says i cant go becaus i sassed aunt Sarah. +it is uncle Toms cabbin. + +Jan. 9. brite and fair. Beany went to the nigger show. he led one of +the bludhouns in the prosession and got a ticket. Beany had on a red +coat jest like the dogs. he said it was buly. + +Jan. 10. rany. Nipper Brown is the best scolar in my class. i am the +wirst. i can lick Nipper easy. + +Jan. 11. brite and fair. After school me and Beany and Pewt and +Fatty Melcher and Pozzy Chadwick and lots of fellers went skating on +fresh river. i was skating backwerd and i got one leg in a eal hole, +gosh the water was cold and before i got home my britches leg was +all froze. + +Jan. 12. nobody got licked in school today, gess why, becaus there +wassent enny school. old Francis was sick, i went skating. + +Jan. 13. brite and -- no it was rany. had a speling mach today in +school. Cele and Genny Morrison staid up til the last and then Cele +missed and set down balling, and Genny beat. i cant stop to wright +enny more becaus i am going to the levee with father. + +Jan. 14, 186- Went to a big levee last nite at the town hall. Bill +Morrill and Nuel Head and Dave Quimby and Frank Hervey got it up. +they had Hook and Pasons quadril band of Haverhil. father bought a +ticket becaus he was in the custum house and has to be frends with +people. it was splendid. most everybody went all dressed up in +blue silk and red and crokay slippers. Ham Perkins and Charlie Lane +and Charley Piper and Chick Randall and Dan Ranlet and Grace Morril +and the Head girls and Sweat girls and Carrie Towle and Sarah Clark, +J. Albert Clarks sister and the Melcher boys and they all hopped +round pretty lively, i tell you. i staid until 12 o'clock and +listened to the band. i never had so good time in my life. + +Jan. 15. i am all spekled over. mother says she is afrade i have +got chicken pocks. i gess i have been in the hen koop to mutch. + +Jan. 16. the speckles have all gone of. doctor Perry says i et to +many donuts. + +Jan. 18. brite and fair. yesterday to and day before yesterday i +have forgot. + +Jan. 19. snowed all day. Me and Beany is mad. + +Jan. 20. father is sick becaus he et to mutch salt fish and potato +and pork. he is auful cross and hit me a bat today becaus i left the +door open. i gess he will be sorry when i am ded. + +Jan. 21. brite and fair. went to church in the morning and in the +afternoon greeced some paper and trased some pictures. + +Jan. 22. i had to stay in the wood-box today for whispering to +Whacker with the cover down. i like it becaus they is a peep hole in +the box and you can see the fellers and they cant see you. by and by +Gimmy Fitsgerald whispered and old Francis put him in to and we +took turns peeping. + +Jan. 23. it raned hard all day and we had one sesion. Beany came +over and we made up and plaid in the barn making fly boxes. + +Jan. 24. nothing much today, rany in the morning and froze at night. + +Jan. 25. brite and fair. everything was covered with ice and when +father started for the depot he tumbled down the front steps from +the top to the botom. mother says he went bumpity bump and his hat +went one way and his dinner box went the other. i herd him swaring +aufuly about that dam boy, and i gess he wood have come up and +licked time out of me, but he had to hurry to get the train. + +Jan. 26. jest as soon as the skating comes it has to snow and spoil it. + +Jan. 27. i coodent go out of the yard this afternoon becaus i dident +put ashes on the front steps before father fell down and so Pewt and +Beany and Whacker and Nibby Hartwell and Diddly Colket and Nipper +and Prisilla and Gim Wingit and lots of the fellers came over and we +had a snowball fite. mother says she hops father wont keep me at +home anuther afternoon. + +Jan. 28. brite and fair. it never ranes Sundays so a feller cant go +to church. + +Jan. 29. Nothing puticular today. it always seams harder to go to +school mundays, more fellers gets licked mundays than enny day in +the weak. i got stood on the platform with my head in the corner for +looking of my book today. + +Jan. 30. brite and fair. i have got a auful chilblane on my heel. + +Jan. 31. brite and fair. i was glad today was wensday in the +afternoon i went skating. the students played baseball on the ice. + +Feb. 1. brite and fair. pretty soon it will be Washintons berthday, +and then all the boys can ring the town bell at noon and at nite. + +Feb. 2. clowdy but no snow. tomorror will be saterday they is only +2 days in the weak that is wirth ennything and that is wensday and +saterday except in vacation. + +Feb. 3. Snowed like time all the forenoon. in the afternoon me and +Pewt and Beany rolled up some big snowballs. then tonite we put all +the balls together and made a big snowman rite in front of +Mrs. Lewises front door. then we put a old hat on it and hung a +peace of paper on it and wrote man wanted on the paper. tomorrow all +the people who go to church will see it and laff becaus Mister Lewis +got a devorse. they will be some fun tomorrow. + +Feb. 5. i coodent wright ennything last nite becaus i got sent to +bed and got a licking. i tell you we got in a auful scrape. Sunday +morning me and Pewt and Beany went out erly to see our snowman. he +was there and when people began to go by they began to laff, and +most of the people said it was the funniest thing they ever see and +who ever put it there was a pretty smart feller. so we said we did +it and Pewt said he thought of it ferst and Beany said he did, and i +said i did most of the werk. + +Well, pretty soon some people came along and looked at it and said +it was a shame and they went over to pull of the paper and she came +out and see it, and she took a broom and nocked it over and broke it +all up. and then she went rite down to my house to tell father. +then she went over to Beanys house and then up to Pewts. well after +church father took me over to her house. and Beany was there with +his father and Pewt with his father. she said she wood have us +arested for it. but they talked a long time and after a while she +said if our fathers wood lick us and make us saw and split a cord of +wood she woodent say no more about it. when we went out father +said, i never see such dam boys did you Brad, did you Wats, and they +said they never did. so we have got to saw and split that wood and +we got licked two. + +Feb. 6. brite and fair. me and Pewt and Beany sawed and split some +wood for Misses Lewis. + +Feb. 7. brite and fair. sawed some more wood, me and Pewt and Beany. + +Feb. 8. brite and fair. split some more wood, me and Pewt and Beany. + +Feb. 9. Fatty Melcher and Caw-caw Harding, Chitter Robinson and Medo +Thurston helped saw some more wood. + +Feb. 10. Brite and fair. this afternoon Whack Pozzy and Boog +Chadwick, Dutchy Semans, Nigger Bell Pop Clark, Shinny Thing and +Pile Wood all come down with saws and axes and helped us saw that +wood, we worked all the afternoon and got it done and piled up +before dark. then Misses Lewis asked us in and gave us some buly +donuts and some sweatened water and we sung and told stories and before +we went we told her we was sorry we bilt the snowman and she said +she was sorry two. then when we went away we give 3 cheers for her. + +Feb. 11. brite and fair. i shant forget last Sunday very soon. + +Feb. 12. rany today. i dont care becaus i havent got to saw enny +more wood. + +Feb. 13. still rany. i dont care. + +Feb. 14. pretty cold today. going to have a new kind of speling mach +tomorrow. + +Feb. 15. Got to the head in spelling today. old Francis makes us all +stand up in the ile and gives us a lot of words to spell and then we +wright them down on our slates and then the head feller or girl +changes slates with the foot feller or girl and so on and then old +Francis wrights the words on the blackboard and then we mark each +others slates. John Flanygin was the foot feller and had my slate. +well most of Johns words was wrong. but John marked mine all write. +i gess John dident know it, but ther was 4 or 5 of my words speled +wrong. i set out to tell old Francis but dident dass to becaus he +licked me for teling that i paisted Cawcaw Harding that time. so i +kept still and kept at the head and John kept at the foot. i hope +John will do it again tomorrow. + +Feb. 16. Beat in speling today. + +Feb. 17. beat in speling today. + +Feb. 19. Beat in speling today. old Francis is a going to give a +prise tomorrow. i told father i was pretty sure to get it and he +said it will be the first one. Aunt Sarah asked him if he took many +prises. and he said he dident get much of a prise when he got me. i +gess he wont say that tomorrow when i bring my prise home. + +Feb. 20. i dident get the prise. you see yesterday John Flanygin +spelt more words write than Gimmy Fitsgerald and Gimmy went to the +foot. when we marked slates Gimmy marked 9 of my words wrong out +of 20, and i had to go down most to where John Flannygin was. +old Francis said he dident beleave i had aught to have staid at the +head so long as i did and i was afraid he wood lick me and John but +he dident. he said he was ashamed and disapointed in me but i gess +he was not the only one who was disapointed. i had told Pewt and +Beany i wood treat on what father wood give me for getting the prise. +Pewt and Beany was both mad, and are going to lay for Gimmy. + +Feb. 21, i forgot to say what the wether was most every day this weak. +it has been brite and fair most of the time, only it snowed two days +and raned most of one day. brite and fair today and cold as time. + +Feb. 23, Clowdy and cold. Pop Clark had to crawl through a chair today. +he went through so fast old Francis only hit him 2 bats. Tady Finton +and Nigger Bell both got licked. Tady dident cry or holler a bit, +but Nigger hollered just like a girl. i supposed Nigger was more of +a man than that. + +Feb. 24, Beany and Pewt got punching today in school and old Francis +made them stand on the platform with their arms round each others +neck all the forenoon, i bet they felt pretty cheep. Brite and fair. + +Feb. 25, i have got a new pair of britches at erl and Cutts. i gess +Beany aint the only one which has good clothes eather. + +Feb. 26. Nothing particular today. Went down to old Heads shop to +see the stewdcats ride velosipedes. There is going to be a race in +the town hall tomorrow night. + +Feb. 27. Father said i cood go to the velosipede race if i woodent +miss splitting my kindlings for a week. i did miss them twice but +mother dident tell him and if he dont ask her before tonight i am +all right. + +Feb. 28. Last night went to the velosipede race. it was jest ripping. +i got down before the door opened. Bob Carter came pretty soon but +he woodent let us in until the ticket man came. Mr. Watson was the +ticket man and he let me and Beany and Shinny Thing in free. +they had a lot of seats in the center of the hall, and the rest +round the edges, and a open track around the hall. On the platform +set Bill Morrill and Dave Quimby and John Getchell and Eben Folsom. +Most of the fellers in the race were stewdcats and most of the +stewdcats and the girls had the seats in the center of the hall. +The stewdcats who were to race were Stone and Stuart and Lee and +Clifford and August Belmont and Swift and Nichols and George Kent +and Cutler and Johnny Heald and Gear and Burly and Bob Morison. +the townies were Charlie Gerish and Doctor Prey. each feller rode +round the hall twice to get going like time, and then Dave Quimby +hollered go and he had to ride around the hall until he had rid a +quarter of a mile. + +When the stewdcats rode all the other stewdcats yelled and the girls +waved their handkerchiefs and the band played and the excitement was +dreadful. + +After a while Doctor Prey came out and all the townies got up and +cheered and the band played the star spangled banner, because Doctor +fit in the war, and Doctor took of his hat and bowed and then rode +round like time. he rode faster than most every one of them except +Stone and Stuart and Lee and Clifford and Belmont and Swift. i guess +if Doc hadent fit so hard in the war he wood have beat them all. and +then Charlie Gerish came out and all the townies hollered again and +Charlie made his legs go so fast that they coodent hardly see them, +and jest before the last time around his velosipede slipped and +Charlie went fluking over three settees. he jumped on his velosipede +again and went around with his britches all torn but he dident get +around quite quick enuf to beat Stone, then the townies yelled and +said it was a cheat and the stewdcats hissed, and some of the +townies said they could lick the stewdcats, and the stewdcats said +they wasent man enuf and it looked as if there was a going to be a +row when Charlie Gerrish got up and said he was beat fair and there +wasent anything to get mad about, and that he would like to shake +hands with the stewdcat which beat him, and he wood like to race him +another time but he coodent then because he hurt his leg, and then +they shook hands and every one felt buly, and the stewdcats said +hooray for Charlie and the townies hollered hooray for Stone, and +Bill Morrill made a speech and give the prise to Stone and the band +played and we all went home. i bet Doc. Prey and Charlie Gerrish can +lick any two stewdcats in the hall. + +Mar. 2. i went to a show in the town hall tonight. it was a singing +show called the haymakers. it was splendid. Mr. Gale got it up. +they have been practising all winter. Alice Gewell was a dary maid +and Charlie Lane was a katydid, and lots of others sung. it was splendid. + +Mar. 3. Cloudy but no rane. went down to Langley's store for some +juju paste, saw a fite. Old Kize tried to arest Bill Hartnit and +Bill lammed time out of him and after a while old Swain came up and +arrested him. + +Mar. 4. Brite and fair. Went to church to-day, the fernace smoked so +the people had to come home. They say they will have it fixed before +next Sunday. i hope not. + +Mar. 5. School closes tomorrow. i got kept after school tonight for +whispering to Cawcaw. + +Mar. 6. School closed today and we voted for prises. Mr. Gordon give +4 prizes for the 2 best fellers and 2 best girls for the term. So we +voted for them. Most of the fellers wanted to vote for Jenny +Morrison because she was the prettiest girl there and can go the +greeshun bend better than enny girl in the school. and most of the +girls dident like Jenny Morrison and wanted to vote for Dora Moses +and Mary Luverin, and the girls wanted to vote for Lees Moses +because he was polite to them and rather go with the girls than the +boys and we holler at him, but he can fite for i saw him lick Gim +Erly one day, and Gim Erly can rassle better than enny one but Jack +Melvil. well most of the fellows wanted to vote for Tady Finton or +Pop Clark or Skinny Bruce because they never get mad or cry when +they are licked and make lots of fun, but we knew they coodent get +the prize for they are all the time raising time and getting licked +and so we voted for Honey Donovan and Moses Gordon, and when the +votes was counted Dora Moses and Mary Luvering got the prizes for +the girls and Mose Gordon and Nigger Bell for the boys. That was all +write about Dora Moses and Mary Luverin because they was the best +girls and always went together, but we dident like it very well +about Mose and Nigger, only we thought that so long as Mose's father +give the prizes Mose ought to have one. i gess most of the girls +must have voted for Nig, because they was mad with Lees Moses. i +know what they was mad at too. + +Then the first class give old Francis a present of some books and +when he turned over the leaves there was twenty dollars there, and +old Francis was surprised and made a fine speech, and the people all +clapped becaus he made such a good speech. i heard him saying it +over the night before when i was kept after school. No school for 2 +weeks. + +Mar. 7. When my father was a boy he was the best fiter in this town. + +Mar. 9. Went down to Fatty Melchers today to make a violin, we cut a +piece of wood the shape of a violin then take some horsehairs and +strech them over a brige and you can play a tune on them. in school +i learnt to play on a piece of india rubber. you pull a piece of +elastic out of your congres boot and hold it in your teeth and pull +it tite and snap it with your fingers and you can play tunes that +you can hear but no one else can. old Francis saw me snapping the +elastic and came and took it away. i have got plenty more in my +boot. i am saving money to buy me a cornet. when i get enuf i am a +going to play in the band. ++++- +Mar. 10. plesent day. old Si Smiths big white dog and a bull dog had +an awful fite today. neether licked and they had to squert water on +them to seperate them. they dident make no noise, only jest hung +write on to each others gozzles. my aunt Sarah said it was dredful, +and she staid to the window to see how dredful it was. + +Mar. 11, 186- Went to church in the morning. the fernace was all +write. Mister Lennard preeched about loving our ennymies, and told +every one if he had any angry feelings toward ennyone to go to him +and shake hands and see how much better you wood feel. i know how it +is becaus when me and Beany are mad we dont have eny fun and when we +make up the one who is to blam always wants to treet. why when Beany +was mad with me becaus i went home from Gil Steels surprise party +with Lizzie Towle, Ed Towles sister, he woodent speak to me for 2 +days, and when we made up he treated me to ice cream with 2 spoons +and he let me dip twice to his once. he took pretty big dips to make +up. Beany is mad if enny of the fellers go with Lizzie Towle. she +likes Beany better than she does enny of the fellers and Beany ought +to be satisfied, but sometimes he acks mad when i go down there to +fite roosters with Ed. i gess he needent worry much, no feller isnt +going to leave of fiting roosters to go with no girls. well i most +forgot what i was going to say, but after church i went up to Micky +Gould who was going to fite me behind the school house, and said +Micky lets be friends and Micky said. huh old Skinny, i can lick +you in 2 minits and i said you aint man enuf and he called me a +nockneed puke, and i called him a wall eyed lummix and he give me a +paist in the eye and i gave him a good one in the mouth, and then we +rassled and Micky threw me and i turned him, and he got hold of my +new false bosom and i got hold of his hair, and the fellers all +hollered hit him Micky, paist him Skinny, and Mister Purington, +Pewts father pulled us apart and i had Mickys paper collar and +necktie and some of his hair and he had my false bosom and when i +got home father made me go to bed and stay there all the afternoon +for fiting, but i gess he dident like my losing my false +bosom. ennyway he asked me how many times i hit Micky and which +licked. he let me get up at supper time. next time i try to love my +ennymy i am a going to lick him first. + +Went to a Sunday school concert in the evening. Keene and Cele sung +now i lay me down to sleep. they was a lot of people sung together +and Mister Gale beat time. Charlie Gerish played the violin and Miss +Packerd sung. i was scart when Keene and Cele sung for i was afraid +they would break down, but they dident, and people said they sung +like night horks. i gess if they knowed how night horks sung they +woodent say much. father felt pretty big and to hear him talk you +wood think he did the singing. he give them ten cents +apeace. i dident get none. you gest wait, old man till i get my +cornet. + +Went to a corcus last night. me and Beany were in the hall in the +afternoon helping Bob Carter sprinkle the floor and put on the +sordust. the floor was all shiny with wax and aufully slipery. so +Bob got us to put on some water to take off the shiny wax. well +write in front of the platform there is a low platform where they +get up to put in their votes and then step down and Beany said, dont +put any water there only jest dry sordust. so i dident. well that +night we went erly to see the fun. Gim Luverin got up and said there +was one man which was the oldest voter in town and he ought to vote +the first, the name of this destinkuished sitizen was John Quincy +Ann Pollard. then old mister Pollard got up and put in his vote and +when he stepped down his heels flew up and he went down whak on the +back of his head and 2 men lifted him up and lugged him to a seat, +and then Ed Derborn, him that rings the town bell, stepped up pretty +lively and went flat and swore terrible, and me and Beany nearly +died we laffed so. well it kept on, people dident know what made +them fall, and Gim Odlin sat write down in his new umbrella and then +they sent me down stairs for a pail of wet sordust and when i was +coming up i heard an auful whang, and when i got up in the hall they +were lugging old mister Stickney off to die and they put water on +his head and lugged him home in a hack. they say Bob Carter will +lose his place. me and Beany dont know what to do. if we dont tell, +Bob will lose his place and if we do we will get licked. + +Mar. 12. Mister Stickney is all write today. gosh you bet me and +Beany are glad. + +Mar. 13, 186- brite and fair. Mr. Gravel has bought old Heads +carrige shop. he is a dandy and wears shiny riding boots and a stove +pipe hat and a velvet coat and goes with Dan Ranlet and George +Perkins and Johny Gibson and the other dandies. i went down today +and watched Fatty Walker stripe some wheels. + +Mar. 14. clowdy. Elkins and Graves had an oxion to-night. Beany got +ten cents for going round town ringing a bell and hollering oxion. i +went with Beany and it was lots of fun. Beany wouldent treet. he +says he is saving money for something. i know what it is it is a +valintine for Lizzie Tole. it was mean of Beany not to treet becaus +i did as much hollering as he did. + +Mar. 15. The funniest thing hapened to-day you ever saw. after +brekfast me and father took a walk and then went and set down on the +hig school steps. father was telling me some of the things he and +Gim Melcher used to do. father must have been a ripper when he was +young. well ennyway while we was talking old Ike Shute came along +through the school yard. Ike wears specks and always carries a +little basket on his arm. he cant see very well, and father said to +me, now you jest keep still and you will see some fun and when Ike +came along father changed his voice so that it sounded awfully +growly and said where in the devil are you going with that basket, +and Ike was scart most to deth and said only a little way down here +sir and father said, move on sir and move dam lively and i nearly +died laffing to see Ike hiper. well after a while i see Ike coming +back with old Swane and old Kize the policemen. i tell you i was +scart but father only laffed and said you keep still and i will fix +it all right. so when they came up he said to old Kize what is the +trouble Filander and he said Mr. Shute here has been thretened by +some drunken rascal, and father looked aufuly surprised and said +that is an infernal shame, when did it happen Isak, and Ike said +about fifteen minits ago and father said we have been here about as +long as that and i dident see the scoundrel. how did he look Isak, +and Ike said i coodent see him very well George but he was a big man +and he had a awfu deep voice and father said did he stagger enny and +Ike said i coodent see wether he did or not but i cood tell he was +drunk by his voice. so old Swain and old Kize went down behind the +school house and off thru the carrige shop yard to see if they cood +find him, and me and father walked home with Ike to protect him and +father said now Isak if ennyone insults you again jest come to me +and if i can catch him i will break every bone in his body, and +father and Ike shook hands and Ike shook hands with me and then we +went home and father began to laff and laffed all the way home and +then he told mother and aunt Sarah and they said it was a shame to +play such a trick upon him and father laffed all the more and said +Ike hadent had so much exercise for a year and it wood do him good +and give him something to think about. ennyway they said it was a +shame to teech me such things, and father said he would rather i +wood be tuf than be like Ike, and Aunt Sarah said i never wood be +half as good as Ike for he never did a wrong thing in his life, and +father laffed and said he dident dass to for his mother wood shet +him in the closet. it was aufully funny, but i gess they was +right. i shall never be half as good as Ike. i wonder if old Swane +and old Kize have caught that man yet. + +Mar. 16. Pewt dreened 18 marbles and 2 chinees out of me to-day. we +was playing first in a hole. school today. sailed boats in the brook +in J. Albert Clark's garden and got pretty wet. + +Mar. 17. Scott Briggam has got some little flying squirrels. he is +going to get me one for thirty-five cents. i am going to take it out +of my cornet money. + +Mar. 18. Father wont let me play marbles in ernest. it aint enny fun +dreening a feller and then giving them back. i bet father didnt when +he was a boy. + +Mar. 19. Scott Briggam brought my squirrel today and i paid him 35 +cents, 3 ten cents scrips and five cents. i have got it in a bird +cage. + +Mar. 20. my squirrel got out of the cage last nite and father found +him in the water pail drownded. father got up in the night and got a +dipper and drank some water out of that pail, he dident eat any +brekfast because he was thinking that the squirrel might have been +in the pail then. i wonder if it was. ennyway 35 cents of my cornet +money has gone up. + +Mar. 23. school today. went down to Pewts to draw pictures. Charlie +Woodbury can draw the best, then Pewt, and then me. Beany dont like +to draw. we was talking about what we was going to be when we grew +up. Charlie Woodbury is going to be a picture painter, Pewt is +going to be a lawyer, Potter Gorham and Chick Chickering are going +to stuff birds for a living, Beany is going to be a hack driver, Gim +Wingit is going to run a newspaper, Cawcaw Harding is going to be a +piscopal minister becaus he says they only have to read their +speaches out of a book, Nipper Brown is going to be a professer, +Priscilla Hobbs is going to play a organ in the baptis +church. Prisil can play 3 tunes now on a little organ. i am going to +be a cornet player like Bruce Briggam. cornet players can go to all +the dances and fairs and prosessions and are invited in and treated +when people are married and they serrinade them at night, and they +don't have to work either. + +Mar. 25. almost as warm as summer, went to church and Sunday +school. Beany has got a job blowing the organ for Kate Wells. he +only let the wind go out 2 times today. it was funny becaus when the +organ stopped Mister Wood who was singing let out an auful hoot +before he knowed what he was doing Beany will lose his job if he +does it again. + +Mar. 29, 186- The toads has come out. fine warm day. me and +Potter Gorham have been ketching toads this afternoon. they sit in +the pudles and peep. folks think it is frogs but most of it is +toads. Potter got 23 and i got 18. tonite i put my toads in a box +in the kitchen after the folks went to bed. in the night they all +got out of the box and began to hop round and peep mother heard it +and waked father and they lissened. when i waked up father was +coming threw my room with a big cane and a little tin lamp. he had +put on his britches and was in his shirt tale, and i said, what are +you going to lick me for now i havent done nothing and he said, keep +still there is some one down stairs and mother said dont go down +George and father said, lissen i can hear him giving a whistle for +his confedrit, i will jump in and give him a whack on the cokonut. +i had forgot all about the toads and you bet i was scart. well +father he crep down easy and blowed out his lite and opened the door +quick and jest lammed round with his club. then i heard him say +what in hell have i stepped on, bring a lite here. then i though of +the toads and you bet i was scarter than before, mother went down +with a lite and then i heard him say, i will be cussed the whole +place is ful of toads. then mother said did you ever. and father +said he never did, and it was some more of that dam boys works and +he yelled upstairs for me to come down and ketch them. so i went +down and caught them and put them out all but 2 that father had +stepped on and they had to be swep up. then all the folks came down +in their nitegounds and i went up stairs lively and got into bed and +pulled the clothes round me tite, but it dident do enny good for +father came up and licked me. he dident lick me very hard becaus i +gess he was glad it wasent a berglar and if it hadent been for me it +might have been berglars insted of toads. + +Mar. 30. brite and fair, went out with Potter Gorham. saw some toads +2 robins and a blewbird. gosh it makes a feller feel good to see +birds and toads and live things. + +Mar. 31. April fool day tomorrow. i am laying for Beany. old Francis +licked 5 fellers today becaus they sung rong when we was singing +speek kindly it is better far to rule by luv than feer. + +April 1. auful cold and rainy. i was going to wright a love letter +to Beany and sine Lizzie Toles name to it but i told father about it +for fun and he said that it was fourgery and that i cood be +prostecuted and sent to jale. so i dident. tonite me and Beany rung +five door bells for april fool. + +April 2. been trying to get rid of some warts. Pewt says if you hook +a piece of pork after dark, rub it on the warts and say arum erum +irum orum urum and nurum 3 times turn round twice and throw the pork +thru a window, then the warts will all be gone the next day. me and +Beany is going to try it tomorrow. + +April 3. brite and fair. dident get a chance to hook the pork. + +April 4. The band played in the band room to-nite. it was warm enuf +to have the windows open and we cood hear it. i sat out in the +school yard til 10 oclock to hear it and father came out and walked +me home. Beany was mad becaus i cared more for the band than for +getting rid of the warts. + +April 6. dident wright anything last nite, was too scart. i never +was so scart in all my life before. me and Beany came awful near +getting in jale. we dident know where to hook the pork. i went to +our cellar but father was down there making vinigar all the evening, +then we went to Beanys cellar but Mister Watson was sitting on the +cellar door. so Beany told his father that a man was looking for him +to see about a horse and Mister Watson started down to the club +stable. then Beany hooked the pork and rubbed it over his warts and +then i rubbed it over my warts and we said arum erum irum orum urum +and nururn 3 times jest as Pewt said, turned round twice and i +plugged the pork right threw a gaslite jest then the gasman came +along, he yelled at us and jumped out of his wagon and went for +us. we ran down threw the school yard as fast as we cood +hiper. there is a hollow in the corner of the school yard by Bill +Morrills back yard and there is a little hole in the bottom of the +fence where the fellers crawl threw when the football goes into his +garden. we skinned threw that hole jest in time. the gasman tried to +crawl threw but he coodent, then he clim the high fence but while he +was doing that we ran across the carrige factory yard and down by +the old brewery up Bow street and home. i went to bed pretty lively +and so did Beany. gosh but we was scart. + +April 7. One of Beanys warts has gone. + +April 8. brite and fair. my warts have not gone. + +April 9. brite and fair. my warts have not gone. + +April 10. Clowdy but no rane. my warts have not gone. + +April 11. rany. i have got 2 more warts. i gess i hadent ought to +have broke that gaslite. + +April 12. i have got another. + +April 13. bully day. me and Potter Gorharn and Chick Chickering went +out after toads today. i got 14 but i dident take them home you bet. + +April 15. Brite and fair. we all went to church today to see the +Lanes. they come from New York and when they go to church everybody +goes to see them. there was a boy with them named Willie. i bet i +cood lick him. + +April 16. Nothing particular today. dont feel very well, kind of +headaky and backaky. + +April 20. have been sick for 4 days. went to school monday and had +to come home. when i got home i fell down on the steps and mother +and aunt Sarah came out and got me in the house and put water on my +head and rubbed my hands, and then the Doctor came and said, well +Joanna, children are a good deel of truble and then he felt of my +rist and said hum, and then he looked at my tung and said hum again, +and then he pride open my mouth and looked down my throte and said +hum, and then he pulled off my close and looked me over rite before +mother and aunt Sarah and said well he aint spekled eny. then he +said what have you given him Joanna and mother said, nothing, and +the docter said, all right give him some more, and mother said i +havent given him enything docter, and then he walked around the room +and picked up some things and looked at them and then he gave me +some of the wirst tasting stuff i ever took. then he said i gess he +will be better tomorrow, and then he looked at some more things and +went home. i dident sleep very well that nite but was auful hot and +my head aked fearful. mother was in my room every time i waked up, +and Sarah too. next day i had the docter again he looked at some +pictures and things and told mother to give me some more. i always +feel better when the docter comes in. he dont scare a feller to +deth. + +Well the next day i felt a little better and tried to sit up and +have my britches on, but i had to lay down again my head aked so, +and after awhile my head felt better and as i laid there i could +look out of the window and it seamed as if little chains that you +could see through like glass, were floating up and down they were +about an inch long. well i wached them till i almost went to sleep +and jest as i was most asleep i heard Beany out in the street +holler, say Pewt, did you know that Plupy is going to die, and Pewt +said course i did, why dont you tell me some news, and Beany said i +heard he swalowed a peach stone and Pewt said it was liver +complaint, and then i heard some one say, you boys shet up. + +Gosh you bet i was scart. i hadent thought of dying. i began to howl +and holler for mother. she came running in and i told her i was +going to die and i told her about breaking the gaslite and a lot of +other things and she told me the docter said i was getting better +and i wood sit up tomorrow. well i better then and wished i hadent +told mother about the gaslite becaus i knew she wood make me tell +father. well mother set by my bed all the afternoon and read me some +out of Billy Bolegs, jest think of her doing that, so when supper +time came i et a lettle tost and had some current jelly. when father +come home mother told him about the gaslite and all he said was i +wood have to pay for it out of my cornet money. i thought he wood +keep me in for a month. i gess mother must have talked to him. + +that nite father slep on a lounge in my room. i went to sleep most +as soon as he come in. after awhile i dremp i was tied on a sawlog +jest going nearer and nearer to the saw and the saw was a going +skratch-zoo, skratch-zoo, skratch-zoo. well i tride to pull away but +i coodent move and i tride to holler and i coodent make a yip, and +jest before the saw sawed into me i woke up. gosh you bet i was +glad, but the funny part was that i could hear the saw going +skratch-zoo, skratch-zoo, skratch-zoo, and what do you think it +was. it was father snoring. gosh you ought to have heard him. well +at first i laffed, but by and by i wanted to go to sleep and father +snoring so loud i coodent till mother came in and told him to go to +bed and she laid on the sofa all nite. the next day i set up and had +my britches on and set up to the window all day. i saw Beany and +Pewt and i nocked on the window and waved my claw at them. i am +going out tomorrow. + +April 22. i went out today. it was real warm. i dident go to church +becaus i had been sick. i let my rooster out to fite J. Albert +Clark's. they were fiting good when i looked up and there was father +looking over the fence. he made me stop the fite and shet my rooster +up. i wonder if he wood have stoped them if i hadent been there. i +got 2 eggs today, the old brama that i swaped for with Ed Tole and a +bolten gray that John Adams give me. + +April 23. i went to school today. i dident have to resite becaus i +had been sick. if i dont get wirse i can goto Mis Packerds concert +tomorow. hope it wont rane. + +April 24. brite and fair and it dident rane tonite, so i went to the +concert. all the girls was flowers. Keene was a crocuss and had to +come out and sing first becaus the crocuss is the first flower that +comes out. she sung i am the first of all the flowers to greet the +eyes of spring. + +Jenny Morison was a tuch me not and set in the top of a rock and +sung tuch me not, tuch me not let me alone. Nell Tole was a piny or +a sunflower i have forgot whitch. Jenny Morison and Keene and Nell +Tole are the best singers for their size in town. father thinks +Keene can sing the best. he feels pretty big about Keene. i told him +so one day and he said he had to becaus i dident amount to +enything. i think Jenny Morison can sing the best but dont tell him +so for he wood give me a bat. + +April 25, 186- Cant go down town for a week becaus i sassed +J. Albert Clark, that is J. Albert Clark says I sassed him but i +dident. Beany had been working for J. Albert raking up leaves in his +garden. J. Albert was a going to give him 10 cents for it and me and +Beany was a going to divide up on goozeberries and juju paist, but +Beany dident dass to ask J. Albert for his pay because he had raked +all the leaves under J. Alberts front steps and he was afraid +J. Albert wood find out about it and not pay him. Beany wanted me to +ask him but i dident dass to because i let my rooster out to fite +J. Alberts last Sunday and J. Albert dont believe in fiting +roosters. last night he was setting on his steps with some company +and he had on his best lavender britches and his best blew coat. + +So Beany said, tell you what Plupy, you set on your steps and i will +set on my steps and we will holler across the street about the money +that J. Albert owes me. So Beany he went across the street to his +steps and he hollered over, hi there Plupy have you got any chink, +and i hollered back, no Beany i havent got a cent, and Beany he +hollered i shood have 10 cents if J. Albert Clark wood pay me what +he owes me, and i hollered why in time dont he pay you, and Beany +hollered i gess he hasent got any chink, and i hollered he has +probably spent all his chink in buying them lavender britches, and +Beany he hollered, well if J. Albert Clark needs the money more +than I do he can have it. well while we was hollering mister Head +and the Head girls who was setting on their steps got up and went +into the house laffing, and the company at J. Alberts all laffed, +and J. Albert came down and beckoned to Beany and Beany he went +running over to get his 10 cents and J. Albert he said, Elbridge, +that is Beanys name, Elbridge you cood have your money enny time if +you had asked me for it decently, but now i shall not pay you for a +week and i shall not imploy you enny more. Tell you what, Beany came +over to my steps feeling pretty cheap and we was talking about it +when mother called me in and sent me up stairs, and said she wood +tell father as soon as he came home. So i went up stairs and looked +out of the window jest in time to see Beanys father lugging Beany in +by the neck. Well that nite after father got home he jawed me and +said i coodent go down town for a week and made me go to J. Alberts +right before the company and ask his forgiveness, and Beany had to +to. J. Albert was a pretty good fellow and said it was all right, +and dident want our fathers not to let us go down town, but father +said i must learn to be respectable to my elders. Gosh we dident +know J. Albert was a elder. We knowed elder Stevens and elder +Stewart and deacon Gooch and we always was respectable to them, and +if we had knowed that J. Albert Clark was a elder we woodent have +sassed him for nothing. + +April 26. Yesterday and day before it was brite and fair, and +yesterday was as warm as summer. today, it was cold and it snowed a +little. jest enuf to make the ground look as if it was covered with +salt. the birds looked all humped up. i bet the frogs hind legs is +about froze. it is raining now. if i was a frog i woodent come out +of the mud until summer. perhaps they cant stay under more than six +months. + +April 27. Warm again. 2 eggs today. i have got another hen. Willyam +Perry Molton gave it to me. it is a leghorn and his other hens +licked it and made its comb bludy and so he gave it to me. it was on +the nest today but did not lay. i went to church. Mr. Cram +preeched. he talked all about birds and flowers and i liked it. + +April 28. brite and fair. all 3 hens were on the nest but dident +lay. + +April 29. no eggs today. mother said the hens cackled all the +morning. brite and fair. + +April 30. i dont see what the mater is with my hens. i havent got 1 +egg this week. father said there was a rat in the koop. i got a +steel trap of Sam Diar and tonite i set it in the koop. i put a +peace of cheeze on it. tomorrow morning i ges mister rat wont steal +any more eggs. + +May 1. what do you think. this morning i got up to get my rat and i +found that my best hen, the bolton gray that John Adams gave me had +tried to pick the cheeze out of the trap and the trap had caught her +by the neck and killed her. i felt most bad enuf to cry. i thought i +cood get up before the hen did. i went to the may brekfast today. it +was may-fair day and they had a brekfast. me and Pewt, Beany, +Whacker and Pozzy Chadwick, Micky Gould, Pop Clark, Prisilla Hobbs, +Chick Chick-ering, Potter Gorham, Pile Wood, Curly Conner and all +the fellers were there. we had a good time and et till just before +school time and we had to hiper so as not to be late. + +May 2. no eggs today. both hens went on the nest. i am going to lay +for that rat with my bowgun. + +May 3. what do you think. this noon i set in the hen koop 1 +hour. the brama went on the nest and set a while and came off and +cakled, then i looked and she had lade an egg. i left the egg there +and hid behind a barrel and got my bowgun ready for the rat. well +the leghorn hen went on the nest and i suposed she was a going to +lay, but she broke rite into that egg and began to gobble it up. i +was so mad that i let ding at her with the bowgun and just then she +stuck up her head and the arrow took her rite in the back of the +head. well i wish you cood have seen her. she hollered one little +pip and then went rite out of the nest backwards and flapped round +awful. i picked her up and she was dead. i dident mean to kill her, +i only wanted to make her jump and learn her not to eat eggs. O +dear, i dont know what father will say when he finds it out. + +May 5, 186- Saw a bully fite today. Cris Staples and Charlie +Clark. Charlie is visiting his uncle J. Albert Clark, the feller +that we sassed. that is he said we did but we dident. Charlie is a +city feller, he lives in Chelsy and think he knows a pile about +things and gets mad if we call him names. now every feller who +amounts to anything has a nickname, and some of them have 2 or 3. my +nicknames are Plupy and Skinny and Polelegs, and Beany is called +Bullethead and sometimes Fatty. i told Charlie that if i called him +Charlie the fellers would call him sissy or Mary and he better agree +to let me call him bulldog or tomcat or diddly or gobbler or some +nickname whitch wood mean something. but he said he would lam the +head off of enny feller which called him names. well you jest see +what trouble he got into for not having a nickname. he would have +knowed better than that if he hadent lived in Chelsy. + +Well today me and Charlie was setting on his steps. Beany was mad +because i was going with Charlie and he had gone riding with his +father and he felt pretty big because his father let him drive. well +while we were setting there along came Cris Staples who carries +papers for Lane and Rollins store, and Cris hollered over, hullo +Polelegs. Charlie hadent heard enyone call me Polelegs. and i said, +i woodent stand that if i was you Charlie, now less see you lam the +head off of him, and Charlie he started across the road and walked +up to Cris and said who in time are you calling Polelegs and Cris +wasent going to back down and said, you, and Charlie said jest drop +them papers and i will nock your face rite off, and Cris dropped his +papers and they went at it. it was the best fite i have seen this +year. they fit from Mr. Head's down to Gim Ellisons corner, and Cris +licked time out of Charlie, and Charlie began to yell and give up +and then Cris let go of his hair and told him he was to smart, and +that it was me he was calling Polelegs and not him, and he better +not be so smart another time, and Cris he picked up his papers and +went off with a great slit in his jacket and his necktie way round +on one side, and Charlie came home howling and Aunt Clark, Charlie's +grandmother came out and said, that is what you get Charlie for +quareling. see how much better Harry feels, and i said, yes +mam. Charlie is never going to speak to me again. + +May 7. Beany was pretty mad when I told him about the fite because +he dident see it. i gess he will find it don't pay to get mad with +me. i saw Charlie today but he dident speak. he has got a black +eye. Cris has got a funny looking nose on one side. + +May 8. Chitter Robinson went in swiming today. i bet it was cold. + +May 9. Went down to the high school yard tonite to hear the band +play. they have got a new leader a Mister Ashman of Boston. he can +play the cornet with 1 hand. i went down today to pay the gasman for +the gaslite i broke. it cost 1 dollar and i have only got 87 cents +for my cornet. sometimes i dont believe i shall ever get that +cornet. Scott Brigam can blow a bugle. a bugle is like a cornet only +a cornet has 3 keys and a bugle is all covered with flappers and +curly things where you put your fingers. Rashe Belnap can play a +cornet splendid but he dont play very often. Frank Hirvey plays one +that goes over his shoulder way behind his back. gosh i wish i cood +get a cornet. + +May 10. father has found out about my killing that hen. he dident +get mad but said i ought to have cut her head off and she wood be +good to eat, but i supose it is to late now for it is almost a week +ago and i burried her the next day. + +May 11. me and Potter Gorham went mayflowering today. i got a bunch +and sold them to a student named Chizzum for 35 cents. i put it with +my cornet money. i have now got $1.22. i can get a cornet for 25 +dollars a second hand one. i am afraid i shall never get that +cornet. + +May 12. Rany last nite and this morning. in the afternoon it cleared +up. gosh i wish you cood see the licking Beany got tonite. me and +Beany went out to go up to see Pewt and make some sweet fern +sigars. Beany came over for me and went up to Pewts. on the way +Beany went up an rung his doorbell and we hid behind the fence and +Mister Watson, Beany's father, came out holding a light and shading +it with his hand. the wind blew the lite out and in going in again +he hit his head an awful bump against the door. me and Beany nearly +died laffing only we tride not to laff too loud. well we went up to +Pewts and Pewt had been sent to bed for something and so we started +back and met a man who said is this you Elbridge, it was pretty dark +and Beany said yes and Mister Watson grabbed us both by the collar +and said, so you are the boys who rung my doorbell and then he give +Beany a rap on the side of the head and began to shake him round +lively and while he was shaking Beany up i put for home. i hid +behind the fence and i cood hear him say i will learn you to +asosiate with that misable Shute boy and wast your time ringing +doorbells, and Beany was saying, o father i will never do it +again. i nearly died laffing to hear Beany a rattling round on the +sidewalk. i hope Mister Watson wont tell father. i gess he wont for +he gets over his mad pretty quick. every time i think of Beanys legs +flying round in the air i giggle rite out and when i think of Mister +Watson bumping his head i nearly die. sometimes i think it pays to +be tuff. + +May 13, 186- Keene and Cele have got some new crokay slippers. you +bet they feel pretty big about it. + +May 14. nothing particular today. + +May 15. Went in swimming today. the water was pretty cold but i swum +acros the river twise. + +May 16. the suckers have come. Potter Gorham caught three +yesterday. me and Potter was going yesterday after school but father +woodent let me becaus i dident split my kindlings. + +May 17. the band played tonight. father made me go to bed at nine +but i cood hear it becaus my window is jest acros the road. they are +playing a new peace. it is the woodup quickstep, they say Ned +Kendall cood play it on a bugle better than ennybody. old Robinson +cood and Mister Ashman can play it splendid. it goes + + ta-ta tata, ta-ta tata, ta-ta tata + tatatatatatata. + ta-te-ta-te-tiddle iddle-a + ta-te-ta-te-tiddle iddle-a + ta-te-ta-te-tiddle-iddle-a + tiddle-iddle-iddle-iddle-ata + +it is the best peace they play except departed days. that always +makes me feel like crying it is kinder sad like. i hope i can get my +cornet some day. + +May 19. had a auful toothake today and had to go down to docter +Pitman and he pulled it out. i tell you it hurt. Docter Pitman said +the roots must have reached way to the back of my neck. Beany went +with me and then told all round that i hollered. you jest wait +Beany. + +May 21. erly this afternoon me and Fatty Melcher got some real +segars at Henry Simsons store and went down behind old man +Churchills store and smoked them. we were both auful sick and laid +there all the afternoon. when i went home i walked wobbly and mother +asked me if i was sick and she put me to bed and was going to send +for the docter, but father came in and when he found out what aled +me he laffed and said it served me rite. then after supper he set +out on the steps rite under my window and smoked a old pipe and i +cood smell it and i thought i shood die. then mother asked him to go +away and he laffed and said all rite, but he gessed i had enuf for +one day and she said she gessed so and i gess so too. he said if it +hadent made me sick he wood have licked me. + +i dont see why it is so, father swears sometimes when he hits his +thum with a hammer and once when he was in the dark he was walking +towards the door with his arms out to feel for the door, one arm +went on one side of the door and the other arm on the other side and +he hit his nose a fearful bump rite on the ege of the door, and i +wish you cood have heard him swear, well if i swear he licks me, and +he smokes and if i do he says he will lick me and he dont go to +church and if i dont go he says he will lick me. O dear i gess i +wont smoke enny more. + +May 22. Went in swimming today twise, once down to the raceway and +once up to the gravel. + +May 23. Went butterflying with Chick Chickering today, it is a +little early for them, but we got two blew and black ones and three +little red ones. Me and Chick are making aquariams. Chick has got a +splendid glass one. i made mine out of a butter firkin. i sawed it +off half way and then washed it out with soft soap and rensed it 2 +or 3 times and then i put in some white sand and stones and i have +got some little minnies and kivies and a little pickerel. it looks +splendid and i change the water every 3 days. + +May 24. Nothing particular today. + +May 25. i can swim under water from the big tree on Moulton's side +of the river at the gravel to the tree on the bank on Gilman's +side. i went in 3 times today. + +May 26. My rooster is sick. he has et something. he sits all humped +up. i went in swimming 2 times today. + +May 27. My rooster is pretty sick. i tride to give him some kiann +pepper tonite. father said kiann pepper was good for sick hens, so i +held his mouth open and give him a spoonful. when i let him go he +kept his mouth open and sorter sneezed pip-craw pip-craw pip-craw, +and then he went to the water dish and began to drink. i think he is +better because he hadent drank any water for 2 days before. he was +still drinking when i went away. i gess he will be a lot better +tomorrow. + +May 28. What do you think, this morning when i went out to feed my +hens i found my rooster dead. he had drank up all the water and he +was all puffed up. i felt pretty bad. father says i gave him enuf +kiann pepper for a horse. he aught to have told me. he was a pretty +good rooster too. i am having pretty tuff luck. + +May 29. i read over my diary today. i have forgot to tell whether it +was brite and fair or rany, i cant say now. + +May 30, 186- Nothing particular today. brite and fair. + +May 31. brite and fair. went up to Whacker Chadwicks today after +school to help him plant his garden. we had about a bushel of +potatoes to plant and it was fun to sit round a basket and cut up +the potatoes. after a while Gim Erly and Luke Mannux cume along and +we began to plug potatoes at them, they plugged them back and we had +a splendid fite, me and Whack and Pozzy and Boog Chadwick on one +side and Gim Erly and Luke Mannux and Bob Ridly on the other. Luke +Mannux hit me twice rite in the back of the head. i am going up +tomorrow to help them some more. went in swimming once to-day. + +May 32 no i mean June 1. i went up to Chadwicks after +school. Captin Chadwick was there and they wasent enny pluggin +potatoes. went in swimming. + +June 2. Rany. Beany is mad with me. i dont care. + +June 3. went to church today. + +June 4. clowdy but no rane. went up to Chadwicks today and sawed +wood. Boog and Pozzy fit while me and Whack sawed wood then we went +in swiming down to Sandy Bottom. some body tide some hard gnots in +my shirt. i forgot to split my kindlings tonite. + +June 5. brite and fair. Beany is still mad. + +June 6. brite and fair. i know what Beany is mad about. he thinks i +told about his getting a licking. i dident tell. he can stay mad if +he wants to. + +June 7. father has bought a horse of Dan Randlet. i rode up to +Brentwood with Sam Diar to get it. it is the prettiest horse i ever +saw. i rode it down from Brentwood and it goes jest as easy as +sitting on a spring board. when i got home Beany got over his mad +and came over and i gave him a ride. me and Beany never were mad so +long before. + +June 9. Rany. this afternoon me and Beany and father went to ride +with the new horse. her name is Nellie. + +June 10. brite and fair. we keep Nellie down to Jo Hanes +stable. Frank Hanes is learning me how to clean her off. she nipped +my arm today and made a black and blew spot. went in swimming today. + +i have to get up every morning and harnes Nelly and drive father to +the depot. i like it because i always race with the men coming down +front street. there is George Dergin and Fred Sellivan and Gim +Wingit and i can beat them all. i dont tell father that i race. i +rode Nellie this afternoon with Frank Hanes and Ed Tole. i dident go +in swimming today. + +June 11. brite and fair. Nellie kicked me today. i gess i scrached +her today to hard with the curycomb. it dident hurt me much. i went +in swimming twise. + +June 12. brite and fair. Me and Chick Chickering went bullfroging +today, we got 3 dozen hind legs and sold them to Mr. Hirvey for 30 +cents and took our pay in icecream. + +June 13. Rode Nellie this noon. i have to go to the half past five +train every nite for father. i like to drive but i dont like to go +every nite. + +June 14. Rashe Belnap and Horris Cobbs go in swimming every morning +at six o'clock. i got a licking today that beat the one Beany +got. last summer me and Tomtit Tomson and Cawcaw Harding and Whack +and Poz and Boog Chadwick went in swimming in May and all thru the +summer until October. one day i went in 10 times. well i dident say +anything about it to father so as not to scare him. well today he +did go to Boston and he said i am going to teech you to swim. when i +was as old as you i cood swim said he, and you must lern, i said i +have been wanting to lern to swim, for all the other boys can +swim. so we went down to the gravil and i peeled off my close and +got ready, now said he, you jest wade in up to your waste and squat +down and duck your head under. i said the water will get in my +nose. he said no it wont jest squat rite down. i cood see him laffin +when he thought i wood snort and sputter. so i waded out a little +ways and then div in and swam under water most across, and when i +came up i looked to see if father was supprised. gosh you aught to +have seen him. he had pulled off his coat and vest and there he +stood up to his waste in the water with his eyes jest bugging rite +out as big as hens eggs, and he was jest a going to dive for my dead +body. then i turned over on my back and waved my hand at him. he +dident say anything for a minute, only he drawed in a long +breth. then he began to look foolish, and then mad, and then he +turned and started to slosh back to the bank where he slipped and +went in all over. When he got to the bank he was pretty mad and +yelled for me to come out. when i came out he cut a stick and whaled +me, and as soon as i got home he sent me to bed for lying, but i +gess he was mad becaus i about scart the life out of him. but that +nite i heard him telling mother about it and he said that he div 3 +times for me in about thirty feet of water. but he braged about my +swiming and said i cood swim like a striped frog. i shall never +forget how his boots went kerslosh kerslosh kerslosh when we were +skinning home thru cros-lots. i shall never forget how that old stick +hurt either. ennyhow he dident say ennything about not going in +again, so i gess i am all rite. + +June 15, 186- Johnny Heeld, a student, came to me and wanted me to +carry some tickets to a dance round to the girls in the town. there +was about 1 hundred of them. he read the names over to me and i said +i knew them all. so after school me and Beany started out and walked +all over town and give out the tickets. i had a long string of names +and every time i wood leave one i wood mark out the name. i dident +give the Head girls any because they told father about some things +that me and Beany and Pewt did and the Farmer girls and the Cilley +girls lived way up on the plains and i dident want to walk up there, +so when i went over to Hemlock side to give one, i went over to the +factory boarding house and give some to them. they was auful glad to +get them too and said they would go to the dance. some people was +not at home and so i gave their tickets to the next house. it took +me till 8 o'clock and i got 1 dollar for it. i dont beleive those +girls that dident get their tickets will care much about going +ennyway. i gess the Head girls wont want to tell on me another time. + +June 16. Dennis Cokely and Tomtit Tomson had a fite behind Hirvey's +resterent today. Hirvey stopped them jest as they were having a good +one. Thats jest the way. i dont see why they always want to stop a +fite. All fellers fite for is to see which can lick, and how can +they tell unless they fite it out. + +June 17. Brite and fair. They is going to be a big cattle show here +this fall. They are going to have it in a field up by the +depot. They are going to have horse trots and shows and +everything. We are going to have no school. it dont come for an +auful while yet. Charles Taylor is going to have Nelly to ride. + +June 18. Me and Mickey Gould had a race horseback. he had one of Ben +Merril's little black horses, we raced way round Kensington ring. i +cood beat trotting and he cood beat running. when i got home Nelly +was so swetty that father told me not to ride her for a week. + +June 19. Went up to Chadwicks after school. Boog and Whack got +Willie fiting with Johnny Rogers. Willie licked him. Willie is +Whack's little brother. he is a auful cunning little feller. he can +fite too. all the Chadwick's can fite. + +June 20. Brite and fair. i am going fishing tonite with Potter +Gorham. + +June 21. brite and fair. went fishing today with Potter Gorham. i +cought 5 pirch and 4 pickeril. i cleaned them and we had them for +supper. father said they was the best fish he ever et. i also cought +the biggest roach i ever saw, almost as big as a sucker, and i cant +tell what i did with him. i thought Potter had hooked him for fun, +but he said he dident, and we hunted everywhere for him. i dont know +where i put that roach. + +June 22. the students had their dance last nite. they had a auful +time. some of the girls which dident get no tickets was mad, and the +students which wanted them to go was mad and they went to Johnny +Heeld and give him time. then he went round and told them how it was +and give them tickets. well the nite of the dance everything was all +rite until lots of people came which hadent been on the list, but +which we had given tickets. well the students dident want to let +them in and they were mad, and Chick Randal hit a student named +Pendry rite in the nose and nocked his glasses off and Nichols +nocked Johnny Lord way acros the entry and they was going to have a +big fite when Bob Carter and 2 or 3 men stoped it. today Johnny +Heeld came down to the house and said i had got things all mixed up +and father made me give back the dollar. but he told Johnny Heeld he +hadent ought to have let me try such a hard job. Gosh, i am glad +father thinks it was a mistake, and dont know that i did it on +purpose. + +June 23. there is a dead rat in the wall in my room. it smells +auful. + +June 24. Rany. most time for vacation. the smell in my room is +fearful. + +June 25. more trouble today. it seems as if there wasent any use in +living. nothing but trouble all the time. mother said i coodent +sleep in that room until the rat was taken out. well father he came +into my room and sniffed once and said, whew, what a almity +smell. then he held his nose and went out and came back with mister +Staples the father of the feller that called me Polelegs. well he +came in and put his nose up to the wall and sniffed round until he +came to where my old close hung. then he said, thunder George, this +is the place, rite behind this jacket, it is the wirst smell i ever +smelt. then he threw my close in a corner and took out his tools and +began to dig a hole in the wall, while father and mother and aunt +Sarah stood looking at him and holding their nose. after he dug the +hole he reached in but dident find ennything, then he stuck in his +nose and said, it dont smell enny in there. then they all let go of +their nose and took a sniff and said murder it is wirse than ever it +must be rite in the room somewhere. then father said to me, look in +those close and see if there is ennything there. so i looked and +found in the poket of my old jaket that big roach that i lost, when +i went fishing with Potter Gorham. it was all squashy and smelt +auful. father was mad and made me throw the jaket out of the window +and wont let me go fishing for a week. ennyway i know now what +became of my roach. + +June 26. Keene and Cele are going to sing in the Unitarial +quire. father says he will give them some bronze boots. mother got +them some new nets for their hair today. girls has lots more done +for them than fellers. + +June 27, 186- Brite and fair. school closed today. we dont have enny +more school til September. snapcrackers have come. 8 cents a bunch +at old Langlys store. Lane and Rollins sell them for 10 +cents. torpedos 8 cents a bunch. pin wheels 1 cent each. Pewt is +going to have a cannon. father wont let me have a cannon. he says i +dont know enny more than to look into it and blow my head off. + +June 28. clowdy but no rane. 4th of July pretty soon. father says +when he was a boy all they had for fireworks was balls of wool +soaked in tirpentine whitch they lit and fired round. i am glad i +did not live then. + +June 30. clowdy but no rane. went in swimming 3 times today. i am +going bullfroging monday. + +June 31. no July 1. Went to church today. + +July 2. i went bullfroging today. thunder storm today. + +i have got 10 bunches of snapcrackers and some slowmatch. i spent a +dolar of my cornet money. i gess i shall never get that cornet. i +hope it wont rane the 4th. + +July 3. Nite before 4th. Pewt and Beany can stay out all +nite. father took my snapcrackers into his room and said if i get up +before 5 i cant have enny. + +July 4. i am to tired to wright ennything. i never had so much fun +in my life. i only got burned 5 times. 1 snapcracker went off rite +in my face and i coodent see ennything til mother washed my eyes +out. Zee Smith fired a torpedo and a peace of it flew rite in the +corner of my eye and made a blew spot there. i fired every one of my +snapcrackers. it took me all day. + +July 5. brite and fair. i dident wake up today til 10 o'clock. i was +pretty sore and my eyes felt as if they was sawdust in them. + +July 6. brite and fair. father staid home today. i wanted him to go +fishing but he woodent. + +July 7. father told me i cood go fishing and stay all day. i dont +know what had come over him becaus most always he raises time when i +go fishing and dont come home erly. so i went and cought 3 pickerels +and 4 pirch and 2 hogbacks and went in swiming 2 times. well as i +was a coming home 2 or 3 people met me and said they was company at +my house, so when i got home i skined in the back way so as not to +see the company til i got on my best britches, but i met father in +the door and he told me to go rite up to mothers room and see the +company. so i skined up to her room holding my hand behind me becaus +i had tore my britches auful getting over a fence and i dident want +the company to see. well what do you think the company was. it was +the homliest baby you ever see, it looked jest like a munky and made +feerful faces and kinder squeaked like. Mother was sick and they was +a old fat woman who told me to go out, but mother said she wanted to +see me and she kissed me and asked me to kiss the baby. i dident +want to but i did it becaus mother was sick. mother asked me how +many fish i caught and what kind and i told her and said she shood +have some for her supper, but she said she gessed she woodent have +enny jest then. + +then i went down stairs and father did i like the baby and i said it +was homly, and he said it was 10 times as good looking as i was and +he said he was glad that when the baby grode up it woodent have +Beany and Pewt to play with and woodent be tuff like me, and then +Aunt Sarah said she gessed me and Beany and Pewt wasent enny tuffer +than father and Gim Melcher were when they was boys, and then father +laffed and told me to go to bed and i went. that was a auful homly +baby ennyway. + +July 8. nothing particular today. you bet that baby can howl. went +to church. + +July 9. brite and fair. most every morning we go up in mothers room +to see the old fat woman wash the baby and hear it howl. it turns +black in the face. i bet it will be a fiter. + +July 10. i have got a new nickname. it is yallerlegs. that is becaus +father bought me a pair of kinder yellow britches, and made me wear +them. i bet he woodent like to be called yallerlegs. + +July 11. brite and fair. went in swiming today to a new place. we +call it the stump. it is up by the eddy. + +July 12. a thunder storm. in the afternoon went fishing but dident +get a bite. Pewts father says fish wont bite after a thunder storm. + +July 13. a auful hot day. tonite i went up to the depot to see Majer +Blake and Charles Tole fite over passengers to the beach. + +July 14. i am going to the beach to stop with Beany in his fathers +tent. it is called hotel de pig. + +July 15. i gess i will go tomorrow. + +July 16. me and Beany went to the beach and stopped all day and all +nite. we had a bully time. + +July 17. another hot day. went in swiming 4 times. my back is all +burned. + +July 18. me and Beany got in the newsleter today. the paper said the +Siamese twins was at the beach stoping at Watsons tent. Pewt was +mad becaus we got in the paper and he dident and told all round that +it dident mean me and Beany but Rashe Belnap and Horris Cobbs. + +July 19. Hot as time. nothing particular today. + +July 20. Hot as time. nothing particular today. + +July 21. Auful hot. big thunder shower and litening struck a tree in +front of Perry Moltons house. + +July 22. Went to church. Beany let the wind out of the organ and it +squeaked and made everybody laff. Keene and Cele sing in the +quire. father feels pretty big about it. + +July 23. i got stung by hornets today. i went in swiming at the eddy +and when i was drying my close i set rite down on a stump where +there was a nest of yellow bellied hornets. they all lit on me and i +thought i was afire for a minit. i ran and div rite off the bank and +swam way out under water. when i came up they were buzing round jest +where i went down. when i came out the fellers put mud on my bites +and after a while they stoped hurting. i tell you the fellers jest +died laffing to see me run and holler. + +July 24. Brite and fair. i was all sweled up with hornet bites but +they dident hurt enny, i looked jest like Beany when he had the +mumps. everyone laffed at me. + +July 25. i got a fishhook in my leg today. me and Fatty Melcher was +a fishing when we got our lines tangled, i hollered first cut, but i +dident have enny nife and Fatty woodent let me have his nife. So we +got jerking our lines kinder mad like and all of a suddin the hook +got into my leg. gosh you bet it hurt. me and Fatty got the hook out +but it bled some. the worst of it was there was a wirm on the hook +and when we got the hook out they wasent enny wirm there. Fatty says +people sometimes dies from having wirms in them. i bet this one has +crawled way in. it may grow inside of me. something is always +hapening to me. when i got home i went down to docter Derborns store +and bought some wirm medicine and swalowed sum. it was auful +bitter. it cost 20 cents out of my cornet money. + +July 26. brite and fair. i was all rite today except my leg was +stiff mother asked what made me lame and she put on a peace of +pork. i told her about the wirm and she said the pork wood draw him +out if he was there but she gessed he dident go in. when i told her +about the wirm medecine she jest set down and laffed. so i gess i +needent wory about having wirms. i went down to doctor Derborns and +tride to get him to take the medicine back but he said he woodent. i +think he is pretty mean not to. + +July 27. i coodent go in swiming today on account of my leg. all the +fellers went in and i had to set on the bank and see them. + +July 28. Coodent go in swiming today either. my leg is nearly +well. mother took off the pork today. it was all white where the +pork was. i can go in swiming Monday. i went down to the library +tonite. it is the first time i have been down since Joe Parsons +chased me out. i gess he has forgotten it. i got out Bush Boys to +read. it is a splendid book about shooting lions and zebras and +gerafs and everything. + +July 29. i tried to have father let me stay away from church today +because my leg was sore but he said all rite you can stay, but i +gess that leg will be too sore to let you go in swiming this +week. so i went to church and dident limp enny. this afternoon i set +under the apple tree and read Bush Boys. father and mother went to +ride with Nellie. it is the first time mother has been out. Aunt +Sarah took care of the baby. they gess they will name it Edward +Ashman Shute. i gess it is named Ashman after the leader of the +band. i am going to tell him tomorrow and see if he wont sell me a +cornet on trust. brite and fair. + +July 30. Brite and fair. i told father i was going down to see +Mr. Ashman, and he said if you ever do i will lick you. the babys +name is Edward Ashton Shute and not Ashman. i woodent name him for +enny cornet player. it is pretty tuff luck. if i cood have got that +cornet i woodent have minded a licking. went in swiming today. + +July 31. Franky had the croop last nite. i waked up and heard him +cough auful funny and kinder as if his throte was tite. i called +mother and she came in and hollered for Aunt Sarah and father and +they rushed round lively and gave him egg and sugar and put hot +cloths on his throte til he howled and after he cood howl he was all +well. Aunt Sarah took him in with her the rest of the nite. father +said i was a brick to wake up and call them. i dont know when he has +called me a brick before. went in swimming 3 times to-day. + +Aug. 1. brite and fair. Annie tumbled down the front steps from the +top to the bottom. she howled and mother thought she was about +killed but she was so fat that she dident hurt her. + +Aug. 2. father came home early to-day and took mother and Aunt Sarah +and Keene & Georgie to ride. Me and Cele staid to look after the +house. Cele went up stairs to look after the baby and when she was +gone i got Annie and Franky fiting. it was the funniest fite i ever +saw. they jest pushed each other round and tried to claw each +other. while they was fiting Cele came down stairs and pulled them +apart and boxed their ears and made them go in different rooms. She +jawed me and said she wood tell father. when father came home she +told on me and father sent me to bed at six o'clock. You jest wait +Cele and you will find out. + +Aug. 3, 186- brite and fair. the fellers played a pretty mean trick +on me tonite. they played it on Nibby Hartwel last nite. Nibby is +visiting his aunt and comes from the city and is pretty green like +most folks from the city. you see if i hadent got sent to bed becaus +Cele told on me i wood have been there and seen them play it on +Nibby. well last nite all the fellers was out. Whack and Boog and +Pozzy and Pewt and Beany and Nipper and Cawcaw and Pile and Chick +and Micky and Pricilla and Fatty. Nibby he was there too. they +wanted to play lead the old blind horse to water and i was to be the +blind horse. they said they had some fun playing it the nite before, +that was when they played it on Nibby but i dident know that. Well +you blindfole a feller and give him a rope and a swich and the other +fellers get on the other end of the rope and the feller nearest you +has a bell and rings it and you pull and if you can pull him up to +you, you can paist time out of him with your swich, only if you pull +off your blindfole all the fellers can paist time out of you. Well +they blindfoled me and hollered ready and i began to yank and pull +and the feller rung his bell and he came pretty hard at first but i +kept yanking and bimeby he come so quick that i nearly fell over +back wards and i felt him and grabed him and began to paist time out +of him when he grabed away my swich and began to paist me, and that +wasent fair and i pulled off my blindfole and who do you suppose it +was, well it was Wiliam Perry Molton and he was mad. they had tied +me to his door bell and i had yanked out almost ten feet of +wire. when i saw who it was gosh i began to holler and he stoped +licking me. i gess he never licked anyone before because he dident +know just how to lay it on. well when he found out how it was he let +me go but he said he shood have to do something about the boys +distirbing him so. it was a pretty mean trick to play on a +feller. we are going to try and play it on Pop Clark tomorrow nite. + +Aug. 4. brite and fair. me and Hiram Mingo had a race today to see +whitch cood swim the furtherest under water. i beat him easy. he can +lick me but i can beat him swiming. + +Aug. 5. Nothing particular today. only church. + +Aug. 6. the baby was sick today had the doctor. + +Aug. 7. the baby was sicker. i dident go in swiming. + +Aug. 8. the baby is better today. i went in swiming 5 times. + +Aug. 9. Raned all day. The baby is all rite. i went bullfroging with +Chick Chickering. + +Aug. 10. Nellie is sick. Joe Hanes cut a hole in her and put in a +onion and some braded hair and then father took her out to pastur. i +cant ride her for a month. + +Aug. 11. brite and fair. mister Watson, Beanys father got throwed +off of his horse today and renched his rist. the horse coodent have +throwed him but the gert broke. Mister Watson can ride splendid. + +Aug. 12. brite and fair. No more church this month. bully. + +Aug. 13. brite and fair. i went down to Ed Toles and me and Ed rode +on the hack with Joe Parmer. + +Aug. 14. Ed Tole and Frank Hanes are mad. Frank hollered over to Ed, +Ed Tole fell in a hole and coodent get out to save his sole, and Ed +hollered back Frank Hanes aint got no branes. and then they was mad. + +Aug. 15. Wiliam Perry Molton has got some ripe apples in his back +yard. me and Pewt helped him ketch some hens today and he said we +cood have some apples if they was any on the ground. they was only 2 +wirmy ones but before we left 5 or 6 fell off i gess it was because +Pewt pushed me agenst the tree. they was pretty good apples too. + +Aug. 16. Rany. i went fishing with Potter Gorham. caught 3 roach and +5 hornpowt. we et them for supper. father said i can clean fish most +as well as he can. he says he will come home some day erly and go a +fishing. + +Aug. 17. John Gardner has hung up a Grant and Colfax flag. they will +be some fun this fall. + +Aug. 18. brite and fair. Today i went fishing with Fatty Melcher. we +caught some ells and some hornpowt. ells and hornpowt can live a +long time out of water and so when i got home i put 5 that were +alive in the rane water barril. + +Aug. 19. brite and fair. it is fun to sit round all day Sunday and +not have to go to church. + +Aug. 20. brite and fair. i had to spend the whole morning in going +to the river for water for washing. it was wash day and when mother +went to the rane water barril there was 5 dead hornpowt floting on +the top. she made me tip the barrel over and get water from the +river. they was some fun for Beany helped me and he stood in the +hand cart and filled the tubs and all of a sudden i let go and the +old cart flew up and Beany and the tub and the pail and everything +went rite in. Beany isent going to speak to me ever again. + +Aug. 21, 186- Gosh, we are having fun now. what do you think. they +is going to be a big mass meeting this fall. Ben Butler and Jake Ely +and lots of old pelters are going to be here, and they is going to +be 4 or 5 bands and lots of fun. well before that comes they is +going to be lots of political meetings and the first one is to be +next week, and father is going to make a speach. Gim Luverin and Bil +Morrill and General Marsten and Tom Levitt, and he is a ripper to +holler. and they want father to make a speach. father says he must +work for the party and perhaps he can get his salery rased. so he +has been a riting every nite and mumbling it over to hisself and +last nite he said he had got it. tonite he is a going to speak it to +us. + +Aug. 22. last nite father studed his speach over and let us stay up +to hear it. he stood up and looked auful stirn and put one hand in +the buzum of his shert. i coodent help laffin, but he told me to +shet up or i cood go to bed and so i shet up. i tell you it was +fine. It begun Mister Moddirator had i supposed, or for 1 moment +dremp that i a humble offis holder under this glorious government, +wood have been called upon to speak, i shood have remained at home +with my wife and my children. + +i said, if you dont want to make a speach why dont you stay at home +that nite, and he said 1 more word from you sir and you go to +bed. so i dident yip again. + +then he went on like this, were it not that a crool axident in my +erly youth, in my far away boyhood days prevented me from +voluntearing and desecrating my life to my countrys welfare, in the +strugle jest ended i wood have poared out evry drop of my blud to +have maintaned her owner and the owner of her flag. mother began to +laff and said George how can you tell such feerful stories, you know +you were scart most to deth becaus you was afraid you wood be +drafted. + +father said they was a lot of old fellows traveling round the +country and talking that way who coodent have been drug into the war +with a ox chane. then he stood on the other leg a while and said, it +is peculiarly aproprate that Exeter, the berth place of Lewis Cas, +the educater of Webster, the home of Amos Tuck, of General Marston +shood be fourmost in the party strife, and as for me i wirk only +for my partys good, my countrys good, without feer or hope of +reward. they was a lot more to it, and some of it you cood hear +about a mile he hollered so. + +Aug. 23. We are all going the nite of the rally. mother says she +wont go for she wood be ashamed to hear father tell such dredful +stories. Aunt Sarah dont want to go because she is afraid father +will brake down. but she has got to go with me and Keene and Cele +and Georgie. + +Aug. 24. father practised his speach tonite and we all hollered and +claped at the fine parts. he has got a new pair of boots. they hurt +like time and he only wears them nites when he is practising his +speach. + +Aug. 25. father licked me tonite becaus i spoke some of his speach +to Beany. he was auful mad and said i was the bigest fool he ever +see. the fellers have got up a Grant Club. Pricilla cant belong +because he is a demicrat. + +Aug. 26. father called me and Beany out behind the barn tonite and +gave us 10 cents apeace if we woodent say anything about his +speach. after supper father practised again but he dident holler so +loud becaus he was afraid some body wood hear him and mother dident +want him to wake up the baby, and it was sunday too. + +Aug. 27. it has been brite and fair all the week and hot as time. i +have to go to the river for soft water because it hasent raned eny +since i had to tip over the rane water barril. i have got a little +tirtle as big as a cent. father went down to General Marstons office +tonite to arrange about the rally. he came home and practised about +an hour. i gess he wood have practised all nite if the baby hadent +waked up an hollered. + +Aug. 28. we are all getting ready for the rally. Keene and Cele and +Georgie have got some new plad dresses. father has got a pair of +gray britches and a black coat. mother said the rally was a good +thing becaus it was the first time she had seen father dressed up +since he was married. + +Aug. 29. they was a big thunder shower last nite. we all got up in +the nite and went into mothers room. mother sat on the fether bed +and all them that was scart cood set there. i wasent scart. father +said it would be jest the cussid luck to have it rane the nite of +the rally. + +Aug. 30. we had the last practise tonite, father put on his best +close and new boots and the girls had on their plad dresses and i +had on a new paper coller. we all set down and father came in and +stood up. i tell you he looked fine. well he begun, mister +modderater had i suposed or for 1 moment dremp, and then he forgot +the rest. i tell you he was mad. i wanted to laff but dident dass +to. well after a while he remembered and went through it all rite, +and then he went over it 2 times more. gosh what if he shood forget +it tomorrow nite. he is going to wright some of it on his cufs and +he practised tonite making jestures so as to bring his cufs up so +that he cood read it. + +Aug. 31. the rally is tonite. father woke us all up last nite +hollering in his sleep. he dremp about the speach. this morning he +went to Boston without eating his brekfast. i gess he is begining to +be scart. i am a going to make his boots shine today. gosh what if +he shood brake down. i gess i am getting a little scart too. brite +and fair. + +Sept. 1. Last nite father came home and the first thing he did was +to send me down to miss Pratts for his shert. it was all pollished +and shone like glass. then he asked if i had blacked his boots and +then he et supper. he dident eat much though. he said Mr. Tuck came +down from Boston with him. Mr. Tuck was a going to make a speach +first and then he was going to introduce Gim Loverin as chairman and +then Gim Loverin was a going to call on father. father said he bet +5 dollars he wood call him Gim instead of mister modderator. father +was pretty cross at supper. i gess he was getting scart. the baby +began to cry and father asked mother why she dident choak the +squawling brat and mother sorter laffed and put the baby into +fathers lap and said i gess you had better choak him. father laffed +and began to toss the baby up and down. he likes the baby and while +he was playing with it he was all rite. but after supper he was +cross and said he hed an auful headake. then he went practising his +speach again so as not to call the modderator Gim. well we got ready +and went down erly to get some good seats so as to hear father and +see him come in with them that was to set on the platform. we wanted +to go down with father but he said he coodent bother with us. but +before we went he came down stairs with his new close on and he +looked fine but his face looked auful white. he said he had a +headake but as soon as he got started to speak it wood all go +off. so we went down. Cele had her hair curled and Keene had a new +red silk ribbon on her hair becaus her hair wont curl and Aunt Sarah +had on a new dolman with beeds on it and some long coral earrings +and they all looked fine. Aunt Sarah took Georgie by the hand becaus +she was the littlest and me and Keene and Cele followed on. + +When we got there the band was playing in front of the town hall and +aunt Sarah said i cood stay out and hear it and then said i cood sit +with Gim Wingit and Willy Swet if i wood behave. i said i wood and +we lissened and after the band went in we went too. most all the +seats were taken and we got some bully seats way up in front. i +looked for father but coodent see him becaus the speakers hadent +come in. well jest as soon as we got in the policeman was up in +front and he said they has been to much whisling and stamping and +the next one that whisles or stamps will get put out. well they was +old Swane and Brown and Kize and Dirgin and every body kept +quiet. after a few minits the band began to play hale to the chief +and the speakers came marching up the middle ile. i looked for +father but he wasnt there. evrybody began to clap and stamp and Gim +and Willy asked me where my old man was. i stood up to see if he was +there and jest then i saw the policeman a rushing at me. he grabed +me by the collar and shook me round till i dident know which end my +head was on and he draged me down the ile and threw me out. as we +were going down the ile i saw Aunt Sarah running down the other ile +as fast as she cood go with her bonnet on the back of her head and +Keene and Cele and Georgie following along all bawling. she got out +in the entry jest as he was going to put me out of the front door +and she grabed me away from him and said you misable cowardly retch +to treat a boy that way. he said i whisled and she said he dident +and you knew it only you dident dass take ennyone else. + +Then she told us to come home and we went home as fast as we cood +all bawling. when we got home mother was sitting up alone and aunt +Sarah started to tell her and Keene and Cele and Georgie all bawled +and you never heard such a noise, and father was in bed with a +headake and hollered out what in time is the matter. and she told +him and i heard him jump out of bed and in a minit he came out +buttoning up his suspenders. Mother said where in the world are you +going George, and he said things is come to a pretty pass if a boy +cant go and hear his father make a speach without being banged round +by a policeman. i am going down to knock the heads off every +policeman there. and he reeched for his vest. mother said George, +dont you go near the hall, and father said he cood lick anny 2 men +on the police force easy and he would show them how to slam people +round and he reeched for his coat, and Keene and Cele and Georgia +began to bawl again to think he wood get hurt and aunt Sarah and +mother said you had better not go George, and father said he wood +give them more fun in 5 minits than they had seen in a political +rally in 5 years and he reeched for his boots and mother said what +will they think of you after you have sent word that you are too +sick to make a speach, to see you come rushing into the hall and go +punching the policemen and father had got on 1 boot and when she +said that he began to look kinder sick and said, thunder that is +so. and then his headake got wirse and he gave me a twenty five cent +scrip and Keene and Cele and Georgie ten cents each and he went to +bed and so did we. + +i wonder if his head aked really so he coodent make a speach or if +he was scart. i bet he was scart. + +school commences monday. father hasent asked once about my diry, so +i aint going to wright enny more. + + + + +THIRTY YEARS (OR MORE) AFTER + +On looking back over the pages of the "Diary" it appears to me that +some sort of an amende honorable is due to those citizens now +living, and the relatives and friends of those now dead, whose names +have appeared in the "Diary" and who have, so to speak, been handled +without gloves. That I have been neither mobbed, nor horsewhipped, +nor sued, nor prosecuted, but that I have enjoyed many a good laugh +with--and have received many pleasant words from --the victims, and +their friends, is good evidence that they, and their more fortunate +brothers who have not been therein mentioned, have taken the "Diary" +in the very spirit in which it was published, that of affectionate +and amusing retrospect. And it is indeed with affection that I +recall those men, at that time in their prime. That I could not then +understand the reason why they did not fully enter into and +appreciate the spirit that prompted me and my boon companions to +transgress so many rules, laws, and statutes is not surprising. Boys +seldom can understand it. But, although I now fully appreciate it, I +often wonder at the spirit that prompted so many of those men in +after years to show me so many kindnesses, so much encouragement, +and such great forbearance. + +So many inquiries have been made of me about that cornet, the +soul-filling ambition of my early years, that I feel that the +uncertainty in regard to that delightful instrument ought to be +cleared up. I never did save up enough money to buy a cornet. I +haven't to this day. But many years afterwards, when my ambition had +been turned into other and equally profitless channels, upon the +death of a dear friend his beautiful cornet was sent me. I have it +now, as the neighbors and the members of my family can testify fully +and with deep feeling, if called upon. + +H. A. S. + + + + +DRAMATIS PERSONAE + +A good many years ago, during my college days, it was my custom and +that of my room-mate, Brown of Exeter, to make our room the +gathering-place for Exeter boys, both "stewdcats" and homesick +Exeter youths then filling positions in Boston. It happened that +frequently undergraduates from other towns and cities came in at +these Saturday evening gatherings and it was a matter of wonder to +them that we had so much to talk about in relation to our native +town; and it was their frequent remark that "either Exeter is a +remarkable place, or you are a remarkably loyal set of fellows." + +That Exeter is a remarkable place is an axiom, and no better +evidence of the fact can be found (were evidence necessary to +sustain an axiom) than in the loyalty that every citizen displays, +and the sincere love that prompts every one who has ever come under +the spell of our dear old town to revisit her at every opportunity. + +Where else could a diary of this nature, dealing with actual persons +and actual events, be published and be received with such absolute +goodnature and even enthusiasm by the persons now living who are +mentioned therein? + +It is therefore with affection as well as amusement that I append +the following brief biographical sketches of persons mentioned in +the "Diary," preserving as nearly as possible the order of their +appearance in the book. As many readers of the "Diary" have +expressed a desire to know more of the subsequent histories and +achievements of those therein mentioned, it is hoped this +information will satisfy a curiosity and interest which, to a loyal +son of Exeter, appear quite natural: -- + +1. Father. GEORGE S. SHUTE. + +A native of Exeter. For twenty-six years a clerk in the Boston Naval +Office. Still living in Exeter, an old man with a young tongue; in +fact, the quickest man at repartee in Exeter. + +2. Mother. + +My mother died in the winter of 1896. No words can do justice to her +qualities. "A sweeter woman ne'er drew breath." + +8. "Gim" Melcher. + +An old friend of my father's. Died in Maiden a few years ago. + +4. Some of the men who were "wrighting fast" in the Custom House + were the following: -- + +GEORGE DAVIS, of Lexington, who a year ago celebrated his fiftieth +consecutive year of service in the Naval Office; COLONEL IVORY POPE, +of Cambridge; BENJAMIN A. SIDWELL, of East Boston; JACOB A. HOWE, of +Maiden; FRANK HARRIMAN, a brother of the late Governor Harriman of +Concord, N. H. HIRAM BARRUS, of Reading, Mass. deceased; +C. C. WHITTEMORE, of Portsmouth, N. H.; CHARLES MUDGE, of Maiden; +MATTHEW F. WHITTIER, of Medford, a brother of the poet Whittier, and +a newspaper-writer of considerable prominence, writing under the +pen-name of "Ethan Spike"; and TRISTRAM TALBOT, of Newburyport, with +others whom the writer does not now recall. A few years later the +writer spent several of his college vacations as deputy clerk in the +same Naval Office, and made pleasant acquaintances with all of the +above-named men. He found them very competent clerks, courteous +gentlemen, and the best story-tellers that he ever knew, and +recollects those vacations as very pleasant periods in his school +life. Some of them still hold positions in the Custom House. + +5. Charles "Talor": CHARLES TAYLOR. + +A great friend of the family. Died in Exeter about ten years ago. + +6. "Beany": E. L. WATSON. + +In business at Williamstown, Mass. Attained his boyhood ambition and +married Lizzie "Tole," Ed's sister. + +7. "Pewter": C. E. PURINGTON. + +My near neighbor, a decorative painter, who early displayed talent +in this direction. + +8. "Skinny Bruce": WM. J. BRUCE. + +A tinsmith of Exeter who still thinks he could have licked Frank +Elliott. + +9. Frank Elliott. + +A successful mechanic in Boston, who is confident that he could have +licked "Skinny" Bruce. + +10. "Nipper": JOHN A. BROWN. + +Exeter. Chairman of the School Board. Trustee of the +Seminary. Trustee of the Library. My room-mate at Harvard. + +11. "Micky" Gould. + +I do not know what became of "Mickey." Wherever he is, there is a +good-natured, jolly man. + +12. Mr. Winsor. + +Address not known. How he could throw a snowball. + +18. "Ed" Towle. + +Exeter, N. H. With a keen memory for old days. + +14. "Dany" Wingate. + +A very prominent man. The father of J. D. P. and C. E. L. Wingate +of the Boston Journal. Died at Exeter many years ago. + +15. "Whacker": COL. A. M. CHADWICK. + +Lowell, Mass. + +16. "Pozzy": AUSTIN K. CHADWICK. + +Lowell, Mass. + +Two of the best known and most respected citizens of +Lowell. Dignified and sedate, but just touch on old Exeter days and +watch their eyes twinkle and their tongues loosen. + +17. "Pricilla": PROF. CHARLES A. HOBBS. + +Boston. Has written some dreadful mathematical works, and revisits +Exeter often, but not often enough. + +18. "Pheby": CHARLES A. TAYLOR. + +Has inherited the very qualities that made his father so good a +friend. + +19. "Lublin." + +Address not known. + +20. "Nigger" Bell. + +So called because his hair was so very white. Professor of +Chemistry in a Western University. Died recently in Maiden. + +21. Tommy Thompson: R. G. THOMPSON. + +New London, Conn. + +22. "Dutchy": DR. WILLIAM A. SEAMANS. + +New York City. Fullback on the Harvard '77 eleven. There are several +ex-principals of the Exeter High School who will remember Thompson +and Seamans in very clear and vivid colors. + +28. "Chick" Chickering: PROF. JOHN J. CHECKERING. + +Flushing, L. I. Commissioner of Public Education of New York State. + +24. "Tody": TIMOTHY FINTON. + +Exeter. An expert wood-worker with a leaning for politics. + +25. "Gim" Wingate: JAMES D. P. WINGATE. + +Winchester, Mass. The business manager of the Boston Journal. + +26. "Skipy": H. C. MOSES. + +Exeter. For many years in the wholesale wool business in Boston. One +of the keenest sportsmen and best wing shots in New Hampshire. + +27. "Pile": JOHN G. WOOD. + +Chicago. Manager of the McKay Cordage Factory in Chicago. Promises +to return to Exeter when he has made his "pile" ($100,000). From +present indications, the prospect is favorable. + +28. Billy Folsom: WM. H. FOLSOM. + +Exeter. Member of the firm of E. Folsom & Co. Brass Works. One of +Harvard's greatest pitchers. + +29. "Hoppy" Gadd. + +A very eccentric but sterling citizen, who could make cowhide boots +which, like the panels in the "one-horse shay," "would last like +iron for things like these." Died in Exeter a few years ago. + +30. "Si" Smith. + +The man with the "funny sine." Died in Exeter nearly thirty years +ago. + +31. "Gran" Miller and "Ben" Rundlet. Addresses not known. + +32. Squire Lane. + +Died in Lynn. + +33. Charles Burley. + +Died in Exeter. For many years Treasurer of Phillips Exeter Academy, +and Superintendent of the "Unitarial" Sunday School. + +34. "Keene": MY SISTER, MRS. C. E. BYINGTON. + +Exeter. A very able and accomplished woman. The one to whom all +members of the family go when in trouble. + +35. Lucy Watson. + +Mrs. Frank Conner of Lynn. + +36. "Curley" Conner: MR. FRANK CONNER. + +Lynn. Husband of the aforesaid. + +37, "Jo" Parsons: MR. JOSEPH S. PARSONS. + +Boston. An expert bookkeeper. + +38. "Billy" Swett: MR. WM. SWETT. + +Jamaica Plain. I remember him as one of the most polite and affable +boys I ever met. + +39. Mr. "Lovel," who said, "o hell": C. LOVELL, 2d. + +One of the best amateur actors and jolliest men I ever knew. Died +recently. + +40. John Flanagan. + +Exeter. A tinsmith and co-laborer with "Skinny" Bruce. + +41. "Gimmy" Fitzgerald. + +Died at Exeter thirty years ago. + +42. "Old" Head: OREN HEAD. + +Many students will affectionately remember him. Deceased. + +43. "Bob" Carter. + +The old janitor of the Town Hall. Gruff, but very +kind-hearted. Deceased. + +44. "Wats": IRVING M. WATSON. + +Father of "Beany," and pleasantly like him. + +45. John Getchell. + +A liberal, free, and kind-hearted Exeter merchant. Deceased. + +46. Eben Folsom. + +Uncle of "Billy," and head of the firm of which Billy is a member. + +47. "Charlie": DR. C. H. GERRISH. + +48. "Doc" Prey: DR. J. E. S. PRAY. + +Gentlemen both, of whom the writer can say everything good. + +49. Alice "Gewett," who was "a dairy maid": Miss ALICE JEWELL + +Instructor of singing in the schools of Exeter. + +50. "Old Kize": PHILANDER KEYES. + +A policeman of thirty years ago. Deceased. + +51. "Bill" Hartnett. + +Who used to make it lively for the last mentioned. A man of many +good qualities notwithstanding. Deceased. + +52. "Old" Swain. + +A contemporary of "Old Kize," and a co-laborer in the same +vineyard. + +53. "Mister" Gordon: HON. NATHANIEL GORDON. + +A retired lawyer of Exeter. + +54. Dora Moses. + +55. Mary "Loverin": MRS. MARY LETHBEIDGE. + +Two beautiful girls and inseparable companions, +whose deaths were untimely and irreparable. + +56. "Cele": My sister, CELIA E. SHUTE. + +Exeter. A stenographer, and a writer of short stories for magazines. + +57. "Caxcaw" Harding: PROF. B. F. HARDING. + +Boston. An early advocate of those methods of instruction that +result in "mens sana in corpore sano." + +58. "Doctor" Dearborn. + +A most eccentric old apothecary. Died in Exeter a few years ago. + +59. "Aunt Sarah": Miss SARAH F. SHUTE. + +Exeter. The favorite aunt of a large family, all of whose geese are +swans. + +60. "Fatty" Melcher: F. A. MELCHER. + +Boston. So named because he was not fat. + +61. "Genny" Morrison: MRS. JOHN J. JOYCE. + +Andover, Mass. By not appearing at our Grammar School Reunion +"Genny" disappointed five hundred people. + +62. J. Albert Clark. + +Exeter. One of the proprietors of the Exeter Machine Works. He has +always had a very kindly interest in "Beany" and "Plupy," in spite +of the many annoyances he suffered at their boyish hands. + +63. "Bill" Morrill: MR. WM. B. MORRILL. + +For many years selectman of Exeter. Died in 1878. + +64. "Dave" Quimby. + +Every student will recollect him. Died at Exeter recently. + +65. "Chitter"': JAMES ROBINSON. + +A truckman in Boston. + +66. "Boog" Chadwick. + +A New York broker, whose "heart's in the highlands;" to wit, +Exeter. + +67. "Pop" Clark: WILL CLARK. + +Roxbury, Mass. A born comedian and a delightfully entertaining man. + +68. "Shinny" Thyng. + +One of the few Exeter boys who continues his father's business at +the old stand. If more did the same, the prosperity of country towns +would be assured. + +69. "Gim" Erly. + +Lives somewhere in the West. + +70. "Honey" Donovan: WILLIAM DONOVAN. + +Providence. + +71. "Mose" Gordon. + +A Texas cattle-man. + +72. Mr. Lamed. + +Unitarian clergyman. Deceased. + +73. "Gil" Steels. + +A merchant in Denver. + +74. "Mis Packer A": MRS. MARY PACKARD. + +A famous local singer, now living in California. + +75. "Gim Loverin": JAMES M. LOVERING. + +A very shrewd politician. Deceased. + +76. "Old Mister Stickney": JUDGE W. W. STICKNEY. + +With whom I studied law. Deceased; not, however, because of that +fact. Judge Stickney was a sound lawyer and an upright, kind-hearted +man. + +77. "Ed" Dearborn. + +The old bell-ringer. Deceased. + +78. John Quincy "Ann" Pollard: J. Q. A. POLLARD. + +A very old man, upon whom the boys were wont to play tricks, but who +had developed wonderful precision of aim with a knotted +cane. Deceased. + +79. Dan Ranlet; D. W. RANLET. + +Boston Produce Exchange. + +80. George M. Perkins + +For many years an expressman between Boston and Exeter. + +81. John E. Gibson. + +Master of the Agassiz School, Boston. Residence, Jamaica Plain. I +take the opportunity to notify him that the Exeter High School holds +its quinquennial reunion June, 1903. + +82. Isaac Shute. + +A retired merchant of Exeter. Deceased. + +83. Major Blake. + +A famous Boniface, and for many years proprietor of the +Squamscott. Deceased. + +84. Charles D. Towle. + +An equally famous livery-stable keeper, who periodically fought to a +finish with Major Blake for passengers to Hampton Beach. Deceased. + +85. Frank Haines. + +A farmer. Residence, Exeter. + +86. "The Baby": EDWARD A. SHUTE. + +Exeter. Who can now handle his elder brother with ease. + +87. "Frankie": FRANK F. SHUTE. + +Who thinks he can do likewise, but cannot. A hotel-keeper at +Lakewood, New Jersey. + +88. "Annie": Miss ANNIE P. SHUTE. + +Who, by virtue of a clerkship in my office, owns the entire +establishment. + +89. "Georgie" + +Instructor in Latin and French in the Albany Academy, Albany, N. Y. + +90. "Nibby." + +A summer visitor named Hartwell. Deceased. + +91. Hiram Mingo. + +A colored boy. Address not known. + +92. Joe Palmer. + +A hackman with whom the boys used to ride. Address not knwon. + +93. John E. Gardner. + +A member of an old family of merchants in Exeter. Deceased. Brother +of Elizabeth Gardner Bouguereau, the artist. + +94. General Marston. + +A famous New Hampshire lawyer and veteran of the Civil +War. Deceased. + +95. Amos Tuck. + +A famous lawyer, politician, financier, and Member of +Congress. Deceased. + +96. Mr. Gravel. + +Address not known. + +97. Elkins and Graves. + +Famous auctioneers at that period. Deceased. + +98. Scott "Briggam." + +One of the boys then, one of the boys now. Exeter. + +99. Charlie Woodbury. + +Deceased. + +100. "Potter" Gorham: ARTHUR GORHAM. + +Killed by an accidental discharge of his gun nearly thirty years +ago. A born naturalist. + +101. "Old Francis." + +For thirty-three years principal at the Grammar School at Exeter. On +his resignation, a few years ago, a reunion was held which was +attended by old pupils from every State in the Union, to do him +honor. Still hale and hearty, and living in Exeter. + +102. Doctor Perry. + +An old family physician, who has ushered more children and +children's children into the world than any man in the county, and +who is beloved and revered by every one of them. Miss Jewett, in her +"Country Doctor," based her delightful description upon Dr. William +G. Perry, her uncle. Living in Exeter. + +103. John Adams. + +Who his trimmed enough carriages to set all New Hampshire awheel, +and who still practises his trade in Exeter. + +104. Nell Towle: MBS. GEORGE W. HOOPER. + +Exeter. As rosy, good-natured, and musically inclined as she was in +the good old days. + +105. William Perry Moulton. + +A prosperous real-estate and insurance man, who unfortunately for +his peace of mind tried to raise Bartlett pears, Concord grapes, and +Astrachan apples in the neighborhood that was infested by "Plupy" +and his associates; who frequently tracked, chased, and caught them +red-handed, but who was too kind-hearted even then to deprive them +of their ill-gotten gains. + +106. "Chris" Staples. + +Who remembers the fight with Charlie Clark. + +107. Charlie Clark. + +Deceased. Just before he died he read the "Diary" and sent word to +the author that he remembered the scene in which he figured and much +enjoyed the book. + +108. Mr. Ashman. + +A veteran band-leader of Boston. + +109. Frank Hervey. + +A veteran restaurant-keeper in Exeter. New living in Concord, N. H. + +110. "Rashe Belnap": WILLIAM H. BELKNAP. + +A retired banker and real-estate man of Exeter. Town clerk of Exeter +for twenty-five years. + +111. Henry Simpson. + +Periodical dealer in the late sixties. Living in Maine. + +112. Luke Maniac. + +Now living in Texas. As a boy he could curve a snowball round the +corner, like T. B. Aldrich's "Binny Wallace." + +113. "Bob Ridley": GEORGE ELLIOTT. + +Exeter. A right good fellow. + +114. Sam Dyer. + +A rather eccentric blacksmith. Died in the West. + +115. Horace Cobb. + +A good-natured, short, and extremely fat man. A native of Exeter, +and last of a very prominent family. Died several years ago. + +116. Dennis Cokely. + +Address not known. I have always felt badly "to think the fight was +throwed away, and neither of them licked." + +117. Johnnie Rogers. + +A cousin of the Chadwicks. Deceased. + +118. Cap. John W. Chadwick. + +A retired sea-captain. Father of "Poz," "Boog," "Whack," and +"Willie," "Whack's little brother." A most cultivated gentleman, +whose heart was kind, but whose word was law. Deceased. + +119. "Zee" Smith: FRANK SMITH. + +Deceased in Lowell. + +120. Miss Pratt. + +A laundress much patronized by students. She accumulated much +property by practising the gentle art of polishing shirts. + +121. "Old Durgin": ME. EZRA DURGIN. + +A rather quick-tempered but worthy policeman, contemporary with "Old +Swain" and "Old Kize." + +122. Various "stewdcats." + +Who have played their parts and gone. + +123. "Plupy," "Skinny," "Polelegs": THE AUTHOR. + +De minimis non curat lex. + +End of Project Gutenberg Etext of The Real Diary Of A Real Boy + + + + + + + +*** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK, THE REAL DIARY OF A REAL BOY *** + +This file should be named trdrb10.txt or trdrb10.zip +Corrected EDITIONS of our eBooks get a new NUMBER, trdrb11.txt +VERSIONS based on separate sources get new LETTER, trdrb10a.txt + +Project Gutenberg eBooks are often created from several printed +editions, all of which are confirmed as Public Domain in the US +unless a copyright notice is included. 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