Project Gutenberg's The Real Diary of a Real Boy, by Henry A. Shute
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Title: The Real Diary of a Real Boy
Author: Henry A. Shute
Release Date: February, 2004 [EBook #5111]
Posting Date: June 12, 2009
Language: English
*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE REAL DIARY OF A REAL BOY ***
Produced by Kent Fielden
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 big 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."
3. "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 known.
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's The Real Diary of a Real Boy, by Henry A. Shute
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