Vietnam or Thailand ? Vote for the TOP Country of the Week !
Updated: May 23, 2025
After that I had no serious trouble with those near my own age, as it was generally understood and considered that I had a license to fight and a disposition to do so when necessary to protect my own rights. When my mother heard of this she said I was a regular "tough." Mr. Keefer said I could whip my weight in wild cats anyhow. She said I deserved a good trouncing.
My mother said it was a regular starved-to-death business. Mr. Keefer said he knew I would make it win. One day as I was passing the house of a neighboring farmer he came out and hailed me. "How's business?" he asked. "O, first-class," I answered. "Don't you want to trade your horse and watch for a very fine gold watch?" he asked, confidentially. "Why, I don't know."
Keefer said the business was too slow for me, anyhow, and he had thought so from the beginning. I explained that the experience was worth a great deal to me. My mother replied that I had for years been getting nothing but experience. Mr. Keefer said he'd bet I would come out all right yet. "Yes," my mother said, "he will come out in the poorhouse, and drag you and me with him."
The next day, when I arrived and had been told of the occurrence, I asked Albert what my mother said. "Well, she said she expected Perry would be killed sooner or later any how." "What did Mr. Keefer say?" "Oh, he said, 'It beat the devil." We spent a few days pleasantly at home, then returned to Chicago and to business.
Keefer had just completed the building of a fence, running to the barn, and had nailed the rails at one end, to this large post and had likewise fastened the ends of all the rails together, by standing small posts up where the ends met, and nailing them together, which made a straight fence of about four or five rods, all quite securely fastened together.
When but a small lad my step-father gave me a cosset lamb which I raised with a promise from him to give me half the wool and all of the increase. This, in a few years, amounted to a flock of over one hundred sheep. The sale of my share of the wool, together with the yield from a potato patch, which was a yearly gift from Mr. Keefer, was almost sufficient to clothe me and pay my school expenses.
Keefer at the barn, and declared right there and then that I would never attend school another day, unless I could receive my parents' full and free consent to protect myself, and to go out and fight that fellow as he passed by from school that evening. "Do you think you can get satisfaction?" he asked. "I am sure I can," I answered.
Keefer's house, and heard the sound of a familiar voice issuing from the sitting-room. It said: "Sister Keefer, I have made a great mistake. Will you induce your son to trade back?" I stepped inside, and Brother Long came forward in his usual solemn, prayerful manner, and taking me by the hand, said: "Brother Johnston, may the Lord have mercy upon us."
Another one said: "When you going to start on your trip, Perry? Where'd you get your fiddle?" I then started for the farm, and on my arrival found no change in the appearance of any of the family. My mother said I looked like a corpse. Mr. Keefer said he was glad to see me, but sorry about that cussed old fiddle.
She said I might have known just how that soap business would end, and reminded me of the request she made about leaving money enough to pay the note and informed me that I needn't expect any help from Mr. Keefer, for he should not give me a penny.
Word Of The Day
Others Looking