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.
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.
Henry Shute from The Real Diary Of A Real BoyA book that I must have read 20 times as a kid...often under the covers
with a flashlight. I understand it all quite differently today.
