e 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