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hiding　and　watching　the　hole　where　the　dog　was　not。　　What　an　exquisite　thrill　ran　through　my　frame　when　the　timid　nose　appeared；　was　withdrawn；　poked　out　again；　and　finally　followed　by　the　entire　animal；　who　looked　cautiously　about；　and　then　hopped　away　to　feed　on　the　clover。　　At　that　moment　I　rushed　in；　occupied　the　〃home　base；〃　yelled　to　Turk；　and　then　danced　with　delight　at　the　combat　between　the　spunky　woodchuck　and　the　dog。　　They　were　about　the　same　size；　but　science　and　civilization　won　the　day。　I　did　not　reflect　then　that　it　would　have　been　more　in　the　interest　of　civilization　if　the　woodchuck　had　killed　the　dog。　　I　do　not　know　why　it　is　that　boys　so　like　to　hunt　and　kill　animals；　but　the　excuse　that　I　gave　in　this　case　for　the　murder　was；　that　the　woodchuck　ate　the　clover　and　trod　it　down；　and；　in　fact；　was　a　woodchuck。　　It　was　not　till　long　after　that　I　learned　with　surprise　；that　he　is　a　rodent　mammal；　of　the　species　Arctomys　monax；　is　called　at　the　West　a　ground…hog；　and　is　eaten　by　people　of　color　with　great　relish。

But　I　have　forgotten　my　beautiful　fox。　　Jacko　continued　to　deport　himself　well　until　the　young　chickens　came；　he　was　actually　cured　of　the　fox　vice　of　chicken…stealing。　　He　used　to　go　with　me　about　the　coops；　pricking　up　his　ears　in　an　intelligent　manner；　and　with　a　demure　eye　and　the　most　virtuous　droop　of　the　tail。　　Charming　fox！　If　he　had　held　out　a　little　while　longer；　I　should　have　put　him　into　a　Sunday…school　book。　　But　I　began　to　miss　chickens。　　They　disappeared　mysteriously　in　the　night。　　I　would　not　suspect　Jacko　at　first；　for　he　looked　so　honest；　and　in　the　daytime　seemed　to　be　as　much　interested　in　the　chickens　as　I　was。　　But　one　morning；　when　I　went　to　call　him；　I　found　feathers　at　the　entrance　of　his　hole；　chicken　feathers。　　He　couldn't　deny　it。　　He　was　a　thief。　　His　fox　nature　had　come　out　under　severe　temptation。　　And　he　died　an　unnatural　death。　　He　had　a　thousand　virtues　and　one　crime。　　But　that　crime　struck　at　the　foundation　of　society。　　He　deceived　and　stole；　he　was　a　liar　and　a　thief；　and　no　pretty　ways　could　hide　the　fact。　　His　intelligent；　bright　face　couldn't　save　him。　　If　he　had　been　honest；　he　might　have　grown　up　to　be　a　large；　ornamental　fox。




V

THE　BOY'S　SUNDAY

Sunday　in　the　New　England　hill　towns　used　to　begin　Saturday　night　at　sundown；　and　the　sun　is　lost　to　sight　behind　the　hills　there　before　it　has　set　by　the　almanac。　　I　remember　that　we　used　to　go　by　the　almanac　Saturday　night　and　by　the　visible　disappearance　Sunday　night。　On　Saturday　night　we　very　slowly　yielded　to　the　influences　of　the　holy　time；　which　were　settling　down　upon　us；　and　submitted　to　the　ablutions　which　were　as　inevitable　as　Sunday；　but　when　the　sun　（and　it　never　moved　so　slow）　slid　behind　the　hills　Sunday　night；　the　effect　upon　the　watching　boy　was　like　a　shock　from　a　galvanic　battery；　something　flashed　through　all　his　limbs　and　set　them　in　motion；　and　no　〃play〃　ever　seemed　so　sweet　to　him　as　that　between　sundown　and　dark　Sunday　night。　　This；　however；　was　on　the　supposition　that　he　had　conscientiously　kept　Sunday；　and　had　not　gone　in　swimming　and　got　drowned。　　This　keeping　of　Saturday　night　instead　of　Sunday　night　we　did　not　very　well　understand；　but　it　seemed；　on　the　whole；　a　good　thing　that　we　should　rest　Saturday　night　when　we　were　tired；　and　play　Sunday　night　when　we　were　rested。　　I　supposed；　however；　that　it　was　an　arrangement　made　to　suit　the　big　boys　who　wanted　to　go　〃courting〃　Sunday　night。　　Certainly　they　were　not　to　be　blamed；　for　Sunday　was　the　day　when　pretty　girls　were　most　fascinating；　and　I　have　never　since　seen　any　so　lovely　as　those　who　used　to　sit　in　the　gallery　and　in　the　singers'　seats　in　the　bare　old　meeting…houses。

Sunday　to　the　country　farmer…boy　was　hardly　the　relief　that　it　was　to　the　other　members　of　the　family；　for　the　same　chores　must　be　done　that　day　as　on　others；　and　he　could　not　divert　his　mind　with　whistling；　hand…springs；　or　sending　the　dog　into　the　river　after　sticks。　　He　had　to　submit；　in　the　first　place；　to　the　restraint　of　shoes　and　stockings。　　He　read　in　the　Old　Testament　that　when　Moses　came　to　holy　ground；　he　put　off　his　shoes；　but　the　boy　was　obliged　to　put　his　on；　upon　the　holy　day；　not　only　to　go　to　meeting；　but　while　he　sat　at　home。　　Only　the　emancipated　country…boy；　who　is　as　agile　on　his　bare　feet　as　a　young　kid；　and　rejoices　in　the　pressure　of　the　warm　soft　earth；　knows　what　a　hardship　it　is　to　tie　on　stiff　shoes。　The　monks　who　put　peas　in　their　shoes　as　a　penance　do　not　suffer　more　than　the　country…boy　in　his　penitential　Sunday　shoes。　　I　recall　the　celerity　with　which　he　used　to　kick　them　off　at　sundown。

Sunday　morning　was　not　an　idle　one　for　the　farmer…boy。　　He　must　rise　tolerably　early；　for　the　cows　were　to　be　milked　and　driven　to　pasture；　family　prayers　were　a　little　longer　than　on　other　days；　there　were　the　Sunday…school　verses　to　be　relearned；　for　they　did　not　stay　in　mind　over　night；　perhaps　the　wagon　was　to　be　greased　before　the　neighbors　began　to　drive　by；　and　the　horse　was　to　be　caught　out　of　the　pasture；　ridden　home　bareback；　and　harnessed。

This　catching　the　horse；　perhaps　two　of　them；　was　very　good　fun　usually；　and　would　have　broken　the　Sunday　if　the　horse　had　not　been　wanted　for　taking　the　family　to　meeting。　　It　was　so　peaceful　and　still　in　the　pasture　on　Sunday　morning；　but　the　horses　were　never　so　playful；　the　colts　never　so　frisky。　　Round　and　round　the　lot　the　boy　went　calling；　in　an　entreating　Sunday　voice；　〃Jock；　jock；　jock；　jock；〃　and　shaking　his　salt…dish；　while　the　horses；　with　heads　erect；　and　shaking　tails　and　flashing　heels；　dashed　from　corner　to　corner；　and　gave　the　boy　a　pretty　good　race　before　he　could　coax　the　nose　of　one　of　them　into　his　dish。　　The　boy　got　angry；　and　came　very　near　saying　〃dum　it；〃　but　he　rather　enjoyed　the　fun；　after　all。

The　boy　remembers　how　his　mother's　anxiety　was　divided　between　the　set　of　his　turn…over　collar；　the　parting　of　his　hair；　and　his　memory　of　the　Sunday…school　verses；　and　what　a　wild　confusion　there　was　through　the　house　in　getting　off　for　meeting；　and　how　he　was　kept　running　hither　and　thither；　to　get　the　hymn…book；　or　a　palm…leaf　fan；　or　the　best　whip；　or　to　pick　from　the　Sunday　part　of　the　garden　the　bunch　of　caraway…seed。　　Already　the　deacon's　mare；　with　a　wagon…load　of　the　deacon's　folks；　had　gone　shambling　past；　head　and　tail　drooping；　clumsy　hoofs　kicking　up　clouds　of　dust；　while　the　good　deacon　sat　jerking　the　reins；　in　an　automatic　way；　and　the　〃womenfolks〃　patiently　saw　the　dust　settle　upon　their　best　summer　finery。　　Wagon　after　wagon　went　along　the　sandy　road；　and　when　our　boy's　family　started；　they　became　part　of　a　long　procession；　which　sent　up　a　mile　of　dust　and　a　pungent；　if　not　pious　smell　of　buffalo…　robes。　　There　were　fiery　horses　in　the　trail　which　had　to　be　held　in；　for　it　was　neither　etiquette　nor　decent　to　pass　anybody　on　Sunday。　It　was　a　great　delight　to　the　farmer…boy　to　see　all　this　procession　of　horses；　and　to　exchange　sly　winks　with　the　other　boys；　who　leaned　over　the　wagon…seats　for　that　purpose。　　Occasionally　a　boy　rode　behind；　with　his　back　to　the　family；　and　his　pantomime　was　always　some　thing　wonderful　to　see；　and　was　considered　very　daring　and　wicked。

The　meeting…house　which　our　boy　remembers　was　a　high；　square　building；　without　a　steeple。　　Within　it　had　a　lofty　pulpit；　with　doors　underneath　and　closets　where　sacred　things　were　kept；　and　where　the　tithing…men　were　supposed　to　imprison　bad　boys。　　The　pews　were　square；　with　seats　facing　each　other；　those　on　one　side　low　for　the　children；　and　all　with　hinges；　so　that　they　could　be　raised　when　the　congregation　stood　up　for　prayers　and　leaned　over　the　backs　of　the　pews；　as　horses　meet　each　other　across　a　pasture　fence。　　After　prayers　these　seats　used　to　be　slammed　down　with　a　long…continued　clatter；　which　seemed　to　the　boys　about　the　best　part　of　the　exercises。　　The　galleries　were　very　high；　and　the　singers'　seats；　where　the　pretty　girls　sat；　were　the　most　conspicuous　of　all。　　To　sit　in　the　gallery　away　from　the　family；　was　a　privilege　not　often　granted　to　the　boy。　　The　tithing…man；　who　carried　a　long　rod　and　kept　order　in　the　house；　and　out…doors　at　noontime；　sat　in　the　gallery；　and　visited　any　boy　who　whispered　or　found　curious　passages　in　the　Bible　and　showed　them　to　another　boy。　　It　was　an　awful　moment　when　the　bushy…headed　tithing…man　approached　a　boy　in　sermon…time。　　The　eyes　of　the　whole　congregation　were　on　him；　and　he　could　feel　the　guilt　ooze　out　of　his　burning　face。

At　noon　was　Sunday…school；　and　after　that；　before　the　afternoon　service；　in　summer；　the　boys　had　a　little　time　to　eat　their　luncheon　together　at　the　watering…trough；　where　some　of　the　elders　were　likely　to　be　gathered；　talking　very　solemnly　about　cattle；　or　they　went　over　to　a　neighboring　barn　to　see　the　calves；　or　they　slipped　off　down　the　roadside　to　a　place　where　they　could　dig　sassafras　or　the　root　of　the　sweet…flag；　roots　very　fragrant　in　the　mind　of　many　a　boy　with　religious　associations　to　this　day。　　There　was　often　an　odor　of　sassafras　in　the　afternoon　service。　　It　used　to　stand　in　my　mind　as　a　substitute　for　the　Old　Testament　incense　of　the　Jews。　　Something　in　the　same　way　the　big　bass…viol　in　the　choir　took　the　place