Nelson Family Juvenilia
Box 1 Folder 42
Seven Days in the Country - n.d
Chapter 1. Introduction and Sunday

My story is taken from seven days in the country [MS faded] is [MS faded] a large red house on a hundred acre farm in the town of G----- they [MS faded] four boys in the family. Dick the oldest one was fourteen then Fred who was twelve and Franz nine years old then came the baby eight months old. The boys were rugged healthy farm boys used to work. Our story opens right in the middle of haying when there is work to do from early morning till late at night even week day this does not help the farmers to get up early Sunday morning morning [sic] [MS faded] the case with this family. The boys woke up just as early as [MS faded] but did not [MS faded] its [MS faded] Sunday working when they had laid in bed as long as they thought they could they got up and [MS faded] down to their bedroom was up [MS faded] they went out in [page break] to the [MS torn] when and after they had been there a few minutes their father came out "Havnt you built the fire" said [?] no answered the two boys for only the two oldest had come down Franz come down in a little while [MS torn] the before noon passed along and it came about time [MS torn] learn their sunday school lesson. "Mama cant we go out doors and learn our lesson" said Dick "Yes I dont know any thing why you can not" she answered so all three of them ran out back of their house. "Where shall we go to learn then" said Fred "Lets go up on top of the milkroom roof" proposed Dick they all agreed to it so Dick started for a lader by the time he got back with it the other two got up on on [sic] the roof and put the ladder up on the roof and climbed up him self after they had learned their Sunday school lesson they came down and had to get ready for meeting. We are going to walk down" said Dick "Yes" said his father It was about a mile and a half down a cross but they enjoyed the walk. After meeting and Sunday school they came out and started for home in comming home they [page break] came by another way about the [MS faded] "Lets go up by Hedgehog ledge" said Franz "All right" the other two said so they didnt keep the straight way but turned off a little in going along they stopped to pick them they came to them quite frequently along beside of the wall as they went along. "Just think how much sooner we should have got home if we had gone right along with out comeing out here said Dick "I hid just as [?] stay heare till night if I could get what straw berries I wanted" replied Franz
"I hadnt" said the other two. Soon they got to the ledge "How this has grown over where we took the hedgehogs out" said Fred for a few years before they had caught a couple of hedgehogs and dragged them home across the fields. After looking around a while they [MS torn] up over the edge of the [MS torn] and climbed up the ledge "I got to the top first" said Dick "You did not" retorted Fred "I got up there [MS torn] "Well come along any way" said Dick "we dont [MS torn] [page break] [MS faded] we went along a little ways then turned and [MS faded] your rowing" "yes" the others replied but [MS faded] speak once more before he started then they [MS faded] up through the woods towards home.
Where are those tree that we blazed some time ago" said Fred "We are below them" said Dick so they went up a little and found the trees when they got home they found Joe Harding there they [?] [considerable?] about several things but he didnt seem very talkative about anything but [loving?] ladies after a while their farther came home from prayer morning "Oh there comes Uncle Samson I wish he wasnt coming here" said Fred "I do to" said Franz. Their Uncle Samson was old and half crazy and acted kind of queer so they went and watered the calves and so one day of my story was [MS torn] told out.
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