re that poor sheeps fur
and that was the best he cood do for her,
but mother throwed that pale of water
half on the sheep and 3 fourths on her daughter
and Cele sed Sam you dam big lout
just what in hell are you about?

(P.S. once more. my sister Cele never sed that
really. she wood ruther cut her rite hand off than
use such langage. but nobody but me will ever
read this)

and Sam sed looking verry wize
i apoller-oler-ollergize.
and then thinking he better not stop
he clim the fence to his backsmith shop
and oh how grateful that sheep must feel
to me and mother and Keene and Cele.
but old Sam Dire has went to his shop
where we certingly hoap old Sam will stop.

(P.S. the last time. we really dont hoap so
becaus we all like Sam very mutch. Sam is one of
the best fellers we ever gnew. But i had to finnish
the poim some way. ennyway Sam wont ever
read it.)

There i think they aint many better poims than that.
i bet the Exeter News leter wood put it in their
paper if i dassed to let them. i bet Beany coodnt
have wrote it. i bet Pewt coodent have either.

August 19, 186---tomorrow is the last day
before the picknic and i am still hoaping. it
will be prety mean if i cant go to that picknic. i am
stil hoaping.

August 20, 186---hooray i am going to that picknic.
i had almost given up hoap. mister minister
Barrows come and asted me if i wood let my boat
for the picknic. i sed i never let my boat to a
picknic unless i rew it myself becaus i never gnew
who wood row it and how they wood treet it and
once they dident bring it back at all but after they
had used it all day they left it up river and dident pay
me and i had to go up after it and when i had
waulked three miles up river i found it on the
other bank and it was too cold to swim across and
i had to waulk way back to the brige and then go up
on the other side to get it and it took me most all
day and the boat was all full of dried mud and ded
hornpout and i had to spend the rest of the day
in washing it out and dident get enny pay.

wel he sed they wood pay me well and wood treet
the boat verry carifully but i sed i coodent trust
enybody eether to pay for the boat or to take cair of it.
so i sed i gess i dident want to let the boat unless i
did the rowing and was there to look after it. i
sed it was the only boat i had and that father was
always telling me not to let evry Tom Dick and
Harry have it jest becaus they wan