The Project Gutenberg EBook of Back Home, by Eugene Wood

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Title: Back Home

Author: Eugene Wood

Posting Date: December 8, 2008 [EBook #2642]
Release Date: May, 2001

Language: English

Character set encoding: ASCII

*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK BACK HOME ***

Produced by An Anonymous Project Gutenberg Volunteer

BACK HOME

By Eugene Wood

TO
THE SAINTED MEMORY
OF HER WHOM, IN THE DAYS BACK HOME,
I KNEW AS "MY MA MAG"
AND WHO WAS MORE TO ME THAN I CAN TELL, EVEN
IF MY TARDY WORDS COULD REACH HER
THIS BOOK IS DEDICATED

"That she who is an angel now
Might sometimes think of me"

CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION
THE OLD RED SCHOOL-HOUSE
THE SABBATH-SCHOOL
THE REVOLVING YEAR
THE SWIMMING-HOLE
THE FIREMEN'S TOURNAMENT
THE DEVOURING ELEMENT
CIRCUS DAY
THE COUNTY FAIR
CHRISTMAS BACK HOME

INTRODUCTION

GENTLE READER:--Let me make you acquainted with my book, "Back Home."
(Your right hand, Book, your right hand. Pity's sakes! How many times
have I got to tell you that? Chest up and forward, shoulders back and
down, and turn your toes out more.)

It is a little book, Gentle Reader, but please don't let that prejudice
you against it. The General Public, I know, likes to feel heft in its
hand when it buys a book, but I had hoped that you were a peg or two
above the General Public. That mythical being goes on a reading spree
about every so often, and it selects a book which will probably last out
the craving, a book which "it will be impossible to lay down, after it
is once begun, until it is finished." (I quote from the standard book
notice). A few hours later the following dialogue ensues:

"Henry!"

"Yes, dear."

"Aren't you 'most done reading?"

"Just as soon as I finish this chapter." A sigh and a long wait.

"Henry!"

"Yes, dear."

"Did you lock the side-door?" No answer.

"Henry! Did you?"

"Did I what?"

"Did you lock the side-door?"

"In a minute now."

"Yes