THE DIARY 

 OF A COUNTRY BOY 



CHAPTER I 



It was getting late one evening on the farm 

 in the Waldo Hills, Oregon ; we were all sitting 

 around the fireplace ; it was fall, and while not 

 cold, it was very damp. Father had been to 

 town that day and he was discussing with my 

 stepmother and my grandmother the advis- 

 ability of going to Silverton to live. He said 

 that every time he went to town lately Tom 

 Welsh wanted him to move down and take 

 charge of the Grange store. 



It was a great evening, if it was rainy. I 

 got out of Grandmother's lap and turned to the 

 hired man and said, "Just think of it, we are 

 going to Silverton maybe, to live right in the 

 heart of the town." Finally I had to go to 

 bed, though I wasn't a bit sleepy and I don't 

 remember of sleej)ing a wink that night, but at 



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