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Main > Fairy tale > All authors > Frank Baum > Fairy tale "Aunt Jane's Nieces at Work"

Aunt Jane's Nieces at Work

"

"They need to be educated, that's all. These farmers seem very honest,

decent fellows."

"They are, Ken. I wish you knew them better."

"So do I, Mr. Watson. This campaign ought to bring us closer together,

for I mean to get them to help me."

"You'll have to buy them, I'm afraid."

"Not all of them. There must be some refinement among them."

But the lawyer was not convinced. However, it was not his desire to

stifle this new-born enthusiasm of Kenneth's, even though he believed it

misdirected. He wanted the young man to rouse himself and take an

interest in life, and if his antagonism to advertising signs would

effect this, the futile fight against them was to be welcomed. It would

cost the boy something, but he would gain his money's worth in

experience.

After a few days the sign painter answered the letter. He would

relinquish the three signs in the glen for a payment of fifty dollars

each, with the understanding that no other competing signs were to take

their place. Kenneth promptly mailed a check for the amount demanded and

early next morning started for the glen with what he called his

"eliminators."

These "eliminators" consisted of two men with cans of turpentine and

gasoline and an equipment of scrubbing brushes. Parsons, the farmer,

came over to watch this novel proceeding, happy in the possession of

three crisp five-dollar notes given in accordance with the agreement

made with him. All day the two men scrubbed the rocks faithfully,

assisted at odd times by their impatient employer; but the thick

splashes of paint clung desperately to the rugged surface of the rock,

and the task was a hard one. When evening came the letters had almost

disappeared when viewed closely; but when Kenneth rode to the mouth of

the glen on his way home and paused to look back, he could see the

injunction "Take Smith's Liver Pills" staring at him, in grim defiance

of the scrubbing brushes.

But his energy was not exhausted. No one ever knew what it cost in labor

and material to erase those three signs; but after ten days they had

vanished completely, and the boy heaved a sigh of satisfaction and

turned his attention to extending the campaign.

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