Aunt Jane's Nieces at Work

On the farm nearest to Elmhurst at the north, which belonged to a man

named Webb, was a barn, facing the road, that displayed on its side a

tobacco sign. Kenneth interviewed Mr. Webb and found that he received no

money for the sign; but the man contended that the paint preserved his

barn from the weather on that side. So Kenneth agreed to repaint the

entire barn for him, and actually had the work done. As it took many

coats of paint to blot out the sign it was rather a expensive operation.

By this time the campaign of the youthful proprietor of Elmhurst against

advertising signs began to be talked of throughout the county, and was

the subject of much merriment among the farmers. Some of them were

intelligent enough to admire the young Quixote, and acknowledged frankly

that it was a pity to decorate their premises with signs of patent

medicines and questionable soaps.

But the majority of them sneered at the champion, and many refused

point-blank to consider any proposition to discard the advertisements.

Indeed, some were proud of them, and believed it a mark of distinction

to have their fences and sheds announce an eye-remedy or several

varieties of pickles.

Mr. Watson, at first an amused observer of the campaign, soon became

indignant at the way that Kenneth was ridiculed and reviled; and he took

a hand in the fight himself. He decided to call a meeting of the

neighboring farmers at the district school-house on Saturday night,

where Kenneth could address them with logical arguments and endeavor to

win them over to his way of thinking.

The invitation was promptly accepted by the rural population; not so

much because they were interested in the novel ideas of the young artist

as because they expected to be amused by hearing the boyish master of

Elmhurst "lecture at 'em." So they filled the little room to

overflowing, and to add to the dignity of the proceedings the Hon.

Erastus Hopkins, State Representative for the district, lent his

presence to the assemblage.

Not that the Honorable Erastus cared a fig about this foolish talk of

exterminating advertising signs.