Harper's Young People, April 20, 1880 / An Illustrated Weekly

The kite fever visited Hagarstown every year, and caught all the boys over five before it subsided. It generally crept in slowly, a boy and a kite at a time; but this year it came as if a big wind brought it.
Yesterday there had been three kites up at one time in the main street, and Squire Jones's pony had been scared into a canter. The Squire, and Mrs. Jones, and the three Misses Jones, and Aunt Hephzibah had all been in the carry-all at the time, and they had all screamed when the pony began to canter. So the Squire had told the boys he could not have any more of that dangerous nonsense in the streets, and they had all come out to Dr. Gay's pasture, on the side-hill, to-day, and they had eight kites among them.
Sim Vedder's coming, boys, said Parley Hooker. He's been making a kite.
He? exclaimed Joe Myers. He's a grown-up man. What does he know about kites?
There he comes now, anyway.
They all turned toward the bars and looked, for not one of them had sent up his kite yet.
Oh, what a kite!
It's as tall as he is.
No, it isn't. He's carrying it on his shoulder.
It's just an awful kite.