Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1860-06-15

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Mrs. Gray the next morning, as the school
ma am entered the kitchen
/ "Why it's Willie's Jacket. I've prom
ised to mend it for him. SO that be can &C
to Sunday-school tomorrow, and I've come
to beg some patches.
''Mercy on me, but you can never mend
that ragged thing"
ooh! yes I can. Where can [ find
some patches"
'sWhy, there's lots of them in the loft over
the wood-shed. I store them up there for
carpet-rags all through the winter, and in
the spring take them down, and wash them
up, and sort them over But you never
can do anything with that cid thing"
you'll see," was the cheerful response !;
aud the school-ma am mounted up the lad
der to the loft, and selected some patch
es. Sitting down by the window. she rip
ped up both sleeves above the elbow, cut
off the rags, and pieced them down, sewed
up the seams again, and put on new cuffs.
Then she cut off the torn buttonsheles,
pieced out the sides, and made new ones,
and darned here and there, till there was
not single hole. %
"Has the School masans turned tailor
ess?" said the Deacon When he came in to
dinner. " What wages doeyou make %
"Oh good ones, | tell you. Amt a
good hand at patching!'' And she held up
the neatly mended jacket And then
before she could speak further, Mrs. Gray
told the Deacon whose it was, and how it
looked when she brought it in.
" You must have some hopes of the boy,
Miss Merton, or you would not take so much
pains with him.
s"I have great hopes of him, Deacon
Gray And she detailed the experience
Of the past week.
"Ah but one swallow don't make up
summer"
81 know it, Deacon, but then one swal-
low is harbinger of summer. 1t gives us
hope of seed-time aud harvest. 1t tells us
there is warm weather somewhere, Deacon
I have studied the boy this week, and [ am
satisfied that he only needs kind treatment
and encourag cement, to place him far above
the average of men. Oh if you would
only let him come here now, I will answer
for his good conduct" "
The Deacon hesitated, but Miss Merton
plead, and eloquently, too, for she felt that
souls salvation lay in the answer she
should receive to her petition.
"You'd make a good preacher, Miss
Merton And he drew his hand over his
eyes. ''It's hard resisting you In fact,
I guess I'll have to yield. If mother
willing, he may come tonight
you'll never repent this good deed,
Deacon-never, never. The boy must be
good in such home as this-so neat, quiet,
and well arranged. I'll answer for him.
sWhere are those pants laid off last
week, wifc-thoge gray ones? They are
pretty good yet-only thin about the seat,
and are out at the knees. guess, between
you, you could get the boy a decent pair cut
Of them"
ooh yes. indeed, father: I could cut
them over and change the fronts to the
back Yes, indeed; Til get them as soon
as I do up the dinner-work. %
Just at evening, Willie came for bis
jacket and words sannot express his JOY
at learning he was hcneefnrth to live under
the same roof with his idolized teacher.
"Oh! I'll be so good" he said ''Do
tell me what can do for you, Mrs. Gray"
And without waiting for an answer, he ran
out to the shed, and brought in the night 8
wood, and split the kindlings. and drew the
water, and filed the kettle, fed the pigs,
and brought in the eggs.
'sCan you milk, Willie? The Deacon
generally does, but he's late tonight, and
will be tired when he comes in.
"Oh! yes ma'am, I guess can" And
he soon brought the swimming pals into
the dairy.
The snow white biscuit, the quivering
custard pie, the cider-apple sauce, the
golden butter, and the fragrant tea, were
just placed on the neatly laid table, when
the Deacon's step was heard.
"Waiting?" said he. ''Well, sit down !;
must do my chores first"
They're all done, said Willie; respect
fully 81 did them
''Ahl you did them, did you? Well,
then we'H have tea
Mrs. Gray had placed an extra plate by
the side of the school-ma am, and now
motioned Willie to sit there.
II can wait; always do, said he
hanging back.
Nobody waits at my table, when there s
room,' said the Deacon. "Sit down, and
remember that is your place hereafter" :"
It seemed to Willie that be had suddenly
stepped into another world-everybody so
kind, everything so free.
* Sunday morning came.
Willie was up before sunrise. doing the
necessary chores; and then Mrs. Gray
hung up an old blanket in the corner of
the wood-shed, and gave him a pail of
warm water, some soap, a sponge. and
towel, and told him to strip himself to the
skin, and wash himself thoroughly. And
then, just when the boy was holding his
dirty ragged shirt in his hand, and hesita-
ting to put it on, sweet voice said kindly,
''You will find your clothes just outside the
blanket, Willie" and then ran away
He peeped out Sure enough, there was
bran-new shirt, the gift Of Miss Merton,
which she had made evenings the Dea-
cons pants, the mended jacket, pair of
neatly darned socks-some of the Deacon S
which had shrunk-anda pair of good stout
shoes, the last present from the Deacon,
who had told Miss Merton and his wife ''he
wouldn't do things by halves-he'd test
the boy thoroughly
There were many happy little faces in