The Plymouth Democrat. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1869-1941, 1870-10-06
JENNY LAYTON,
BY FANNY FERN.

BY FANNY FERN.
| "HURRA! School is out !" screamed ali
the boys, and up went their caps ia
the air, as they ali commenced trying
the strength of their limbs ald trowsers,
some by climbing up trees, some over
fences, come by lesp-frog, some by bat
and ball; and thus they al separated. and
went their different ways hone, and J en-
my Lawton went his, toe. Il was not
with so light step as his school fellows !;
| and when the last boy was out of sight.
he drew deep sigh, and crowding his hat
down over his eyes, and looking carefully
about him IL every direction, as if to re
| assure himself that not che boy lin
gered to keep him company, moved on.
he was an honest boy; he had no thought
of stealing anything on the way-it was
not thst ne was afraid OF "the MASTER"
for he was always at the head Of his class,
and seemed more anxious 10 understand
his lessons than any boy 10 school. He
was not afraid any big boy would thrash
him, nor was he lying in wait for any
smaller boy to thrash. No, Jenny was
no such coward. On he moved, with
leaden feet, past the old, FIN liar Spots !;
past the grocer's, with his peanuts and
oranges, and c0coanuts, and nicely potted
flowers, that he hoped would attract the
housewives who came there TO buy his
sugar AID tea past the bakers, With his
tempting pies and tarts, aud piles o.
sugared cakes, and heaps of candy; past
the toy shop, and the timers, and the
shoe store; he had read sll their signs
till they were as familiar to him az his
own name, and now he had turned the
1 mi CORNER Of the street il which was his
turned pale, ana md" se K Mss that the.Ghlb
gether, and drew his breath hard. His
house was very pretty one, with nice
little garden spot in front, in which were
fragrant flowers, for his mother was very
fond of tbem--almost as ford as she was
OF Jenny.
He had a kind mother, then? Yes;
but do you see that crowd OF boys, like q
little black swarm, round TIE pretty white
gate before his house? You cannot see
what they are looking at so earnestly in
side the fence, but you can hear theiI
shouts and laughter, and so, aiasi does
Jenny. His face is not white now 1T is
as red as the daisies in his mothers gar
den, and his eyes fash like the raindrOps
on the daisies bosoms, that the bright
sun is now shining upon. Alasi when
will there be sunshine in Jemmy's house?
"Ah, there's Jim now," said aru1e boy
loud enough for Jenny to hear. Heres
your drunken father, jim"
"Stand away go homel off with you
all !" shouted Jenny, in a harsh, fierce
voice, that contrasted strangely with his
slight figure and sweet, infantile face;
"otf with you'll and he walked into the
centre of the group, where, crouched
upon the ground, was man, vainly Try.
ing, on his hands and knees-for he could
not stand-to reach the door to get in;
his nice broadcloth coat was covered with
dirt; his hat was crushed in; bits OF
straw and grass were sticking in his THICK,
black hair his eyes were red, and he did
not even see his own little boy, who was
crimson with shame as he stood over him,
and vainly tried to help him to bis feet.
''Off with you |" shouted Jenny again 20
the boys, who laughed as his father fell
against him, almost knocking him over;
"Off with you, say!' bringing his little
foot to the ground with stamp that
made them all start; then, rushing up to
the door, he rang the bell violently, and
turned his head away, to conceal the
tears that would no longer be kept back.
a woman came to the Goor--it was Jem-
my's mother, and together they helped N
the drunken husband and father.
No wonder Jenny dreaded going home
from SCHOOL, 1t was not the first time,
nor the second, nor the third, that he lad
helped his father in at the area door when
be was too drunk TO find his way up the
front steps TO his own house; and some
times Jenny, only that he thought ct his
mother, would have wished himself 6ead.
1t was so terrible--the brutal laugh and
tests of those cruel boys. Obi hope
YOU never do such mean things. / have
known children who tainted their play
mates and schoolfellows with such troubles
when they were angry with them, or
sometimes, as in this case, for mere sport.
1t is a sign of a base, mean, cruel nature,
and the boy or girl who would remind
any child of their acquaintance of dis
| agreeable thing OF this kind, which Is
hard enough 10 hear at best, and twit an6
taunt them with it, or pain them by MOTTO
| ing it In any way, is boy or girl to be
Stunned and avoided. Nero, the tyrant,
who roasted people for his amusement,
must have been such boy. L am sorry
to say have known little girls equally
malicious and wickcd-bad women they
will surely grow up, if not broken OF such
mean cruelty before they sre women.
A drunkard is drunkard all the same,
whether he gets drunk on bad rum or
champagne; whether he taxes his senses
away at the club house, or low, corner
grocery-he comes to the CUSTER just as
surely in the end. 1t made no difference
TO little Jenny that his father got drunk
on rich old wine, and slipped it from cut
glasses in handsome apartment; his
mother was just as heart broken, and her
children just IS miserable as they could
be. Dollar after dollar the man was
swallowing, and Jenny might well study
hard and be at the head of his class, for
he would need all he could earn TO coin
into bread and butter, by the time he got
i old enough TO keep his mother and little
brothers and sisters. And j emmy's father
used To bo so kind--thst memory came
often tn the child, to make him patient
under his iroable, TO help him 10 excuse
him for the wrong he was doing both
himself and them. He was 80 kind
once!" Jenny would sob out in his littlt
bed at night. remember" and ther
he would beguile himself by remember
ing the walks and rides he used TO tax.