The Plymouth Democrat. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1869-1941, 1870-09-01

ing-"come and see all these lame boys
ma!
Ma and sisters ran to the WINDOW, anu
how they laughed at Fred!
Lame boys! Why, they have stills"
said sister Annie.
"Stits!" said Fred. II want some sits,
too"
"Stats, Freddie mot stits," laughed his
mamma, and then sdded-"No, you are
too small to walk on them"
"You would fall and skin your nose"
said sister Florrie.
But when his papa came home to din
ner, Fred begged hin to make a pair of
stills. Papa laughed well at the idea of
such q fat little fellows mounting q pair Of
stills.
"Why, Fred, you'd look like q walking
pumpkin" he said.
II can walk as well as anybody, l know
I can," persisted Fred. "Do, please,
make nee some, and let me try"
So papa, to please his boy, in a day or
two brought home-a pair. The foot rest
! was only a few inches from the ground,
so that if Fred lie fell-as of course he
would-he could not get very much hurt.
The next morning, bright and early, l
heard children's voices in the yard be-
meath my window. Looking out, | saw a
funny sight. There was Fred, and his
sister FlorTie helping him to mount his
stills. Florrie would hold them upright
| very firmly, and Fred would place his
feet on the rests. But the his
sister let go, down he would tumble.
Then his sister would try them, SO as TO
show the little fellow how to manage
them, and she really succeeded in taking
a few steps. Fred would say-"I caS
now" and in his eagerness, would dance
up and down. But he tried again and
again, and failed. Soon Florrie eft him
to get ready for school, and Fred lugged
his stills into the house.
"He will never walk on them-he is
too clumsy / thought. Bat the next day
l was in his mothers house. and there
was Fred in the kitchen, still practising
with the stills.
"See, Mrs. H-p he called 10 rue.
81 can walk a little"
Sure enough he could stand on them,
and even take, perhaps, W steps at a
time before he tumbled eff.
Swell done, Freddie" / exclaimed.
"You are a persevcring boy"
"That he is" said bis mother. Il
think he will craze me Nth his stilts; he
is humping with them all the time. He
is determined to walk on them"
l looked ut Fred just then. DE was
standing ON his stills, grasping them very
firmly. His little round body, with his
short, fit legs, made him look something
like a pumpkin, as mis- father said he would.
But a pumpkin never had such a brave
little face, with such a determined LOOK.
I thought-he'li succeed yet.
L went away, for a week, the next Jay
On the day of my return, as was pass
ing up the street, L heard a shrin voice
calling after me
"Mrs. II Mrs. H, See me-
see how 1 gor
Thsre was Fred, coming as fast as he
could On his stills.
al can go as well az any one now" And
SO he could. He ran with them, he back
ed up against the house, and he jumped
off and on as fast as the "big boys" His
plump legs, in their red stockings, made
qui.ea show as he strobe down the
street.
"You have done well, Fred" | could
not help s~aying.e:"I hope you will always
be as persevering in all you undertake.
and | hope you viii never undertake
anything mean or wicked. Always DC a
brave, good boy, and never mind tho
thumps or falls, but strive always to do
better"
Fred looked as il he didn't understand
half | said. Bus y0u do-don't you, little
reader ?-KrchrNoe.