Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1872-10-10
JOSEY'S BOOTS.
sronY roR Young FOLKS.

mistakabIy b Iots. Josey's feet were in.
side of them, and Joscy himself was sit.
ting unOn the great square post; but all
the rest Of him was of little consequence
beside those boots. They were his first
nair. and this the first day he ever had
worn them A piece Of unexpected good
fortune il had been, too His old shoes
were worn out at the toes, as josey's
shoes had fashion of being at intervals,
and Mamma was too busy to attend to
the matter; 50 Papa had been dispatched
to the store, and these were what he
brought nome.
con why did YOU" began Mamma in
dismay, when she saw the package open
ed. Bat Joscy's delight rose so fast and
high that her question was quite smother
cd and never fully finished.
For, YOU see, now I've got EN- | shall
have to wear EN- always he explained,
cona1antielly, to his little sister, Mabel.
" Cause folks don't go backward, they
90 ahead; and a big boy that's had boots
dom ever have 60 wear Shoes like a girl,
any more"
So those boots had stamped upstairs,
and down again, they had tried to pun
themselves off with the boot Jack, but
didn't suCCccd, because the bOotjack was
emo Kind OF size" They came in from
the Garden With pants tucked inside Of
them, and they even tried to make the
acquaintance Of the backing brush; but
there Iosey got the worst Of it, judging
from the small shining spots upon his
boots aad jue w0ctul bIackncss Of his
nose and hands, rs he looked in at the
paIlor door.
An the forenoon it had been a question
Of considerable importance with Josey
what he and Mabel should play. Ordi-
nary muuscmcnts didn't seem quite large
enough for him now, and he devised Va.
riDu- projects, To which the Gdmifing lit
lie Mabel agreed following him up and
down lie ,Dng yard, quite sure that some,
thing brilliant was TO be done, They
borrowed knives from the kitchen and
dug wonderful Cisterns from which the
woter leaked out as fast as they could
pour IN. Then they made some kites,
of uo particular shape or style, and after
expanding q great amount of labor paper
and string, they found that they couldn't
be cpaNca into flying.
Now the carly dinner was over, and the
children didn't know what to do next.
Mabel stood by the gate, her head resting
against il, her gypsy hat pushed back
and her brown eyes sObcrly studying the
seemed turning some Of the grains Of
sand 10 gold. ,Ioscy sat upon the gate
post, swinging his heels, and whistling
away at several tunes all Mt once He was
rather sorry Tor Mabel because she hadn't
any new boots to look ut when she had
nothing else to do.
Presently boy came hurryinE mp the
road, carrying several school books.
j3-gf kneW him; but he had been rather
shy Ut him heretofore, rs one Of the "bG
bJva.' To-day he did not think there
Was much difference between them, and
hc ol'en ooi quite patroni1ngly;
"iello, Jmr
"Ua1o, Chicken, responded Jim good
natnledly.
Tan namc didn't strike Joscy as very
lunrag. Int he pcrscyercd.
"Wherrrc you goingF"
TO a.rk hIaukberrics in the Desert Of
AahaU, answered jim, careles-ly Civ
iuw af- Atlas hitch under his arm and
pushing Out,
Jaaey lelitated upon that Information
for q minU'e.
essay" he called 81 don't know where
SguH's ISL
"Yot, {, find out soon enough, +" laughed
Jim, looking back over his shoulder for
an instant, and then hurrliug forward
again.
I,scv watched him silently until he dis
appeared from 8ght
Il wish did know I'd like to pick
some, TOO. he said, regrctfully.
$50 would /, said Mabel "Wouldn't
Mamma like it, thought" she added,
looking ,,p, with her brown eyes sudden,
lv dancing. "Woudn't she be spriscd il
she should come home and find we'd
picked hcl q nice lot of berries for tea"
jo,cy's eyes caught the light at once.
Such I'm enterprise as that seemed some
thing worthy of his new dignity.
don't know where 10 find SArahs,
he slid; "hut know where there woods,
and CUES, that would do just rs WELL
cause berries grow in the woods, anyhow.
We might go there and pick some
"All alone by our two selves" asked
Mabel, somewhat startled by the bodness
Of Ne proposition
Course. Why | could take care of
you I'm pretty big boy now, you
know
Mabel ookcd down Mt his feet They
Were two petty strong arguments.
Yes, she said, hesitatingly
Hou ask Grandma, Mabel Run and
ask her t We can't co. suggested Joscy
And Nahc turned toward the house.
Poor G7andma She was housekeCper
That day, and, somewhat tired with the
unusual care and oversight of the morn
inc, had -aa'ei herself in her easy chair
forest, and taken up her knitting She
was in lust the most particular part of
her work, counting tie stitches carefully,
when little voice broke in
"Grandma, may Joscy and me pick
blackberries?"
well dcaric. One, two three four
answered Grandma, abscntly looking
through Ler speCtaCes straight at hel
stocking.
Say, Grandma, may wee'
Five, six, seven, eight. Yes, yes
child; pick all you can find, in welcome
only don't trouble grandma now; she's
busy answered the old lady, kindly.
She had been asked that day if they
might have the whcelbarrow for car
riagc TO ride to Boston in" whether they
could NOT borrow the kitchen chairs Ia
build q train Of cars; and if She would
lend them some knives to dig a well with
Surely, this last request was no more re
markahlc than the others. She fanCicd
1t WITS sonic new game to be played in the
hack yard, and thought no more about it,
Mabel caught up the two little pals
they Aa, used to carry water with in the
morning aud flew back with the wished
lur permission,
"~ae said We might pick every one we
Ia Il, Dad pt1 ,t,lN