American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1873-09-27
SPINNY'S RICHES.

THE news got there before Spinny did
Maud Henley whispered it to Nell DAILY
with solemn "Dou't you never tel, l." and
so, by the time the pink Bingham bows
on Spinnys Shaker bonnet came in sight
every girl in the yard knew she had five.
cent piece in her pocket, and at recess
could go to Mrs. M'Cully's to spend it,
Spinny didn't know that anybody knew
of her riches; SO when Katie JSrdon gave
her two slender bits of tin to put round
her wrists for bracelets, and Eva Randall
presented two long dandelion curls to he
worn over the ear, she was very much
surprised.
Then Amy Perry called her out behind
the schoolhouse, and said, "When my
uncle Ben comes home from California,
he's going to bring me something. Maybe
it will be candy and if you'll always give
me half of what you have, I'll give you
half of my things"
Spinny agreed, and went to her seat,
ard all through the singing she was think
ing:
4 didn't know the girls liked me so
we'll. I'm real poplar"
Alice Conway offered her slate pencil
to Spinny three times before recess, and
Emma Owen, the only girl In school who
owned lead-pencil, offered that. To be
sure the lead was broken off, SO that IL
looked iust as well to hold in ones hand
as it did before.
Itseemed to the little girls as lift would
never be time for recess.
Perhaps Miss Porter thought so, too.
Amy was sent twice to stand for ten
minutes with her toes on a crack of the
floor for whispering to Spinny that she
thought 'pip'mint candy was better than
any other kind"
Every two minutes Spinny's hand went
to her pocket but she didn't dare put it
in lest Miss Porter should see her and call
her to "give up her playthings-" So she
put her handkerchief to her lips and
scowled very hard, and said, 1.-TWO m
two-er four" until she thought it must be
nearly twelve O'Clock.
Maybe teacher forgot the recess"'
This thought was dreadful. She held
up her hand, and Miss Porter asked what
she wished.
I'VE didn't have any recess" said
Spinny.
Poor Miss Porter was tired and vexed.
The children had asked silly, needless
questions all the morning, and now she
said to Spinny:
when we do have recess, you may
stay inn
When the girls heard this dreadful
order, their faces grew as long as their
states, and Spinny sobbed so hard that
when recess was half over, Miss Porter
said she might go out.
She was Rugged on the door step nine
teen times by the nineteen girls; and when
they got to the store, there were nineteen
tongues advising her what to buy.
Spinny stood in doubt.
"Gume' suggested Mrs. M'Cully.
isn't time enough to chew"
"Teacher would get it most likely"
said two tongues.
They de ided at last on two sticks of
peppermint candy, and half half pint
of peanuts"
Mrs. M'Cully laid the things on the
counter, and the girls waited in breathless
admiration "to see Spinny pay"
She took from her pocket her inch
square handkerchief with border of Old
Mother Hubbard and her dog. soiled
and crumpled photograph of Ben Butler,
the cover of pepper-box, bit of blue
satin lat which all the girls stretched their
necks and cried "Oh"D, china dolls
head, penknife without any blade, Il
clam shell, and then she looked anxious.
"Whyr' she said.
She turned her pocket wrong side out,
but there was nothing in it.
AN if it's your money that's gone, it's
not the things yell be wanting;" and Mrs.
M'Cully coolly put the candy into jar
and swept the peanuts back to their box.
The girls hearts went down like lead
at Mrs MCully's behavior, and Alice re-
lieved herself by muttering ''stingy," as
thew went out.
"Riches take to themselves wings"
cried Evan Barnes, when he saw the girls
return empty handed, and then all the
boys came to help hunt up the money,
for every one liked Spinny. She was al
ways willing to hem sails and tie up sore
fingers, and the boys remembered it.
MAY be it fell through the tlap'form,"
said little Maggie Leach, and Rob Curtis
crawled under the long platform to see il
the coin had fallen through chink. He
came out covered with cobwebs and dirt,
nv thought her trouble was too great to
bear.
She studied as we'll as she could with
that great lump in her throat, while Miss
Porter pitied her, and the girls gave her
many looks of sympathy.
Alice printed s'Too bad ~ in large let
tiers on her slate, and held it up for Spin
nv to see; but Spinny did not feel that she
could be really comforted until she told
mamma.
She went into the dining room, the big
tears trimming up in the eyes, but just
before she spoke, mamma said:
why, Spinnv, do YOU know you went
away and left your money on the mantel-
pieces"
Mrs M'Cully counted the five cents in
with her gains at night, but Spinny telling
papa the story, said,
and if | had 'spected, papa, when you
gave me the money, the worry and 'Xiety
it would make me, | doubt if l should
'certed it."-Chitdren's Hour
too MITCH GOLD