The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1874-04-16
tAPITAL FtR

rcciion 81 their play, bat fr't they must
Aiieudta the contents u certain weil-Glicd
baskets aud pailf, where their dinners
were slowed away.
1 should like 20 know. said Howard
Colby, why Joe Green never comes out
here to eat bis diuner with the rest oi Us,
but always sneAks of somewhere tl, We
&c, through
/ Gaees he brings 20 many goodies. he
+ 10 afraid We shall rob him, said smother
youngsler.
Poob said Wiz Brown. throwing
himself back on the grass. More likely
se.doesn't bring anything at all, heard
my s,tber say the famil y must be badly
pinched since Mr.. Greene Was killed aud
mother said she didn't pity them, for
folks bad no business 10 be so poor aud
proud
Well, said SAM Merrill, know Mary
Greene asked my mother to let her have
plain sewing to do; but then felix. DO
that sometimes, who aren't very poor.
/ And Joe is wearing bis winter clothes
this warm weather, aud they are patched
said Howard Colby, with a very compa-
cent look at bis new spring suit Of light
gray.
tell you what, boys, said viii Brown,
let's look tomorrow, and see what the
cid fellow does bring, any way. You
know ho is always in his seat by the time
the first bell rings, aud we can get peep
| in his basket aud then be la season for
/ roll-call
/ The boys agreed TO this, ssli but Ned
Collins, who had sat quietly eating his
dinner, and taking no part in the conver-
sation. Now he simply remarked, as he
brushed the crumbs from his lap, ! can't
see what fun there will be IN that, aud it
looks real mean and sueaking to me. Pn
sure 1t is noae OF our business what Joe
brings for dinner, or where be goes to
eat il.
You're always such granny, Ned
Collins, said win Brown, conienptuous-
| ly. You've got every one of your Aunt
Sally's notions.
Ned could hardly bear to be laughed at
aud II made him little angry TO hear
his kind old aunt sneered at, bM his eyes
only flashed up for Il minute, and then
ne sprang up, shoutin, Ilurrah, boys, for
| football! aud ia five minutes the whole
plays round was in an uproar for fun
aud frolic.
| The next morning, at the first stroke
of the bell, half dozen roguish faces
peeped into the school-room, aud sure
enough, there was Joe Green, busiy ply.
| ing his pencil over the problems OF the
algebra lesson. 1t was but the work OF
an instant to hurry into the little clothes
room, aud soon the whole group was
pressing around Will Brown, AS he held
the mysterious basket IN his hand
Among them, in spite of the remonslran-
ces the day before, was Ned Collins, with
his face fairly crimson with shame or
something else; we shall see.
| It's big enough to hold days rations
/ for regiment said Howard Colby, as
! Will pulled out nice white Napkin
Next came a whole newspaper, large
one, too; and thu in the bottom Of the
basket was one poor little cold potatoo.
That was all. viii held il up with
comical grimacc, aud the boys laughed
aud cheered as loudly as they dared in
the schooLhouse.
see here, said Howard, let's throw it
away aud fill the basket with coal aud
things; il will be such fun 10 see him
open it.
The boys agreed, the basket was soon
illed, the napkin placed carefully on the
top, aud before the bell commenced toll
ing they were on their way down stairs.
Ned Collins was the last one 10 leave
the room, aud 10 sooner did the last dis
appear Than, quick as fash, he cmpticd
the coal into the box again, replaced the
paper, and bali Il .ied the basket, as large
as 1t was, with the contents OF the bright
I tin pail that Aunt Sally delighted to store
1 with daplics tor her dariing's dinner.--
I Ned was iu his seat almost Is soon as the
rest, aud all through the forenoon he
looked aud felt as guilty as the others, as
he saw the Sly looks aud wiHks that were
exchanged among them. Noon came,
aud there WAS the usual rush to the
clothes room for dinner.baskets; but ia.
stead OF going out to the yard, the boys
/ fingered about the door aud hall, strait
by them marched Ned Collins, with his
I pail Oh bis arm.
Hello, Ned, ssid ~am Merrill, where
are yen going uowl
/ Home, said Ned laughing; | saw Aunt
/ sally making a chicken pie thi. morning,
and she can't chest Ho out OF ny share.
/ ASK use 10 60 too, shouted Howard
Colby; but JasI at that moment they es-
pied Joe Green carrying his basket into
she scho0l-ro0m.
/ should think he'd suspect something
whispered VIA brown, that coal must
be awful heavy.
Joe disappeared ia the schoOi-room,
and the curi0u, eyes that peeped tar.ush
tie crack OF tbe door were soon reward.
eI BY seciug him opeu l.l- basket.
( / sope hi. dinner won't be heavy Ou
his stomach, whispered Howard Colby.
Bat apparently Joe on'y wished TO -,
hi. paper TO read, lgr be look b by the
corner aud pailed, bot IL was fast. lie
booked in with surprise, and theu, la
cot, of bewiderei way, TOOK oul s couple
81 AuBt sally. great. rfi.pe dpughaais.