American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1874-07-25
JACKS ATTEMPTS AT COMPOST.
TION.

ing in the great armchair Said grab
| was intended for Il sort of caress; but in
stead of propitiating Miss Allie, who was
| "A very proper young lady, it had the eff
feet to discompose her very much.
Jack Smith," she exclaimed, sitting
you've pulled my hair down, and broken
my comb, and lost my place, and tum-
| bled my ruff and-and-you act like Il
bear!''
With this slight relief to her feelings
Alice repaired her offended dignity as
well as she could and settled down to her
book again.
Jack stood minute with rueful
countenance, and then ventured to repeat
his appeal
Say, Allie. I've got to write my essay
and hand it in Monday morning. Help II
fellow, can't you? Come"
LAS if kept your ideas, Help your-
| self with your essay. And l think you
had better take Good Manners for your
subject, and study it well.''
Il won't" said Jack, now thoroughly
on the defensive. Il won't have any
such cut-and- dried stuff. If you don't
want to help me you needn't. l guess l
can get along without you"
Spurred by his sisters sarcasm and
irritated by her curt refusal, Jack sum
moned all his pride and spunk and de-
termined to make his last remark good at
once.
He strobe off to the farther corner of
the room, opened his fathers secretary
and sat down to write.
"Papa'n scold if you use his pens"
murmured Alice, glancing languidly up
from her book.
Jack gave scornful snort and seized
Il quill. He spread the biggest foors-cap
sheet he could find, and then took up ink
enough to write half dozen lines-and
make two great blots besides.
Les see" quOth he to himself Les
see. War. No, you don't, sir. Joe
Jones whipped. me the last time we
played war. l amt going to write about
one or two compositions about school
already. Spring. No, that's too tame"
Jack scratched his head.
Suddenly Il wood-cut prOtruding from
under pile of papers caught his eye.
He pulled it out and unfolded copy of
the New York Ihunder-Clap All the
eight sides of that marvellous paper were
covered with pictures and stories calcu-
lated to make a boys blood Jingle.
For several evenings past Jack had
been RECALLING himself Crather on the sly)
with the adventures of ''Jay-hawker Bill"
whose visage glared from the page he
held. 1t struck him suddenly that he
might write a story. Stories were so easy
to write, and everybody liked to read 'em.
He would write something full of hair
breadth escapes, like the adventures of
" Jay-hawker Bill" Oh, that would be
just splendid.
He began to rack his brain for Il
plot" But the plot did not come SO
easy, after all. He searched slyly through
the IhunderCiap for hints. Surely the
brilliant minds who contributed to those
wonderful pages ought to furnish him
spare thought or two.
At length he caught an idea that he
thought would do to begin with, and
plunging his quill in the inkstand, and
spreading his elbows at right angles, he
went vigorously to work. Whenever his
inspiration seemed about to collapse he
stole a glance at -" Jay-hawker Bill" Half
an hour passed, and Jack was allah
sorbed in his story. Suddenly forget
ting his late repulse) he called out
4 say, Allie, lille! What's If you
please in French:"
.. S'H eoux plat," murmured Alice, knit
ting her brows.
.SHcer-plate," echoed Jack, transtiN-
ing the precious phrase with his pen. He
had Il heroine in his story, and he wanted
to make her talk some French After II
short silence, he called again
Allie, what's yess p
&" Jack Smith, I'll ask mamma to send
you out if you interrupt me one more
time! Yes is OH. There, now, don't you
ask me another thing!"
Vice." wrote Jack, and on he went
like IA locomotive, leaving the storm be
hind him.
There was peace in the Smith sitting
room for twenty minutes. AT the end
of that time the Juvenile novelist wanted
some more French. Not daring to dis
turb Alice now, he tiptocd to the book
shelves, silently consulted her " Fas-
quellc," and returned so charged with
important words that he stumbled over
stool and forgot how to spell them.
4" \ man on horse! muttercd Jack,
Pshaw, can't remember, and | can't
go and look again 1t was-lc's sec
hoB,in-shorel-ycS h0mtHy on shord: |
guess that's it" And forthwith this
rather astonishing piece of French was
set down in black and white.
The teal bell rang before Jack finished
and copied this production. Afterward
he did his chores, but so full was he of
his essay that he could not sleep before
laying it under apprcciative eyes. He
asked his mother if he might not 30 over
to see Miss Grace" that evening.
Miss Grace" was Jacks teacher. she
was fond of boys, and perfect mistress of
all their hearts.
She sat by her parlor table sewing
when Jack was shown in, and she made
him quite at home instantly.
Il came to bring my composition, Miss