Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1876-11-30
, We would he worry grateful marin >,

an orphan!" interrupted Miss Susan, sus-
piciously.
so be marin! A poor lonely orphan
without neither father nor motheri was
just a thinkin' of the past, marm-the
past as when | had a mother-she died
last week, and [ hain't got used to it yet,
you see; I'm always alludin' at her this
way drawing his coat sleeve over his
eyes.
Poor little fellowr' said Miss Susan,
all thawed out. q [ shall certainly have
to do something for you; l hope you are
always good boy. What might your
name be now?"
Bob, marin; Bob Faithful, son of old
Deacon Faithful, who died more'n forty
years ago; but the wicked boys in the
street as | wont 'sOciate with, they calls
me Bob the sinlessi''
g So you are tryin' to be good boy and
keep out of evil cOmpany-that's right.
You will be sure to be prospered," said
Miss Susan, approvingly.
Yes, marmn' says Bob. CHOW there
is gery wicked boys round here if you will
believe it; there is boys as will tell lies,
and swear, and boys as will steal right be-
fore your eyes, marin. But I never have
nothin' TO do with them. I keeps my
skirts clear of 'em [ tell you"
Just as you ought to-" said Miss Su-
san, going into her pantry and bringing
out an apple pie and pan of doughnuts.
"NOW you set right here, and eat all you
want, and then l will let you pile up some
wood for me, and I'll give you some warm
clothes to carry home to your sister, for
your pay"
Thank you, marml" said Bob medi-
tatively. " l shall be very glad-wery
glad, indeed-to pile up your wood, but I
shall have to wait till tomorrow, marin,
for I've promised to meet poor lame boy
this afternoon, and help him get his Sun
day School lesson"
"Now, that's very good in you, Bob
BY" said Miss Susan, patting his head,
6 so you go to Sunday School, and try to
help a poor lame boy -
4" Yes, marin, +" said Bob, devouring his
pie, and rolling his eyes piously toward
the ceiling. q goes to Sunday-school,
| and tells the lame boy all about the
good little boys as was in the Bible, and
shows him the pictures. tries to be
very good TO him. He's blind too, marin,
| and he can't hear nothin' out of either
| ear nuthern
Dear me, how dreadfulI' sighed Miss
Susan.
! Yes, marin! and he's all covered over
complains nor nothin' Most all Chris
tan ladies give me little money once in
awhile for him, but he don't never spend
none of it. He sends it all to the poor
| heathens as can't hear about such things"
"What good, unselfsh boy he is !"
said Miss Susan. "Tll give you dollar
to give him, and you tell him for HE,
that he'll get rewarded for his goodness,
certain" and she took a flush, crisp bill
out of her purse and handed it to the I'M
| selfish lame boys unselfish friend.
"Thank we kindly, marin, = said Bob,
cycling the money with most intense salts
faction. Hell be so GERRY pleased,
marin! We enjoys goin' to Sunday school
together so much, and when we grows up,
we means to b'long to the Young Mems
Christian 'Sociation. That's all our hopes
now, marm."
"What passages of Scripture are they
! illustrating in the Sunday-school now ?"
asked Miss Susan, much interested.
. Marm?" queried Bob, a little Devil
dered
Il mean, what did your teacher tell
you about last Sunday; said Miss Susan.
comp said Bob, after minutes hest
tation. Well, last Sunday it were about
Moses the Jew, and Jonah as swallered
the whale, and the forty two bears as eats
the two wicked children! Now that's a
VERY lnterestin' story, amt it, marin 90
said Bob, enthusiastically.
" Yes, very" said Miss Susan, thinking
Bob had got little mixed. But no mat
ter, it was Scripture, at any rate. CHOW
| will go upstairs and get a nice warm
shawl to send to your little sister, and you
may come tomorrow and pile my wood
for me, if you like.'
:" Yes, marin - said Bob, "I'll be sure
to be here, and thank We, kindly, marmr'
And so Miss Susan went upstairs for
the shawl, and no sooner was she out of
sight than--oh / grieve to say it, but it is
true! Bob, the promising Sunday school
scholar and the hopeful candidate for the
Young Mems Christian Association, placed
his finger on one side of his nose, and
nearly twisted his small body into convul-
siOns, in his efforts to keep from laughing
aloud; and then seizlng a newspaper
which lay on the table, he hastily wrapped
1t around the chicken pie and tucked it
under lis arm, and was out of the house
and out of sight in less than a minute
Miss Susan came down stairs with not
only the shawl, but G warm roll of fan
nels, in her hands, wiping her eyes occa-
siOnally, and saying to herself, chow glad
l am that Providence sent hat dear boy
here; it is such a comfort to encourage
such praiseworthy conduct Why, bless
my soul, where has he gone to? And the
door wide open; and the chicken pie gone
toon' she gasped, in her establishment,
feeling that the earth was receding under
her feet
But when the whole wicked truth
dawned upon her bewildered senses,
wasn't Miss Susan Crockett an angry
woman?
:" Oh! that villainous boy that wicked,
wicked imp0storm she choked, land
my beautiful chicken-pie stolen that was
goin' to be my main dependence. to-mor-
row, and the minister's folks all coming
to dinner and nothing but the turkey and
mince pie to give them! And my blue
set broken that I've kept so careful for
twenty years, for | can't get saucer to
match it anywhere. Oh! it's too much
too much!"
But the loss of the chicken-pie and the
saucer was nothing compared to the HUI
initiation of being so easily and complete
ly, and irremediably taken in"
However, we will leave Miss Susan to
come to her senses as best she NAV, and
follow the wicked Bob as he went chuck
ling along, carrying the chicken-pie care
fully under his arm. Now, this Bob was
certainly very wicked boy; | think he
must have been the wickedest boy in all
that town. AT all events he was consid-
cred the smartest and shrewdest bow 60
ing, and was admired and looked up to
with almost reverence by the other wicked
boys, whose cuteness was inferior to his
He could not refrain from laughing out
loud now, when he thought of the grand
Thanksgiving party he would give in the
old CObbler'S hack room t0-nOrrOyv and