Knoxville journal. [volume] (Knoxville, Iowa) 1874-1986, 1876-03-09

saves lots Of paper-rags from all the sew
ing she does for folks, don't you know
And be said II Ne sent any paper-rag
money 10 the Treasury they'd send back
lot more money for it.
So he tiid!'' said Bob, With brighten
ing face. II DO you s'pose that's what he
meanty Must have been, for he did truly
say 80, didnf hes Wen tell Aunt Prissy
about H."
Not Just at first, Bob; not for little
while" pleaded Maggie. - Cause her
big ag-bag won't be full for ever so
long, and Ii would be 50 nice TO s'prise
her and grandma. There's lots OF rags
we can find In the roads and alleys and
places, and we'll do the first all our.
selves"
..Yes, we will, J" agreed Bob, captiyated
at once by so grand an undertaking. ;,
Wen pick 'en up and sell EN-, and
write the letter to the Treasury folks all
by our two selves. Nobody shall know
anything about it till we give 'em the
money"
And well begin to day, as soon as we
get home. /" added Maggie.
They did not wait until they REACHED
home. for fiuitcring fragment Of cloth by
the roadside soon caught Maggie's eye,
and then Bob espied small piece OF
Jacket chat some inarauding boy had left
ON a fence.nail when he climbed into
neighboring orchard. 10 by the time the
children reached the little house where
grandma and Aunt Prissy were beginning
10 watch anxiousIy for them, they had
various odds and ends slowed away in
their pockets--the beginning OF their
fortune.
Bob placed sn empty box In an out-of-
the-way corner Of the old shed, and there
they carried their treasures. The work
Of gathering went on brayely. IL was
wonderful how ready the children always
were to 20 on errands for Aunt Prissy, and
how fond they were OF taking walks
when there were no crrands for them 10 do.
Their eyes were very keen, too, search
ing for every fiuttering shred by the way
side.
Nobody who hadn't tried picking 'cm
up could tell how many rags were lying
about everywhere" Maggie said.
And day by day their store increased,
until at last the box was full. That was
an eventfrh day when Bob carried them
off for sale. He slipped away quietly
with his load, and Maggie watched from
the window In fever OF impotence un-
Ill he returned, and then danced out TO
meet him and hold consultation in the
old shed.
twenty-five cents! A whole twenty
five cents! Wherc1i we putity' she said.
1t was carefully rolled In piece Of pa.
per and placed behind one Of the great
beams Of the shed for safe keeping. Then
the children began the task Of tlling up
the box again They worked faithfully
and chcerfully, with tolerable success,
too but still the weeks were going by ana
the weather was growing colder. Chill.
ing winds blew up from the river and
scattered the brown and yellow leaves
from the trees; and the toes that looked
out Of Bob's shoes were growing red and
cold. So when the next boxful OF rags
had been sold Bob looked down ut the
money and said, thoughtfully:
II wish 1t was more but don't know
but we'd better send IL off now. Maggie,
fore the weather gets any colder. We do
want things so, aud It's getting most win
ter"
(" well,r assented Maggie, mr.. Jerry
said they'd send lot moro like it--thats
lust what he said and this Is fifty cents, and
ifthey send lot more fifty cents Wen have
ever 40 much We'd have had sixty, you
know, only we saved out ten cents to buy
! paper 10 write our letter with
wish somebody would tell me where
the Treasury IL, said Bob.
"Ohl wouldn't bother about that I'd
send IL right TO the Governor" answered
Maggie, cbeerfully :" He knows where
IL Il and how TO doit, or lac wouldn't have
been telling the folks here. And IL won't
be much trouble for him 10 get the money
for US. Mebby that's what Governors are
| for"
That seemed reasonable, and the plan
was adopted But such work rs II was 10
write that letter. Day after day, In all
| the spare hours, thetwo heads, taken and
brown. were bent over IL; and they had
used five sheets OF papcr--thelr entire
| stock before they were satisfied.
DrAm Mr.. GOVERNOR: We are little boy
| and girl. We live with our Aunt Prissy and
| grandmR. Aunt Prissy sews for living;
| aud so does grandma, but she's lame. We
wanted TO hear your speech about hard
| tunes. for We have real hard times ut our
house but we couldn't hear much, cause
there wac such crowd. SO we asked man,
| aud he said II We sent papcr-rag money TO
| the Treasury they'd send us lot more
..."nav W. dc.:'. s.S- .no treasury, and
won't you please 10 get lot more for our fifty
cents. lis livery bit papcr-rag money, Tor
We picked up the rags everywhere aud sold
! ibein ourselves. Please get as much as you
can, cause we want shoes aud shawis aud
things real bad. Please 10 send the letter
Just 10 us, for We want 10 surprise grandma
aud Aunt Pissy. They dou't know. Please
excuse this long letter and the mistakes. No
more al present
Your two friends truly,
ROBgRT AND MAGGIE WOODS.
! That was the way the letter read when II
| Was all Strengthened out; but 1t needed a
good deal Of Strengthening, for IL was
partly printed, partly written and very
curiousIy spelled. But the two children
looked ~ II with great admiration when
il was placed In an envelope and directed
10 the aGovernor OF Illinois"
a W mai ii il should get lost somewhere
and never &c, 10 himi" questioned Bob,
In burst OF anxiety.
Maggic's face clouded for moment,
then frightened.
God can take care of il. He knows
how much grandma needs shawl. and
yor some shoes ''-----
And how you haven't got any warm
sioc kings, !" added Bob, CHANGING down at
the little bare ankles,
Yes, He knows, and I'm just sure He
cares, and we can ask Him every night To
make the letter go straight"
II was stamped and dropped into the
Postoflice when no one saw. And then
"a. Al. s...I t..,t.. ma.