St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1878-10-18
"AIa's Grave Will Get Lost"

A boy not over eleven years old,
whose pinched face betrayed hunger,
and whose clothing could scarcely be
called by the name, dropped into Il car
penter shop on Grand River avenue,
the other day, and, after much hesita-
ton, explained to the foreman:
1--WE want TO get Il GIave-board fOI
ma. She died last winter, and the
graves are So thick that we can't hardly
| find hers no more. We went up last
Sunday, and we came near not finding
it. We thought we'd get Il grave-board
so we wouldn't lose the grave. When
we thought we'd lost it, Jack he cried,
and Bud she cried. and my chin trem-
bIed so | could hardly talk"
"Whcre is your father ?;' asked the
carpenter.
ooh, he's home, but he never goes
up there with us, aud we shan't tell him
about the board. | guess he hated ma.
for he wasn't home when she died, and
he wouldn't buy no coffin nor nothing
Sometimes when we are siitin on the
doorstep talking about her, and Jack
and Bud are cryin', and I'm remember,
ing how she kissed lis all atOre she died.
he says we'd better quit that or we'll
get what's bad for us. But we sleep up
stairs, and we talk and cry in the dark
all we want to. How mnch will the
board be ?"
The carpenter selected something fit
for the purpose, and asked
''Who will put it up at the grave?'
''We'll take it up on our cart,n replied
the boy, land l guess the graveyard
man viii help us put it up.n
You want the name painted on,
don't you p
Eyes, sir, we want the board white,
and then we want you to paint on ii
that she died on the 2d of November,
and that she's gone to heaven, and that
she was one of the best mothers ever
WAS, and that we are going to be good
all our lives and go up where she is
when we die. How much will it cost,
sir ~
''How much have you gotP"
"Well," said the boy us he brought
out little calico bag and emptied the
contents on the bench, "Bud drawed
the baby for the woman next door, and
earned 20 cents; Jack, he weeded the
garden and earned 40 cents, and he
found five more in the road; / run of
brands and made kites and fixed
boys cart and helped carry some ap-
plies into Il store, and earned Is cents.
All that makes 100 cents, sir, and pa
don't know we've got it, cause we kept
it hid in the ground under stone.n
The carpenter meant to be liberal,
but he said:
"a grave board will cost ut least So
The lad looked from his little store of
metals to the carpenter and back, real
lied how many weary weeks had passed
since the first penny was earned and
saved, and suddenly walled out:
'Thcn we can't never, never buy one,
and mas grave will get lost"
But he left the shop with tears of
gladness in his eyes, and when he re-
turned yesterday little Bud and Jack
were with him, and they had cart.
There was not only a head board, but
one for the foot of the grave as well,
and painter and carpenter had done
their work with full hearts, and done it
we'll.
"Ain't it nice-nicer than rich folks
havew whispered the children as the
boards were being placed on the cart !;
won't the grave look nice, though, and
won't ma be awful glad 2"
Ere this the mothers grave has been
marked, and when night comes the
three motherless ones will cuddle close
together, and whisper their gratitude
that il cannot be lost to them even in
the storms and drifts of winter.-De-
trOit Free Press.