Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1879-09-10

so, and IL seemed to him that his desire to
help Phil, and TO surprise him with some
thing new, was the great stimulus Of all.
Phil soon returned with the implements
Of labor. Fine and coarse wire, rattan, old
hoop skirt springs, and long, smooth sticks
were placed on the table within easy reach
of the sick man. The kitchen suddenly be-
came workshop. Even Mrs. Lee caught
the enthusiasm, often stopping her work to
admire and praise. Birds with wings fully
spread, were poised lightly, but strongly, on
the tops Of long sticks. There were circu-
lar trelises, spirals, hearts, anchors, harps
and crosses, some woven with fine wire,
others strong and heavy for thick shrubbery.
double good was being wrought. The
dependency of the father was rapidly leav-
ing, and cheerfulness was taking its place,
and the mother looked on with thankful
heart
At the end of the week the carriage
stopped again, and this time the ladies were
invited in TO see the trellises. They were
marvels Of taste and beauty, and could not
be enough admired. One of the ladies paid
Phil eight dollars for the lot, and the other
left an order for the same number, and
promised to tell Mr.. Writ an extensive gar
dener, about them.
AlJtI Iney leu new JnOuRDb Cdtne lnbO
Pills mind, and he could hardly wait TO
put it into execution. lie rushed out TO the
woodpile, and looked il over with critics
eye. Every rough, ungainly knot and stump
was a mark of beauty now in Pills eyes
He drew the sticks along in front of the
kitchen window, his face red, and his bright
black eyes sparkling with excitement. His
father watched him with great interest. He
was forgetting his aches and pains, Phil
took a sharp saw and sawed off the wood
into proper lengths, leaving a knot for orna-
ment. He sawed off twentyfour, and piling
them into a bushel basket, started for the
carpenters shop where his father worked.
As he pushed his wheelbarrow along one of
the boys screamed out
Halo, boy, where are you going with
those old stumps ?"
"I'll tell you, next week." Phil replied,
and on he went.
One of the workmen willingly turned the
machine, aud Phil bored hole in each piece
large enough for a sufficient amount of
earth. Then he carried them home, aud be-
fore he went to bed that night, he had fast
ened wires in them, and given them all one
coat of varnish. The next morning, he was
up before any one else was stirring, and put
another coat of varnish on, which bright
ened them up wonderfully. Then he hung
them out on a dead limb where they could
not fail to be seen by every passer by, and
stuck "For Sale" on large shingle near
| by. Then he went in to breakfast, which
was ready by that time. He said nothing
of his mornings work, but when some one
knocked while they were at breakfast Phil
laughed right out. He wondered If some.
body had come for basket already. He
opened the door, and little girl, who was
on her way to the city with her father, who
was carrying vegetables said she would like
to see those hanging baskets. Phil went
out with her, aud sold her two for forty cents
apiece
Living as they did on the regular travel.
ing road from the city into the suburbs
where so many wealthy people lived who
had ornamental grounds around their houses
Phil guessed rightly that they couldn't
help buying those odd, rustic little hanging
baskets, especially as shey were, as he said
| the "real thing and not made of eartheu
ware like some he had seen in the city
Before week, every basket was sold, and
nine dollars and sixty cents more were
added to the treasury.
So it went on. Others kept coming fol
trellises and hanging-baskets. Mr.. Wirt
came, and was so much delighted with
Pills industry aud taste, and his ambition
TO help his father, that he hired him TO WORK
about his beautiful gardens and grounds, II
train up his vines on trellises, to max,
frames for shrubs and bushes that needed
support for all such things. Meanwhile hi
father did the easy work on trellises anC
hanging baskets, and under the influence o
such cheerful work aud such encouraging
month the payment was promptly made Oh
BY November he was able to take upol
himself the support Of the family, and Phi
went to school again Watchman and Re
| fectOr