Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1880-11-12
WORKS. 4 MINT;

ply.
GO to school 2"
mo, sir"
"Do any work ?"
Eyes, sir; tend marm's COWS and fetch
wood"
"well, that's something. But don't you
think there's plenty to do in this part of the
world that's better than kicking your heels
against the fence all the morning. Now just
look around, my boy, until you find some
thing that wants fixing up, and take off your
coat and 90 at il. You wont have to look
far about here" And the Judge gave a con-
temptuous glance toward the widow Fairlaw's
neglected farm. Take my word for it,
boy" he added, works a mint--works a
mint" And then he turned away, walking
with dignifed pace toward the Willows-the
name of his place.
Now / think that most boys would have
been tempted to talk back, but Wilbert only
sat still and looked after the man as he walk
ed away, and then down at his bare feet.
ITS all true. Somehow our place does
look badly, but can't tend to everything"
he thought, like a hired man an if did
try to patch things, likely I'd get lickin' for
doin something oughtn't don't see as it
makes any difference whether work or not
It's all the same about here but, oh, l would
like to have something to do for pay, so l
could feel it in my pocket, and know it was
there. / wonder what the Judge meant by
saying, Works a mint | guess it's some
thing about getting paid How wish had
little money but l would like to earn it
myself"
Here, bub, get bucket, will you, and
bring my nag some water p
This time it was q keen.looking young man
sitting in light wagon who addressed him.
Now stir your pegs, bub, and here's
nickel for you"
Wilbert was already on his way to the well,
for he was always quite willing to do favor,
and so he didn't hear the last sentence Then
he unfastened the check-rein by standing up
on a horse block, and gave the tired animal a
pail of water
The driver meanwhile searched his pockets
in vain for nickel.
Got any change, bub p
mo, sir"
"Well, then, never mind here's a quarter
to start your fortune. l guess it'll do you
more good than it would me, aud away he
drove at lively pace up the road, and Will
bert sat down in the grass by the roadside,
too happy even to whistle or dance
So people sometimes paid for having their
horses wateredI Why not keep watch for
teams, and have a bucket ready? There was
plenty of travel over the road. Carriage
loads of excursionists went by to the Glen"
"a resort about six miles distaut-almost
daily, and the only place to water on the way
was always made muddy by the pigs
But people wouldn't be willing to wait
while he went clear to the well every time
for water, especially when there were two
horses.
Behind the barn lay an unused trough for
feeding pigs. Wlbert tied rope around it,
and hitching the one old horse his mother
owned to this, dragged it to a point in the
road where the shadow of large chestnut
tree rested most Of the day Then he built
stone support about it, out of the plentiful
supply of powders in the fields. Next the
water was to be brought. 1t took long
time to carry enough with one pail to even
half fill the trough, and then the very Erst
farmer who drove along the road stopped his
horses, and looking with some surprise at
Wilbert's Improvement" let his animals
drink most of the contents and was off be-
fore Wilbert returned from the pump.
Several teams watered during the morning,
and one mau tossed the boy ten cents How
pleasantly the two coins jingled, to be sure
Early the next morning Wilbert was on his
way to a ravine which lay back of the big
chestnut tree. He carried spade and began
to dig where the grass was greenest and
slime was gathered upon the stones. At a
depth of two feet he saw the hole fill with
water, which speedily became clear, as he sat
down to rest, and soon trickled down the
slope.
Then he went to that repository of all odds
and ends, the shed back of the barn, and Sc
go % b,,iI, u;,L tboso oTd ,bar v,;,l,
son,s naiis he roade a tronob 10 carry tba v,a
- -, ~ t;Ii -, a. -, - -,
a,otbar IN tori,ad stoiass a,d ottar ~ H.,
a1 - I,.ori, 20 5oI;ohtoS - ca ttot I;'
-, 81 all ~ L. aool ar;'
rster
..-. -...- -.,
opo1 y 'na' usy no Haue WEN! Genus; anu anu
6oOu-hA'utou PeIOlei Ba'e niln iaI
sponge, @ anu .Susn' nm now no" W rinSe OUT 'ne
paTGhea mouths OF the hUrses
ne Ioue 70 Town WIN Tue pIuu'er' unu
oougul hanusoIle ouoHst WIN nis money
ieeiihs sure 'nAt he "ouiu sooh ge' ali oaoA.
business was no" lSilly unae, way anu
many were tne praises pes'o"eu oy Passers-
oy upon niS IS, "o,A' some Pa'u, unu Gtners
ony sAi1 inanA you. 1he crusty 1uuge,
VINO hSu kine heart III sPl'e Oh ms rougn
ways I., matted ms team ana aiter learning
from Whoert ina. II was al his own WORK.
toiu ms urlSer Always 10 sloP mere Wneh
passing ana sald ne thougnt ne nad DeIteI
pay 1or lne season IN ADVANCE ana so hSndeu
tue BOY u0IlAr'
One uay "hDet' eat oy his trough unuer
the cnesthut looking very lhoIghuul. ne
knew tnat summer woulu soon oe over ana
was thinking OF the coming winter Gays
When MS occupation "0uia De gone. ne
had earned quite a nice little sum,ten dol,
larS OF IioreIanu more nAu ioImeu anu relecteu
many Plahs ior using II 70 lhe pest au'SnlaBe'
he became quite unhappy througn MS uh-
certain frame OF mlnu: lou see even tne
possession OF money Is u cause OF sorrow
sometimes Ihere was one thing settled
he had determined 10 Duy new "oOiieh
shawl ior ms mother with part OF ms ricnes'
Whoert took MS money out OF MS pocket
anu countedl' Tor perhaps tne huhureuth Time
Whle th9s engaged ms attention was drawn
10 elou1 OF aust IN Ine ROAD, out OF "hlch
pair OF DlacK ponies daShed at tGil speed
lhey seemed 10 De running away men We're
shouting to the pale-taced boy who held the