The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1880-10-21

yards. and, Selling the crank, he said:
" Here, Mrs. Noble, let me lift the
pail over. 1t is too heavy for you. l
will carry it in, too"
40. thank you. dearl but | don't like
to trouble you. | find it hard, though,
l confess, to get it in myself"
:" 1t is no trouble at all l am used
to bringing water"
So he carried it in and put it in its
place by the sink.
Thank you very much" said Mrs.
Noble. George Burch used to do this
work for me; but lately | have been
trying to do it myself But it is quite
an undertaking for me to get a pail OF
water. l find i have to wrap up as
much as if L were going a long dis
lance"
Il win come over and draw what
water you need. live near, and it will
only take few minutes
Il should like to have you, but l can
not afford to pay you. | gave George
up for want of money"
go, didn't mean to do it for pay. l
will do it for nothing. L have plenty of
/ time before and after school"
So, without waiting for Mrs. Noble to
express her thanks, he babe her COED
night and went away.
Ned Ingalls, mother was a widow.
She was glad to get employment to help
support her family and to keep Ned at
school. She did all the sewing she could
! get and frequently took in washing and
ironing. So, really, Ned could less af-
| ford to work for nothing than George
Burch and many of his other boy-com-
paniOns. But, with all her work and all
! her proverty she never lost a chance to
teach her children to be kind to others,
and to lend helping hand whenever
/ they could.
You will never lose anything by do
inc for Others" she would often say.
Don't expect to be paid always in
dollars and cents"
/ George Burch was surprised when he
found that Ned was doing Mrs. Mobiles
work.
That's pretty queer" said he, an
grilv. She said she turned me of be-
cause she couldn't afford to pay anC
now she's gone and hired you. I'm glad,
now, that l took three cents for that
extra pail of water. | set out not to
charge anything, but then thought I'd
better get all | could. That's fathers
way and mine, too. He says I'm chip
off the old block and | guessI am. Ha!
Ha! Ha! I'm glad she didn't get nothin'
out o. me but what she paid for. | s'pOse
you work cheaper. How much do you
charge her?'
]
" Nothing replied Ned. cit doesn't
take long TO get what little wood and
water she uses, and she looked so sOrter
sick 1 told her I'd do it for nothing, as
long as she couldn't afford to pay"
..Do it for pothin'! Well, you are
a fool. All right. Go ahead. Guess
you'll get sick enough of it before win
ter's over. s'pose you'll shovel for
nothin', and 90 to the Postoffice for
nothin', and go after yeast for nothjn',
and do everything else she wants dole,
for nothin' Well, | hope you'll lay up
money. The bank won't be apt TO bust
while you are so prosperous. Dot for
nothin'! Well, as for me, I'd rather
work for something's
But Ned did not get sick of it before
the winter was over. In fact, as time
passed, he liked it better and better.
Although he did shovel. and go to the
Postofiice. and 90 after yeast, he did
not feel as if he did it for nothing. He
felt doubly paid when he came in, per-
haps out of drifting snOw-storm, to
meet her pleasant face, and to see her
point smilingly to an extra plate Oh the
little tea-table, which she had DIR Iwn
close up to the fire, and her sweet voice
say:
g That plate is for you, dear. You
must have acup of tea with me tor night,
and here are some dOughnuts which
made purposely for you"
Then, after supper she would help
him with his lessons, explaining all the
difficult portions until she made them
clear to him. This last was great
help to Ned, and he progressed
so rapidly at school as to excite
the wonder of his teacher and class
mates. George Burch, in particular,
wondered what had given Ned Ingalls,
such a start. But Ned and Mrs. Noble
knew. So. although she had not money
to paw Ned for the work he did, she
had many ways of helping him. 1t was
she who knit his mittens, although 1t
was often done with yarn raveled from
stockings her husband used to wear. 1t
was her delight to make him pretty
neckties from bits of bright silk she
had in the house. Then they had nice
talks about Ned's future prospects, and
many CHEEKY game of checkers and
backgammon, and often, in the midst
of their enjoyment, Mrs. Noble would
eXclaim:
"Whv, Neddie, | don't know what
| should do without you. But it doesn't
seem right to have you doing my work
for nothing
Il don't do it for nothing; think ]
am over-paid every week; SO if you are
suited am sure | ought to be"
And so the weeks went by, and the
months went by, and little was said
, about Ned's doing the work except ar
occasional inquiry from George Burch,
in a rather sneering way, if he still en-
} loved working for nothin'."
: But this state of things could not &C
on. At the end of two years, George
| and Ned both left school to go to work
George went into the factory, and
Ned cot place to clerk in a book
store on smaller wages. But he thought
he would have some chance to study
, there, and though he had saic
nothing about it to anyone be
, side his mother and Mrs. Noble he
had a strong idea of trying to wOri
his way through college. About thi:
time a telegram came to Mrs. Noble, in
forming her that her brother was deaC
, and urging her immediate presence il
. New York. So she closed the cottage