Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1881-10-05

about everywhere" Maggie said.
And day by day their store increased,
until at last the box was full. That was an
eventful day when Bob carried them off
for sale. lie slipped away quietly with
his load. and Maggie watched from the
window in Il fever of impatience until he
returned, and then danced out to meet
him and hold consultation in the old
shed.
Twenty-Five cents A whole twenty
five cents! Wherel we put itP" she said.
1t was carefully rolled up in piece of
paper and placed behind one of the great
beams of the shed for save keeping. Then
the children began the task of filling up
the box again. They worked faithfully
and cheerfUlly, with tolerable success, 100 !;
but still the weeks were going by, and the
weather was growing colder. CHILLING
winds blew up from the river and scatter
ed brown and yellow leaves from the
trees; and the toes that looked out of Bob
shoes we're growing red and cold. So
when the next boxful OF rags had been
sold Bob looked down at the money and
said thoughtfully:
81 wish it was more but don't know
but we'd better send it off now, Maggie,
fore the weather gets any cooler. We do
want things so, and it's getting most win
ter"
"Well," assented Maggie. "Mr. Jerry
said they'd send lot more like it-that's
just what he said; and this is fifty cents
and if they send lot more fifty cents
we'll have ever so much! We'd have had
sixty, you know, only we saved out ten
cents to buy paper to write our letter
with"
81 wish somebody would tell me where
the treasury is" said Bob,
"Oh! | wouldn't bother about that!
I'd send it right to the governor" answer
ed Maggie, cheerfuly. He knows where
it is and how to do ii. or he wouldn't have
been telling the folks here. And it won
be much trouble for him to get the money
for us. Mebby that's what governors are
for"
That seemed reasonable, and the plan
was adopted. But such work as it was to
write that letter. Day after day, in all the
spare hours, the two heads, haxen and
brown. were bent over it; and they had
used five sheets of paper-their entire
stock-before they were Satisfied.
DEAR Mr. GovERNoR:-We are lit
tie boy and girl. We live with Aunt Prissy
and grandma. Aunt Prissy sews for a
living; 50 does grandma, but she's lame.
We wanted to hear your speech about
hard times, for we have real hard times at
our house; but we couldn't hear much
cause there was such crowd. So we
asked Il man, and he said if we sent paper
rag money to the treasury they'd send US
a lot more money. We don't know the
treasury, and won't you please to get Il lot
more for US for our fifty cents. It's every
bit paper rag money, for we picked up the
rags everywhere and sold them ourselves.
Please get us much as you can, cause we
want shoes and shawls and things real
bad. Please TO send the letter to us, we
want to surprise grandma and Aunt Pris-
sy. They don't know. Please excuse this
long letter and the mistakes. No more at
present.
Your two friends truly,
ROBERT AND MAGGIE WOODS"
That was the way the letter read when
it was all Strengthened out; but it needed
IA good deal of Strengthening, for it was
partly printed, party written, and very
looked at it with great admiration when it
was placed in an envelope and directed to
the Governor Of Illinois"
"What if it should get lost somewhere
and never get to hm?" questioned Bob, in
burst of anxiety.
Maggie's face clouded for a moment,
then frightened.
God can take care of it. He knows
how much grandma needs shawl and
you some shoes"
"And how You haven't any warm stock
ings, added Bob, glanclnS 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
It WAS stamped and dropped into the
post Office when no one saw. And then
how long the time seemed before an an
swer could possibly come to them!
Not for whole four days" said Bob
The four days ec ded at last, and then
they began 10 visit the post office and in
quire anxiously for letter; but five, six
days and a whole week besides went by
before any answer came. 1t would take too
long to tell all that happened to their letter
how one saw it ana smiled, and another
read it and laughed, and it really reached
the governor himself; and now some of his
friends laughed at him tor the effect his
great speech had wrought. But there
were kind hearts among them all. and one
after another contributed something; 20
when Bob and Maggie really got letter
they found in it Il crisp. new twenty.dollar
bill
"Oh it's the splendidest, splendidest
splendidest thing that ever happenedP
cried Maggie, with her hands clasped for
thankfulness, while she jumped up and
down for joy. And Bob only hugged the
money speechlessly. They could not read
the letter very well, but they carried that
and their treasure TO Aunt Prissy; and
how she did laugh and cry as they told
her the whole story. think the one who
wrote that letter must have had little
boy and girl of his own, it was so very
kind.
"DEAR CHILDREN: The one who told
you about the paper rag money could
not have understood you, or else you die
not understand him. for you have made 6
mistake But think your aunt can ex-
plain that to you when you show her this
However, the governor is very glad thai
you wanted to hear his speech, and he
thinks that two little children who are sc
kind and industrious now will make gooC
citizens by and by. So he and one or two
of his friends send you twenty dollars hop
ing it may buy the shawl and shoes and
that you will greatly enjoy them"
But | don't see any mistake about it
What did Mr. Jerry mean?' asked Bob
when Aunt Prissy stopped reading.
81 can hardly tell dear. | suppose he
must have thought that you had somt
torn bills that were useless Or something
of that kind. The treasury denartment
gives new ones in place of such when they
are sent back not more money, but new
bills. He called it rag money and old
paper money because he likes gold and
silver better fancy" she answered.
Then we cant make any more thai
way" said Bob but any way twenty
dollars is more than ever thought we'd
get. Won't ii buy us nice things thought
1t did buy shoes. shawl, and warn
stockings, and more comfortable articles
besides; and Bob and Maggie sent back q
letter of thanks, just as nicely written as
they could do it, with Aunt Prissy to help
them.
ave asked God to take care of our rag
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