The Hickman courier. [volume] (Hickman, Ky.) 1859-current, 1881-01-21

"Wha-at?" called back the boys.
"He-ere," cried Phil, and down they
oil noisily trooped.
"Hollor exclaimed Willie Bruce, as
he saw the vines
"What is it, Philip asked Ben Ham
mond, hurrying up.
"What have you found, PHILIP" in
quired half dozen others.
Jack-a-lanterns. fellows" no an
swered, "iust twenty-five, one piece, -
" Hurrahl Good for you, Phil. And
dozen of tine thoughtless youngsters
were among the vines-half the pump
kins plucked off-and one or two in
process of transformation, before boy
among them had ventured this sage re-
mark:
See here, they don't belong to MS. "
"Who do they belong to?" asked
Phil
Nobody knew.
"Who do the woods belong TOP"
Nobody knew that.
We'll, any way, anything we find in
the woods is ours
els it?' laughed Willie Bruce, ''then
I'll keep this iack-knife-I just found
it"
Anything growing. / mean" cried
y
guess these sprang up here, just like
the nut trees"
Nonsense, said Willie Bruce. ''You
can see the pillow tracks. These pump
kins were planted and tended; see the
line round them. We've no right TO
touch them"
Findings are havings," said Phil.
obstinately. "Come, fellows, pitch in. ;"
And he rushed for the biggest one, try
ing TO stifle his conscience 10y adding:
Pumpkins are not worth much this
year, anyway"
His bad example was quickly followed
The ruthless band soon despoiled the
Willie Bruce, am sorry to add,
unable to withstand the temptation,
yielding at last and taking one too.
Now" said Phil, Eve Just twenty
five cents. I'll make yours, Ben Ham
mond, as soon as mine Is done, if you
will run TO the village. and get twenty
five candles. Make them throw in a
bunch of matches, too"
OF went Ben and to work went the
boys. If their fathers aud mothers had
given them such n Job to do at home in
two hours, how they would have groanedl
How the chips flew! How the seeds
were scOOped out and scatteredi Some
did double duty for those who had no
knives, and those who got through first
went for poles.
In little moro than two hours the
isck-a-lanterns were set upon the poles
and the candles wedged safely in. ready
for lighting. They hid their bags of
nuts and waited till dark. Then the
grotesque procession marched through
the village, shouting and hurrahin0
and cheering for the presidential candi-
date
4" Massey sakesl' cried old Aunt Betsy
Leeds. "Look at them boys! what a
wicked waste Of good food"
80, pumpkin or two from patch is
not missed, &" said the minister, kindly.
81 like to see them enjoy themselves
HurTsh, boys-that is right cheer for
honest men like honest bOys"
An uncomfortable twinge of consci-
ence smote their hearts, / am glad to say,
and they felt themselves unworthy to
cheer for honest men. However, they
kept mp the procession till their candles
went ont. and then broke up.
When the fun and excitement were all
over and they were alone in their re-
spective homes, they wondered, with
misgiving and qualms of conscience,
who was the owner of that patch in the
woods, and wish they had not robbed
it.
The next day Phil and Willie returned
to Bear Hill to get the nuts they had
left there. As they drew near the place
they heard most mysterious sound.
Leaving the cart they had brought for
the nuts, and creeping cautiously for
ward they soon discovered the cause.
On the ground near the plundered vines
lay Minnie Shaw-the minister's pretty
little daughter. Her face and hands
were buried in tuft of moss, and she
was crying and sobbing in a most pitiful
manner; herwhole attitude showed hope
less grief
"Why, Minnie, what is the matter?p
cried Phil, anxiously, ''are You hurt?"
"No-o-o," she sobbed.
"What IS it then?''
"O-my-pumpkins-- are -all--gonel"
''Your pumpkins?" cried both boys in
a breath.
eyes. Wanted take-music
lessons; and papa couldn't afford it. and
Mrs. West said if Cuthburt would plant
her some pumpkins, she would give me
lessons all winter, and Cuthbert planted
them for her and / tended them, and
they were all good, and just-ready-
And smarting under her grievous disap-
pointment, her sobs redoubled after this
confidence.
The boys stood abashed by shame
Minnie refused to be comforted, and
what could they, the despoiiers, shy to
comfort her? They saw tall Cuthburs
coming up through the fields, and fear
ing his wrath, gathered their bags of
nuts and fled
at is too bad. / wish we hadn't done
it, said Willie, contritely.
$50 do /, said Phil "1'm awful sor-
ry; feel as if it were all my fault. The
rest of the fellows would never have
thought of it, if it handn't been for me-"
eve all knew it was wrong" said
Willie. ooh, dear, 1 do wish we had
let them alonei"
That's So" said Phil. "Ill tell yon
what, Willie Bruce, I'm going to tell
my mother all about it. I'm ashamed,
of course, but perhaps mother can think
OF q way to make it up"
Phil did He went directly to his
kind parent with q true account of the
whole affair. Mrs. Bliss was very sorry
that her little son could not learn to re-
SYST temptation. She talked with him
seriously, warning him of hasty thoughts.
unchecked, which so often led to evil
doing. AS Phil was truly penitent. and
anxious to make amends, she advised
him to call the boys together aud tell
them what he knew, to propose that the
nuts should be given to Mr.. Shaw to be
sold for Minnie, in place of the pump
kins.