The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1882-09-07
a Jamie S job"

usually brave ana nOpeIul through
all her trials, dropped her face into
her hands, and Jamie saw the tears
trickle through her fingers.
His heart sWelled almost to burst
ing, and tears gathered in his own
eyes. Poor little Jamie! small as
he was, he was "all the man his
mother had to take care of her
noW," as he had informed her only
the day before; and now, brave and
willing as he was, he could not help
her, for what could little boy only
6 years old do?
His father had died six months
before, and he and his mother and
his sister Chrissie, two years older
than he, were all alone in the world.
Jamie brushed the tears out of his
eyes as fast as they gathered, for he
wouldn't have had his mother to see
them for the world, and besides it
wasn't manly to cry, and putting
his hands down deep into his trous-
ers' pockets, he sat down on the
door step and meditated.
just then Patsy Dolan, an Irish
boy who lived little further up the
road, went by, whistling cheerfully.
"Where are you going, Patsyr
called Jamie.
He had made Patsy's acquaint-
ance by speaking to him as he went
by, long before, and he had taken a
great fancy to his cherry, honest
face.
'I'm going to get a job" returned
Patsy, and went on briskly, too full
Of business to stop for further
parley.
: To get a job! Jamie knew very
well what that meant. Patsy, a
tall, strong, active boy, twice as old
as he, was always finding something
to do to earn money.
"Why can't get job? ?'said annie
himself. And he ran for his hat,
and was soon running swiftly down
the road, behind Patsy Dolan.
He had not q very clear idea in
his mind of what he was going to
find to do, but he determined to
follow Patsy, and see what he did.
Patsy stopped at a village store,
and SO Jamie stopped there too.
Two or three men were reading a
notice that was posted up beside
the store door, and Patsy, who was
of an inquisitive turn of mind, and
liked to know the news of the day,
read it also. But it did not seem
to have any connection with q ''job, >"
which was now the sole object he
had in view, for he turned away
from it very soon. And then jamie
walked up and read it; you may be
sure Jamie could read as well as if
were sixteen instead of six
He didn't feel even as much in
terested in it as Patsy seemed to be,
though it created quite an excite
ment IN the group collected around
it. 1t was headed ''Lost," in great
staring letters, and was an advertise
ment of a pocket-book lost by
Squire Warner, the richest man in
town. 1t contained SIS, ,O00in money
"a sum that it made Jamie's eyes
open very wide to think of-besides
some very valuable papers, and
Squire Warner offered $500 reward
to any one who should return it to
him.
What happy man Squire Warner
must be, Jamie thought, to be so
rich! But not so happy as he would
be if he could earn So.
"What do you want, my man?
asked the store-keeper, coming out
just then and noticing Jamie's eager
face.
II was looking for job" said
Jamie; he had heard Patsy Dolan
say that, aid he thought in sounded
very grand and manly.
Oh, how the store-keeper laughed
and all the men who were standing
| about Joined him. Jamie, burning
with Indignation, walked off to thu
end of the piazza, where Patsy Do
land was talking with a man jus
driven up in wagon, 1t was Nr
Meacham, the man who carried OF
Squire Warmers farm, and Jamie
listening eagerly to his converse
! ton soon understood that he wante,
to hire two or three boys to pic
, currants to send to market the mex
day. One cent a box he was to pa
: them.
/ at don't be much of a job" sal
< Patsy contemptuously;," but, as theI
don't seem to be anythin' else,
guess I'll be afther going"
| 90, can't I 60? Won't you hir
! me, too, sir?" cried Jamie, fairl
$ trembling with eagerness.
;. "Why, my little fellow, how man
o -currants do you think you coul
$ pick? About box a day?'
d 81 could pick good many boxes
- answered Jamie, stoutly.
y "Sure it wouldn't be anybody
% loss but his own if he didn't pic
y !. but the one box" said Patsy, wi
it was anxious to say n good word Il
> Jamie.
r r "Well, Jump into the wagon
j YOU want to CO. said the farme
ls good naturedly, and the next m
ia ment Jamie was sitting betweC
g Patsy and the farmer in the wago
* feeling as if his fortune was mad
= They drove through the vilag
/ and very soon Mr.. Meacham hi
e, added to his stock of currant-picke
.. two hoys of about Patsy's age.
co Then they drove to Squire Warner
and the boys set to work on {
=. loaded currant bushes at one
4 James the most eager and indust
Is Gus of the whole. The spot that
q, m chose for himself was where n re
;. of currant bushes ran along besi
Il the stone wall, and he was fortuna
o. in his selection, for the currar
on were larger there than anywhG
else, and he picked three boxes fu
on all nice and clean, not single K
he among them, before he stopped
zee take breath. / don't know whetl
1ai he would have stopped then II
IS queer rustling in the grass behi
nd him had-uot attiacted his attenti'
cd He turned around, and there "
sorI Ia little fawn colored animal, loC
III ing something like dog, with VI
re- re, bright, black eyes, looking W
10 shyly at him. Jamie was account
ng bred boy, and he knew at once Il