Mexico weekly ledger., 1883-11-01


stuck to his work. Ben said:
"Hello, old chap; you've got to
work, hey?'
"Why, it's you, Ben; 1 wasn't
noticing"
"Say, I'm going in a-swimming, 1
am. Don't you wish you could ?
But of course, you'd ruther work,
wouldn't you? Course you would !"
Tom contemplated the boy a bit,
and said:
''What do you call work."
why, amt that work?''
Tom resumed the white-washing,
and answered carelessly:
''Well, maybe it is, and maybe it
amt. All I know is, it suits Tom
Sawyer"
'Oh, come now, you don't mean to
let on that you like it?''
The brush continued to move.
Like it? Well, / don't see why I
oughtn't to like it. Does o boy get
chance to white-wash fence every
day?"
That put the thing in a new light.
Ben stopped nibbling at his apple.
Tom swept his brush dainty back
and forth-stepped back to note the
effect-added a touch here and
there-criticised the effect again, Ben
watching every move, and getting
more and more interested, more and
more absorbed. Presently he said
"Say, Tom, let me white-wash 6
little"
Tom considered-was about to con.
sent-but altered bus mind.
''No, no; I reckon it wouldn't
hardly do, Ben. You see, Aun,
Polly's awful particular about this
fence-right here on the street, you
know-but if it was the back fence
I wouldn't mind, and she wouldn't
Yes, she's awful particular about this
fence it's got to be done very care
full; I reckon there amt boy in 6
thousand, maybe two thousand, thai
can do it in the way it's got to be
done."
'No-is that so? Oh, come now,
lemme just try, only just little,
I'd let you, If you was me, Tom.''
"Ben, I'd like to, honest Injun
but Aunt Polly-well, Jim wanted tc
do it, but she wouldn't let him. Sic
wanted to do it, but she wouldn't le
Sid. Now, don't you see how Pm
fixed? II you was to tackle thi'
fence, and anything was to happer
to it"
"Oh, shucks! I'll be just as care
full. Now, lemme try. Say-I'l
give you the core Of my apple"
swell, here. No, Ben now don't
I'm afear-''
"I'll give you all of it!"
Tom gave up the brush with re
luctance' in his face, but alacrity il
his heart. And while Ben worket
and sweated in the sun, the retire,
artist sat On q barrel in the shad
close by, dangled his legs, munche,
his apple, and planned the slaughte
of more innocents. There was n
lack Of material ; boys happened alonI
every little while; they came to jeer
but remained to white-wash. By th
time Ben was tagged ont, Tom ha
traded the next chance to Billy Fishe
for a kite in good repair; and whe
he played out, John Miller had bougll
it for toy rat and a string to swim
it with and 30 on, and so on, hou
after hour. And when the middle Q
the afternoon came, from being
poor, poverty-stricken boy in tn
morning, Tom was literally rollin
in wealth. He had, besides I'll
things l have mentioned, twelve maj
bles. part Of jew's-harp, piece {
blue bottie-glass to look through,
spool cannon, key that wouldn
unlock anything, fragment of chali
a glass stopper Of decanter, d
soldier, q couple Of tadpoles, six FIR
crackers, q kitten with only one ey'
brass door-knob, . dog-collar-b'
no dog-the handle Of . knife, 10,
pieces Of orange peel, and dilapida
.. ed old window-sash. He had had
nice, good. idle time all the while
plenty Of company-and the fen,
had three costs Of white-Wash on /
II be had not run out Of white-was
! be would have bankrupted every b.
IN the village.
: Tom said to himself that It was n
such q hollow world after all. I
had discovered . great law Of hum
!, action without knowing it-namel
4 that in order TO make Q man or b,
j. coyet thing, It il only necessary
@ make il difficult 70 attain.-(MA1
TWAIN.