The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1883-01-06
NED MERRmL's BOOT.JACK.

NED MERRILLS BOOT-JACK.
please pull Off my boots, mother"
said Ned Merrill, as he held up a muddy
/ boot IN front of his mothers face.
where is your boot-jachP" she
asked sa0
80, split it up for kindling-wood to-
night replied Ned
"Splt it up for kindling-wood! What
did you do that forP There are plenty of
boards in the wood-shed"
81 was in hurry" said Ned ''and |
grabbed hold of the first thing l came
to-"
'You are the LATEST boy ever saw"
said Mrs. Merrill, as she took hold of the
muddy boot and pulled it oil. You be
sure and make yourself a new boot-i Jack
tomorrow"
eyes, mother, will" said Ned, as
he babe her goodnight and went off to
bed.
You'll ruin that boy,r said Aunt
Louise, who had been sitting in the
room busily sewing. "You wait ON him
entirely too much"
His boots, you know, are rather
tight for him, replied Mrs. Merrill,
pull of. ! don intend pulling them
of again: lie will make a boot-jack to-
morrow.
Ned Merrill was a boy who always
put of everything in the shape of work
until the last moment The old adage:
'Lazy folks work best when the sun is
west, b" was true in his case. He had
the kindlings TO split for the fires, the
water to bring from the well, and the
COW to feed three times a day; but his
mother often said that it was such
hard work to get Ned to do these things
she would rather do them herself He
could easily have stepped into The
wood-shed and split up kindlings
enough in few minutes to Inst three on
four days; but he always, as Aunt
Louise said, dreaded everything n the
shape OF work. He would wait until
dark before he got about his chores.
and then e.would split up his boot Jack
or something else that lay near him,
saying; a can easily make another"
The next night, when bedtime came,
Ned looked all around the kitchen as if
he had lost something.
He has not made that bOot-iack,"
thought Aunt Louise, as she saw the
boy try to pull olfhis boots on the chair
rounds and on the wood-box. Il won
der what he will do" thought she.
Ned's mother was in the pantry, stir
ring up buckwheat cakes for breakfast
When she came into the kitchen she
said: Haven't you gone to bed yet
NedP l thought you went up stairs
long ago"
g can't get my boots off, replied
Ned, in fretful tone. tsH
There! l knew You wouldn't make
that book-iack to day, when you said
you would exclaimed his mother
II forgot it., replied Ned.
you didn't forget to. go to Tom
White 5 for your ball, or to 90 skating
with Willie Rounds; but you always for
get to do anything you consider work.
While Mrs Merrill was talking, Ned
was Juggling and pulling away at his
boots, and soon word which he knew
he ought not to say escaped his lips. and
made the tears come in his mother
eyes. She silently went TO her boy and
pulled off his boot While she was pull.
ing off the second one, Charles Brown,
neighbours son, came in to borrow
some yeast. He looked with amaze
ment at Ned, as he sat in a chair while
his mother pulled of his muddy boot.
docs your mother pull off your
boots. NedP' he asked "Why don't
you have a boot-jackP Your mother
must be very good | would not dare
ask my mother TO do such thing for
me-"
Ned looked quite ashamed, although
he wa such a Sc fish boy that the TACT
of his mot er's doing such menial
service for him was not what shamed
him it was the thong t that Char es
Brown had seen the transaction and re-
scented it.
The next day Ned seemed to have
FORGOTTEN all about the event OF the
evening; also, the MAKING of the bout
ia k. He went off skating with crowd
Of boys. without as much as bringing
hs mother one pailipl Of water.
Where is your DO lt-iack, old fell
lowg .shOR sed a dozen voices Ned
went down oa the ice. W.. ~ ALt A@f4
Il never heard of making boot-ia,k
out of a mother before, eNclaine ed
Harry Jones. My m the won d APP
pr the boot tn me externally, 1 guess,