The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1884-07-23

don't believe they had any apple-sauce to
eat with 1.-THE apple orchards were not
planted then, you know-but even with
out that it must have seemed delicious to
them"
Toms cheeks were very red indeed
now.
"What do you think Elder Brewster
would have said, Or Miles Standish, if
some one had told them, hundred and
fifty years or 30 later, one of the boys
for whom they were working 80 hard to
build up home and country would
turn up his nose at corn bread, and re.
fuse to eat it because it wasn't mullins?
Would they have been most sorry or most
angry, do you Think"
al don't know, said the abashed Tom.
"Elder Brewster would probably have
looked troubled and perplexed. He would
have found it hard to understand how
such thing could be. But 1 can imagine
Miles Standish bringing his fist down on
the table with bang, and shouting, Ode
generate little rascal, let him not dare to
call himself a descendant of ours added
Mrs. Brewster, with wicked smile.
"Oh, mamma, don't said Tom. He
looked so unhappy that she said no more,
but she noticed next morning he ate a
large piece of corn-bread at breakfast, and
for long time after that she heard no
more petitions for orange marmalade or
apple sauce. Tom never spoke of the
matter again, but the recollections of Ell
der Brewster's surprise and Miles Stand
ish's disgust served as a check and re-
minder when he felt inclined to be dainty
and difficult.
Another time it was question of indo-
lence. Tom came down very late to
breakfast, and was correspondingly late
at school.
elbow do you suppose the woods would
ever have been cleared, and the fences built,
and the wharves made, if the Pilgrim boys
had lain in bed till half-past eight in the
morning?" his mother asked him. We
should all be sitting in the wilderness at
this moment if they hadn't been EARL er
than that.
Little by little Tom Brewster grew in
to manly boyhood, and the forefathers,
of whom he thought 80 much, played no
small part in the development of his char
acter. He was strictly truthful, and had
strong sense of honor, as became a
descendant of sturdy Elder Brewster; and
this, of all his traits, was that which his
mother priced and loved the most.
So it was quite shock to her when,
one day, note came from the master of
the high school to say that he was sorry
to make complaint against Tom, whose
conduct had generally been satisfactory,
but that something very unpleasant had
occurred. The bell, which hung in the
tower of the school building, had been
stolen. No one knew by whom, but a
mitten marked with Toms name had been
picked up in the staircase which led to
the tower, and he, on being questioned,
though he denied the mischief, had con-
fessed that he knew something about it..
al can make no impression" wrote Mr..
Marshall. Perhaps you will be able to
get the truth from him"
MIR. and Mrs. Brewster were greatly
troubled by this note. This was the first
serious scrape that Tom had ever got
into, and they were perplexed as to how
to deal with it. Kindly and closely they
questioned their boy, but for long time
they could get no answer beyond, az
didn't do it, mamma, l told Mr.. Marshall
that didn't do it," But at last, when
Tom grasped the fact that his parents
were not sure that he was speaking the
truth, his face flushed Indignantly, and
tears sprang into his eyes. "Papa, don't
you believe me ?" he said, with choke
in his voice.
"Yes, Tom," answered his father slowly
eff you look me straight in the face, and
say that you didn't do this, l must believe
you, for you have never told me lie."
"No, and never will" said Tom, look
ing straight into his fathers eyes. "Pd
be ashamed of being descendant of the
Pilgrims if told lies. do know who
stole the bell, mamma, and / said so when
Mr.. Marshall asked me, but l promised
not to tell"
"Thats enough, my boy. I'm satisfied
and no one shall ask you any more ques
tions about it," said Mr.. Brewster.
Tom let mamma kiss him, then he hur-
ried away. His eyes and voice were moi
quite steady yet, and, like most boys Of
his age, he considered crying weakness
to be ashamed of. But his heart was
warm with a glow of affection toward the
parents who believed him, waiting for thu
proof of his word, which came few
weeks later.
"What a stanch little chap that is ~
remarked his father, after he was gone
"How he harks back to the Pilgrims
always He thinks twice as much abou
them as l ever did. Well, Elder Brew
ster himself need not be ashamed of him.
"No," replied his wife, thoughtfully
"It is curious to see what large par
Elder Brewster and the rest of thos
worthless have played in Toms develop
ment. 1t makes it better worth while tt
have lived to think that, long after yo'
are dead, you may still reach out hand
as it were, to affect the life and characte
of your far-away descendants. wish al
New England boys cared about the Phi
grims in the same way. There is every
thing in having high standard, an
Toms standard all his life has been tn
, Foretathers. Susan Coolidge.
RAINY SavinDa