The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1884-06-19


Tom Sawyer, having offended bis sole
guardian, Aunt Polly, is by that sternly
affectionate dame punished by being set
to whitewash the fence in front of her
garden. The world seemed hollow
mockery to Tom, who had planned fun
for that day, and he knew that he would
be the laughing stock of all the boys as
they came past and saw him set to work
like niger" But great inspiration
burst upon him, and he went TRANQUILITY
to work. What that inspiration was
will appear from what follows:
One of the boys, Ben Rogers, comes
by and pauses, eating particularly fine
apple. Tom does not see him. Ben
stares for moment and then says:
"Hi-yi! you're q stump, amt you?"
No answer. Tom surveyed his last
touch with the eye of an artist, then he
gave smother gentle sweep and sur
veyed the result as before. Ben ranged
up alongside of him. Toms mouth
watered for the apple, but he stuck to
his work. Ben said:
Hello, old chap; you've got to work
':Why, it's you, Ben; wasn't MOTTO
ing"
"Say, I am going in swimming am.
Don't YOU wish you could? But of
course you'd rather work, wouldn't you?
Course you would"
Tom contemplated the boy bit, and
said:
''What do you call work."
"Why, amt that, work? ?"
Tom resumed his whitewashing, and
| answered carelessly:
well. may be it is, and maybe it
amt. All I know is, it suits Tom Saw
yer.
ooh, come now, you don't mean to let
on you like it?
The brush continued to move.
Like it? Well, don't see why I
ought to like it. Does boy get chance
to whitewash Tense every day."
That put the thing in new light
Ben stopped nibbling at his apple
Tom swept his brush daintily back and
added a touch here and there, and criti
cised the effect again, Ben watching
every move, and getting more and more
interested, more and more absorbed.
Presently he said:
"Say, Tom, let me whitewash little
Tom considered about to consent
but altered his mind.
"No, no; reckon it would hardly do
Ben. You see, Aunt Pollv's awful par
ticuiar about this fence-right here on
the street, you know-but if twas the
back fence [ wouldn't mind, and she
wouldn't. Yes, she's awful particular
about this fence; it's got to be done very
careful; reckon there amt boy in
thousand, maybe two thousand. that
can do it in the way it s got to be DONE"
"-No-is that SO? Oh, come now,
femme just try, only just little. I'd
let you, if you was me, Tom"
"Ben, Id like to. honest Injun, but
Aunt Polly-well, Jim wanted to do
it, !s,t she wouldn't let him. Sid
wanted to doit, but she wouldn't let Sid.
Now, don't you see how am fixed? If
You was to tackle this fence and any
thing was to happen to it"
ooh, shucks. I'll be just as careful.
Lemme try. Say-Ill give you the core
of my apple"
well, here. No, Ben: now don't;
M afoar-"
It'll give YOU all of it,"
Tom gave up the brush with reluc-
lance in his face, but alacrity in his
heart. And while Ben worked and
sweated in the sun tie artist sat on a
barrel i'll the shade close by, danglcd his
legs, munched his apple, and
planned the slaughter of more
innocents. There was no lack of materi-
al; boys happened along every little
while; they came to jeer, but remained
to wilitewash. By the time Ben was
tagged out Tom had traded the next
chance to Billy Fisher for !. kite in good
repair; and when he played ont John
Miller bought it for a toy rat and a
string to swing it with and so on. hour
after hour. And when the middle of
the afternoon came, from being poo,
Poverty-stricken boy in the morning.
Tom was literally rolling in wealth.
He had, besides the things I have mr:,-
toned. twelve marbles, part of jaws
harp, piece of blue bottle glass to
look through, a spool cannon. KEY
that wouldn't unlock anything. fra::-
ment OF chalk, glass stopper of d.
cantcr, tin soldier, couple of tad
poles. SIN hre-crackers, kitten
with only one eye. a broken door-knob.
a dog collar-but no dog-tlle handle of
a knife, four pieces of orange peel, and
dilapidated old window sash. He had
a nice, good, idle time all the while
plenty of company-and the fence had
three coats of whitewa*h on it! If he
had not run out of whitewasll he would
have bankrupted every boy in the vii
lage.
Tom said to himself that it was not
such hollow world after all. He had
discovered a great law Of human action
without knowing it-namely. that in Or
der to make man or boy covet a thing it
Is only necessary to make it difficult to
attain. Chicago News.