The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1884-08-02

! been to school long enough to learn
| how to divide two potatoes among three
people so that each shall whole one.
So says | to mother: You take this
one, and Susie and I'll handy-spandy
for the other.n Then / held it behind
me. and said to Susie: Handy spandy;
Jack-a-dandy, upper hand or lower"
Lower, says Susie.
"And lower it was, TO be sure, cause
! | held both hands even till she an
swered, and then dropped the one with
the potater in it lower, which wasn't
cheatin', ma am, now, was itP"
"No. my brave little Jack; it surely
was not cheating | answered, turn
ing away, that ne might not see the
! tears in my eyes.
well, Sue, you see, didn't like to
! take it; for she's awful generous. If she
is poor. and she tried to get it back on
me by saving she thought upper, and
twas only her lips that said lower She
meant upper all the time. She isn't
well Sue isn't.
''She's little and white, and ono po-
later amt much of a supper for the like
| of her, anyway. And at last made her
eat the whole of it. | told her that we'd
have a good dinner to-day, cause L
knowed somebody would buy my greens,
and I'm going to spend the whole five
cents for one dinner. What do you
think of that? I'm going to get three
herrings at a cent apiece, and the rest
in potatoes"
And he smacked his lips as he thought
of the treat in store for them all.
al think" he continued, THAT you We
paid me pretty well for my greens in
doughnuts without any five cents at all.
Still, as l look at it," he added, with a
sly twinkle in his great blue eyes,
''doughnuts is doughnuts, and cents is
cents and the doughnuts is present,
and the cents is pan"
l laughed aloud at his reasoning.
which was certainly most sensible and
true, and then said:
''Now Jack, l want you 10 keep your
five cents till some night you haven't
any supper, and let me ill your basket
with something that l know will go
around. want Susie to have glass
of fresh milk So YOU must carry this
tin pail besides the basket. Do you
think you can manage them both?'
"Well, ma'am, l guess you'll see
whether l can manage 'em or not. But
do you think l can dig greens enough to
pay for all them things you're putting
in?"
mo, Jack, / don't; for they are not to
be paid. l want to send these to your
mother-that is all; and as you said
yourself, doughnuts is doughnuts and
cents is cents"
"To-be-sure," he answered, merrily
Well, ma am, just wish you could see
'em when tell 'em how good you've
been to mo. Some folks amt good, you
| lyrAu- - ln ;.L
While | filled the basket, he told me-
their little history, never realizing how
: full it was of the deepest pathos-the
struggles of the poor mother to keep her
family together after the death of her
husband, good, kind man, who had
left her one morning, full of life and
strength, to go to his work in the great
iron foundry, and was brought back to
her few hours later, having met his
! death while toiling for those he loved.
He did not realize, either, how his
own self-saorifcing spirit shone out
, through his words, proving to me the
strength and sweetness of his charac-
ter. What a hero he was, this little
twelve-year-old Jack!
'.Mother has worked so hard for Sue
and me that she hasn't much strength
lett. And don't you think" he added,
Strengthening himself up proudly
don't you think Pm big enough to
take care of us threeP Leastways, I've
been lucky this morning, for I've sold
my greens and found you."
| | told him that henceforth we would
be the very hest and warmest of friends,
and that happier days were in store for
him and those at home; that | could
) find work for him to do which would
certainly help toward the support of all
l three.
/, Such happy Jack as he was when l
sent him home that April morning with
the heavy basket on one arm and pail
, of milk on the other; and wish | could
tell you-fOr | am sure you would like
; 10 hear-what pleasant days followed
for Jack and those so dear to him; but
it would make such long, long story
we should never come to the end of it.
) Indeed, there is no end to it. 1t is
story which is being iired throuGh now.
, and it grows more interesting and more
beautiful. tender and true with
, every chapter.
, Jack is proving himself the hero 1
knew him to be.
[ He works, early and late, on a small
: piece OF ground which we allow him to
I cultivate on our farm; and he carries
. his produce to town in a basket strapped
! on his back. and he is as happy rs a
King-happier than many Kings, l am
: sure"
a Little, pale Susie is not half so pale
} as she was before she, too, had the
; chance given her to "help."