The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1885-07-01
for tbe CHILDREN.
A Practical Joke and Its Result.

MrS. Allen was pussy making 1ulnce
pies when Harry came in and asked for
some old grease.
" What do you want it for?' she
asked. Go get some soap-fat, if that
will do" and Harry vanished in the
direction of the cellar, rejoicing that
she was too busy to notice that he did
not answer her question. Not so his
sister, Jennie, who was stoning raisins.
Mother" said she, "what is he
going to do with the fat?"
ooh, don't know. Probably help
grease the wagon. He can't do any
mischief with it," and Jennie was ST.
lent, half ashamed of the suspicion that
something was wrong. But she had
seen him whispering with Jimmy Johns
and Ben Brown at recess, and perhaps
that made her uneasy. Happily for her
peace, she did not know that each of
these boys had secured and hidden an
old fruit can of grease, though she
would have been puzzled to guess what
harm could be done with it.
The last mail came to the village at
eight O'Clock in the evening, being
brought by the horse-car from neigh
boring town, and Harry went up the
street for the letters. Tonight he
slipped away half an hour early and
Joined Jimmy and Ben at the corner.
"Ive got it" each whispered, and they
struck across lots at lively pace to the
foot of a hill which the car had to as
cend, just outside of the village.
CHANGING cautiously about to see that
the coast was clear, they produced their
tin cans and began greasing the rails on
h. atal.n l., IL,
the others worked, and they had Just
inished-they thought without being
seen-when they heard the rumbling
of coming car, and hastily hid them
selves behind some bushes.
The car whirled around the curve at
the foot of the hill, started on the as
cent and stopped dead still. The horses
strained and pulled under the drivers
whip, but the wheels took no hold upon
the creased surface and the car would
not stir. The boys, shaking with laugh
ter, watched the performance and
gloried in their sport, for the driver
was querulous old man whom they de-
lighted to tease.
He jumped down, put his hand on
the rail and broke into volley of oaths.
Harry's heart gave a great thump and
settled down like a lump of lead He
had not thought of that. The gentle
men in the car got out, assured them
selves that the rails were creased, and
started in search of the perpetrators of
the mischief, who, they thought, would
be hidden near But the boys escaped
undetected, and were soon standing in
the postof1ice wondering over the de-
low of fhn r,,al uhinh did xra
till half an hour after it was due, as the
car could not get up the hill till sand
was brought from a considerable dis
lance to sprinkle on the rails.
Harry went home feeling very sober
over the joke which he had thought
would be such good fun.
Wasn't it splendid" asked Jimmy
whose road lay in the same direction
but he was answered sharply:
"No. 1t was mean trick that | am
ashamed of. 1t hurt those poor horses
to pull like that, and / wouldn't have
made Peter swear for anything"
I" Hoity-toity, minister's son." said
Jimmy.
"Yes," said Harry. PITY the min
ister's son isn't worthy of his father
and he shut the gate after him with a
bang.
Whew," said Jimmy, but some way
he began to feel ashamed too.
Harry gave the letters to his father
and taking a copy of Our Young Folks
which had come for himself, went di,
rectly to his room. But he threw the
paper unopened on the table, and sal
moodily looking out of the window al
MOONLIGHT To no g.,
Election, and certain unpleasant pas.
sage of Scripture was running in his
head.
Old Peter was recent convert, being
one of those rare cases where a man
who has lived goddess life turns in ole
age to the Lord. But the chains OF
habit bound him strongly, and it wa:
no easy task for him to break them
Especially hard was it for him to re
press the oaths which he had long beer
accustomed to use. Harry knew thai
he had helped to bring to public fall
man over whom his father had fol
months been watching and praying
and he knew also that there were those
in the car who would jeer and triumph
over his sin, as if it were nobler tC
try to do right and fail than never try
at all.
g Brother" said he, {" What is tina
text, any way?" and, lighting his lamp
he took his Bible and hunted it out.
50 But whose shall offend one o
these little ones which believe in me
it were better for him that millston,
were hanged about his neck and tina
he was drowned in the depth of tn
sea-"
That's it, sure enough" said he
shutting the book. Peter is one o
the little ones if he is an old man, and
have offended him; that is, have mad
him sin. Well, guess I'll not drowl
myself tonight 1t wouldn't pay" an
he plunged into bed.
A few minutes later his sister Jenni
glided in and sat down by his side. Sh
had given one anxious glance at him a
he handed her father the mail, and, sur
that something was seriously amiss, ha
slippedaway to him as soon as she could
:" What is the matter, Harry?' sh
asked, laying gentle hand on his head
" Matter enough" he muttered.
g Is it about the grease?" she asked
" Oh, SIS" he exclaimed, g how di
you guess? 1t was a mean trick" and
boy-fashion, he told the story, for h
was wont to make a mother confesso
of this elder sister and to receive fror