The new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1876-1904, 1885-10-31
MENoING THE WORLD.
Boy blue Sets HIS Grandpa an Excellent
Example.

Boy blue Sets his Grandpa an Excellent
Example.
Boy Blue was listening while Grand
pa and another old gentleman talked.
l don't know why they called him Boy
Blue, unless 1t was because he had
such blue eyes. tor he would have been
the very last boy to go fast asleep
under hay-stack while the cows were
getting into the corn. Not he, indeed;
those bright eyes Of his would have
spied them before they got within
smelling distance of the corn. and he
would have been on hand with his big
dog to make them scamper the other
way in hurry.
II you asked that dogs name, Boy
Blue would answer: Guess; and
then after you had guessed Rover and
Dash and Fido and Carlo. and all the
other dogs names you ever heard of,
and got tired of 1t and asked: well,
what Is his name, thenP' Boy Blue
would still answer: Guess" with his
eyes just brimful and running over with
fun. And then if you began again,
and guessed all the dogs names that
you never did hear Of, and got quite out
OF patience this time, and declared you
would not guess any more, and he
must tell you, Boy Blue would laugh
SO hard that be would tumble down
and roll around the ground shouting
''Guessl Guessr' For thai was the
dogs name.
Well, as said, Boy Blue and Guess
were listening TO Grandpa and another
old gentleman talking. Boy Blue was
very much interested in listening, for
they were telling about something
which he thought needed to be attend
cd to right away. They were saying
that the world needed mending, that It
was in very bad way, and getting
worse all the time; that things were not
at all as they used to be, and nobody
could tell where it would all end.
Grandpa ssid Boy Blue, sis it
really true that the world needs mend
ingpe
Eyes, indeed, child, badly enough"
sighed the old man, shaking his head,
but never looking down at Boy Blues
earnest face.
But where, GrandpaP where does
1t need mendingg
Everywhere, child You can't take
a step, right or left, without seeing 1t. "
Boy Blue looked around. Sure
enough, there was big hole in the
middle of the road. II had been there
ever so long, and horses had stumbled
into il, and wagons had jounccd of
part of their loads by running wheel
into II, and the drivers had scolded and
grumbled, but nobody had ever tried to
mend II. Boy Blue stood still and
thought about it. The world was get
ting worn out, it was plain.
attn have to be mended, that's all
about IT," said he to himself. II
should think Grandpa and Mr. Peters
would go right to work at 1t now.
know ] can mend that hole in the road,
anyhow, and that'll be SO much done.
Come along, Cues"
Guess came along, and did not hang
back even when he saw the little cart
pulled out, which he was not at all fond
Of drawing. He had learned by mel
ancholy experience that II Boy Blue
made up his mind to have thing done,
IL had to be done sooner or later, and
he might as well be good natured about
it. SO back and forth he trotted dog
fully doing his part TO mend the world.
1t took good deal of hard work to get
big stones and little stones and gravel |
enough 10 fill that hole, but Boy Blue
and Guess kept at it, and when the last
cartful Of gravel was finally stamped
down hard, you would hardly have
known that there had ever been hole
there
All that time Grandpa and Mr. Peters
stood and talked and shook their heads; \
but Boy Blue did not mind them any
more. He had found out what needed
to be done, and be meant to do his part
Of 1t anyway. When the hole was filled
up be looked around for something else
to mend. and saw a hen hopping
through gap in the fence. where two
pickets were off Up jumped Boy Blue,
as eager as ever. and trudged off for
hammer and nails, and was soon pound
ing away at the pickets as if his life de-
pended on getting them in place. He
remembered now how many times
mother had run out yesterday to scare
the hens away. People got worn out,
too, sometimes, and had to be mended,
he reflected
Well. this would be one more thing
mended When he got the pickets on,
he meant to go and nail down the loose
board on the back door-steps. Mother
had said that morning that she believed
she should break her leg on that board.
1t would be easier to mend the board |
than the leg. and would not take SO
long either.
When the fence and TIE steps were
in good condition again Boy Blue stood
still few minutes, not Immediately |
seeing any more work to do. Presently |
he caught sight Of a broken place in
one Of the square, hollow pillars Of the |
porch. Joe had STAYED it in one dav
with the handle Of his rake. and Boy
Blue remembered that Grandpa had |
said that it must be pretty rotten. or it |
would not have broken so easily. He |
looked at the hole, and poked his |
fingers into it; then he pulled out his
knife and proceeded to investigate |
further. Then he went and examined |
the other pillar, and as the result of |
that examination he lodged outside of
the porch, and shouted: ''Grandpa!" st |
the top Of his lungs
Grandpa, who had finished his talk |
with MI. Peters. and was taking a
quiet dose en- the s.tting-foom lounge,
sprang up and rushed out ON the porch,
expecting IT least to see Boy Blue lying !
ON the ground under the big apple-tres !
with his leg broken. But Boy Blue's /
logs appeared 70 be perfectly sound,
A.. 49,