The Grenada gazette. (Grenada, Miss.) 1885-18??, 1886-04-24
A LEAThER.kNEES COMPANY.

h Unique Organization Effected by q
Number Of Mother-LovinG Boys. Z.
On a certain spring morning when
all was bright and beautiful overhead,
and-well the least said the better
about what was under foot-several
enterprising small boys awoke to the
remembrance of the fact that there is
such a game Is marbles in the world.
No doubt they were duly thankful, at
any rate they caused more or less con
fusion lin most cases more) each in
his respective home by hunting, boy
fashion, for the remains Of last years
supply of marbles. At last a tri-
umphant shout from seven strong
lungs, sounding through seven houses,
showed that the search had been sue
c~essful, and that the treasures were
found. Then the seve boys ran gayly
off to school, and seven mammas
sighed. The marble season had COM
menced.
On the school-ground the boys met
and compared notes; then one of them
drew a straight line, or a circle (Which
is it boysP) with his thumb nail, and
soon all were heartily engaged in the
game.
At length the school-bell rang and
the boys all jumped up quickly from
the damp, dirty ground, and slapped
their knees vigorously until the dirt
was well pounded in, out of sight!
That is, all except n did. Phil Law
renee, the most tidy in appearance of
them all, gazed ruefully at his own
dirty knees for a moment, then re-
marked:
Rather hard on a fellows knees,
isn't itp 1t wouldn't take very many
games to wear a hole clear through, to
say nothing Of the dirt"
"Oh, well, never mind!'' Al Sanders
replied, ''we don't have to wash or
mend them"
mo, sir! we don't; but our mothers
do! More's the pity" was the indig-
nant rejoinder.
But by this time the boys had reached
the school-room, and there was no
more time for talking, as they passed
quickly to their seats.
At the noon recess the boys ex-
changed invitations with each other to
hurry back as soon as possible from
dinner, and AL Sanders called out
.banteringly to Phil:
"Now, my dainty Lady Philip, we
will hope to see you back in good
season, unless you have decided to give
up playing such an untidy and unlady-
like game as marbles
But Phil had no intention of giving
up marbles; and it cut him to be called
''my lady" just as it would any other
boy. Nevertheless he did not hurry
one bit; but IN the contrary walked
home at an. unusually slow
pace. He was thinking. He did
love marbles, but then he loved
mother, too, and did not like to
make her any more trouble than he
could help.
"And it can't be much fun to clean
dirty knees every one in a while, and
them, too, in the bargain"
Suddenly a thought struck him, and
such force that he said "Oh!"
right out loud in the street. Then he
turned right about face and went into
Mr.. Winters shoe shop, which hap
pened to be standing conveniently
near.
"Mr. Winter, have you any pieces of
you could sell mep"
Eyes, l guess so; how much do you
This much" Phil answered, after a
moment. holding up two pieces. That
he ran home fast enough, / can
ell you, to make up for lost time. He
ound dinner not quite ready, so he
'usied himself with the leather. First
lc cut two soft black pieces into OBJ
ongs, about six by eight inches; then