News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1886-05-13


in in Sunday school, just had to set still
and listen. cracky, Sue, if you'd
heard Mr.. Ray talk -"
GLOW, Billy?"
''Oh, solemn. Looked right through
and through chap, and put his voice
down low, and says boys that don't look
out for their mothers amt worth a red
cent no, he didn't say just that, but
somethin' like it-and that if they ever
mean to do it now's their time, for some
day she'll be gone away, the first thing
you know, and you won't see her smilin'
at you, and you won't hear her voice,
and there won't be no one to think
you're tip top chap for all you've been
the torn en- finest chap you ever sec. And
just about that time they'd give their
eyes to have chance to make up for it,
and they can't make her hear cause
she'll be'-his voice grew husky and he
found it hard to go on-''she IL be under
the sod-and what'll you do thenl"
Billy chol1ed and gulped, and went
and crammed such wasteful amount OF
wood into the stove that Sue quietly
rejoiced in seeing the fire quite smoth-
cred out.
What are you going to do about it,
Billy9" asked Sue, when Billy seemed
to have said his say.
"Well, I'd like to be man at one
Jump, and dig in gold mine, or set up
a big store, OF be a Governor or some
thin. But he said lot more, about
how we can't do big things, and how
little things went ever so far and would
make her very heart sing. And amt
go1n' to play any more shines, Sue. I'm
going to keep plenty of wood cut, and
the box full and the kindlin's dry; and
I'm going to fix up things for her bit
yes, l am! What do you think she'd
say, now, if she should find the garden
all Strengthened out when she comes
home2"
81 think she'd say twas pretty nice,
Billy"
"And how do you guess she'd look if
the old fence was mended, heya"
Smiling, Billy"
''And the wood piled, and tho walks
swep' up2'
chilly, you'll get. tired before it's
half done, and be off with the boys"
Sue was wiser than she knew in say
ing this, for if anything had been need
GU " puL d w ASoNAN
tions, these doubling words would
have done it. He said no more, but
made a dash out into the little front
yard. Its forlorn, unkept air matched
every other feature of the small premi
ses, and was of itself almost enough to
account for the discouraged and woe
begone look always on his mothers
face, as she stitched way, with little
time for anything else. Sues was no
brighter, for the poor girl found life
a WEAKNESS in the neglected home
which, through her sad weakness, she
was unable to improve.
Billy bolr wed wheelbarrow, hunted
up spade, rusty through long disuse,
and mended a rake. After gathering up
and carrying away load or two of rub
bish and last years dead weeds and
leaves, he began carefully digging, and
before long gave shout which brought
Susy to the door.
'Look, Sue, here's your piney's just
peepin' out of the ground. See their
red tops2 No, won't cut 'em. And
see what lots more pansy blows I've
found under these leaves. And your
rosebush is buddin', see! I'm goin' to
set mothers geranium right in the mid
die of this round bed. Won't she open
her eyes, thought"
The beaming April sun shone cheer
fully down on Billy as he went on with
his labor of love. And the soft breeze
famed his cheek, seeming 10 whisper
something like the words he had heard
telling him that nothing sweeter could
ever come into his life than this Joy of
showing tender care to those he loved
and who loved him, and who stood in
such need of all he could do for them.
And the early shoots seemed to smile
and nod up at him in their soft green,
until he tried to fancy he could almost
hear them say:
go on, Billy, my boy! Do your best,
and we'll do our share"
Going in to dinner, he found Sue in
spired by his example to the extent of
quite q vigorous securing up of the
things in the house.
"Why didn't you wait till could
help YOU 2" he said. 'It must have
hurt you to do all this"
"Why, l didn't half feel it; it seemed
so good, somehow, to see things looking
nice outside. l didn't want to be put
to shame, you know"
In the afternoon the boys came and
worried him. His very feet tingled to
scamper after Jim Pratt and pay him up
for last Sunday. And it was tantilizing
to hear of tricks successfully played.
The bricks tied up and laid on the side
walk, the dime with a string, the fish
hook to catch passing hats-all the
small pranks dear TO the heart of the av-
erage boy, were a sore temptation to
Billy.
But his heart had been very deeply
stirred in this matter of trying to atone
| to his mother for his past waywardness,
and he manfully stuck to his woodpile'
The garden was little beauty-spot,
the fence mended, and things in order
to the very corners, when Billy sat down
on the step with aching limbs and
lame back, but with heart and face
very full of satisfaction, to watch fol
his mothers return.
81 don't see,'' said Sue, "why yor
call it an April fooling. This amt the
kind of thing l call April fooling."
"Why, Sue, mother thinks I've beer
cutting up the worst way all day long
You know she does. She thinks I've
been turning things upside down ano
wrong side out. Now, when she looks
'round'-Billy gave o comprehensive
wave of his hand-''don't you b'liev'
she'll be pretty badly fooledi Hi, there
she comes Keep quiet, now, Sue. and
see if l amt right"
Billy crept to the corner OF the fence
and shouted:
"ApriI fool"
Mother came in and looked; looked
in astonishment from one bright ant
orderly thing to another, taking IL
every detail, and realizing the amoun
of effort which had been necessary t.
the bringing about of such changed
condition of things.
And as the astonished expression
united itself to one of pleasure ant
qualification, and the two seemed t.
grow and increase until not an inch o
room was left for the discouraged lool
which seemed to fall away like heaV
cloud before June sunshine. Sue wa
Obliged to own that Billy was right
Christian Union.
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