Thomas County cat., 1886-11-04

and thrusies with spirited songs just
the right sort of day to put party OF
tired school-boys in good humOr with
| themselves and all the world.
What are you going to do, Lionel?
| asked one Of the party.
Il mean to play good joke on some
one," replied Lionel. laughing in a
| mysterious manner.
"Go:-. 10 play it on boy or girl"'
one asked.
Neither" was the short reply.
MAN or a woman? Or are You go
ing to tease Lima Sydney's new dog?'
| questioned another.
Neither the first nor the last"
Then it must be a woman. Come.
Lioael. let us hear the plan; perhaps
we can help"
Every well. replied Lionel. Il will
let you help; and can promise that
| every one of you will have Il joly time.
Nothing bad. however; but no one
| shall ever find out who did it. l shall
expect every one of yon to meet me on
the school ground at eight O'Clock
sharp ard bring spades.
.'But. see here, Lionel" spoke up
Fred Morse, 'I'd like to know what
the joke is first
..lll tel at eight o'clock. Good
afternoon and he turned towards
home.
AT quar-. er before eight six boys
were lying on the grass in the play
ground, six spades stuck in the turf
near by, while a rake was seen hang
ing On the fence.
"Weil, l guess we are all here, so
what is all this racket about9' drawled
Ed Wallace, rolling over to take a
look 1T the full moon, which was
flooding the country with sea of mel
low light.
III is this spoke Lionel. This
afternoon at recess | was walking
along the fence here, and l saw old
Widow Martin out in the garden try
ing to dig up a place to plant b-r
onions; and just then (yOu know now
size likes TO talk to hersclD say her
lean on her sradc to rest her back.
and heard her say: Oh. how | wish
| had dollar to hire Il man 10 dig up
this hard ground! And then she went
III it again. She didn't see me watch
ing her. but was, and felt jus: as if
ID like to jump over the garden wall
and do it for her; because she is SO old
and lame that it is impossible for ner
to DO it. just tnen the bell rang and
we went to school, but Horned Il plan
TO give her surprise tonight, or
rather tomorrow morning. So, shall
we cOmmence?
'Yes"' came from ali quarters, and
in 4 moment they were climbing the
fence.
Now, the first one that speaks
aloud or hits his spade against another
goes over the fence towards homer
commanded Superintendent Lionel.
"And | want all the clOds knocked
fine"
'.All right!'' and the spades were
stuck into the soil. Several men and
boys passed along the street, which
WAS quite a-distancc from the garden;
but. happily. no one saw them. An
hour and a half passed, and the garden
had been dug deeply and thoroughly;
and the rake had not been idle, either.
for the fresh soil was raked fine and as
nearly leveled as the iron teeth and q
pair of willing hands could DO it. The
borders were carefully graded and
patted hard with the spades, and all
along the edges the trespassers wrote
with their fingers:
Mrs. Patience Martin. Mapleton,"
''Onion beds. Potato Department"
Cabbage Square" and Yours Truly"
With light hearts and dirty shoes
they leaped over the fence, and with
little regard to military rules. the
spade brigade" marched up town and
disbanded.
But do you think that Mrs. Martin
never knew who played the joke on
her? OF course she did! She saw them
from her bedroom window all the
while they were busy: and it nearly
melted her old heart. Tears trickled
down her wrinkled cheeks. and she
WAS almost tempted to raise the Win
dow and thank them ut once; but. kind
old soul, she guessed their object. and
wisely refrained from spelling their
surprise"
But the next morning the school
children were all looking over the
fence and spelling out the rude capitals
printed upon a board. and nailed up in
the center OF the garden. God bless
the boys. Our sabbath Home.