The Arizona sentinel., 1886-05-01
LEATHER KNEES.

The Unique Organization Effected by a
 Number of Mother-Loving Boys.
 On a certainsspring morning when
 Ill 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 game as marbles in the world. No doubt they were duly thankful, at any rate they caused more or less con- fusion Gin most cases more) each in his respective home by hunting, boy fashion, for the remains of last years s umphant shout from seven strong lungs, sounding through seven houses, | showed that the search had been suc- l cessful, and that the treasures were | found. Then the seven 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 straight line, or 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 one 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 it? It wouldn't take very many games to wear hole clear through, to say nothing of the dirt"
 ''Oh, well, never mindr' Al Sanders replied, i've don't have to wash or mend them"
 ''No, 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 on the contrary walked toward home at an unusually slow pace. He was thinking. He did dearly love marbles, but then he loved his 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 once in while, and patch them, too, in the bargain"
 Suddenly a thought struck him, and with such force that he said "Oh!' right out loud in the street. Then he turned right about face and went into MT. Winters shoe shop, which hap pOllCu CO uO oCdAOlAS OOuNOHlCutly near.
 MT. Winter, have you any pieces of leather you could sell me?"
 ''Yes, 1 guess so; how much do you want?"
 ''This much," Phil answered, after moment, holding up two pieces. That settled, he ran home fast enough, I can tell you, to make up for lost time. He | found dinner not quite ready, so he busted himself with the leather. First | he cut two soft black pieces into ob- i longs, about six by eight inches; then he scalloped the edges, cut three holes | in each end of them, hunted up some | shoe-strings and tied these pieces of | leather over his knees. It did not take | long to eat his dinner and run back to school, where he was one of the first boys on the playground. Of course the leather-covered knees attracted | general attention.
 What in the world has he got on his knees?" exclaimed one, in wonder.
 ''Oh, ho! Leather-kneesr' from an- other.
 ''Let's get piece of carpet for him to kneel on. suggested third.
 While a fourth bowed low and said, with mock deference:
 Captain Leather-knees, may we pre- sume to ask you to play a game of marbles with us?'
 Roly Poly Potter, a fat, good-natured boy, with very little mind of his own, stood by and giggled at the remarks of the other boys, while Harry Anderson, Phil's chum, said, indignantly:
 'I don't see what there is to make such fuss abOutm
 Phil stood by in silence until the first excitement was over; then he ex- manfully:
 ''Now, see here, boys. Honor bright, don't you think our mothers have enough to do without lot of extra knee-cleaning and patching? We wouldn't like it if we had to do it our selves, and don't suppose our moth CTS enjoy it very muck. Now if we would only wear these leather-knees it would save a good deal; and we could form ourselves into company, and