The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1886-06-26
SUCH A DIFFERENCE.


A Nice Enough Boy "whcn There Amt
Pumpkins to Plant and the Barn Don't
Ketch Fire"
81 wish, said Grandma PeaselSy to
her husband one evening, "that there
wasn't such q difference between
Esther's Cyrus and Susan's Leslie"
EYES," said grandpa, rubbing his
stubby chin, Leslie is better lookin'
than Cyrus"
Il feel sort o guilty." went on
grandma, "because I've always been
kind O. PARTIAL didn't mean to show
ito Leslie. 'Twouldn 'tmake much
difference if Cyrus wasn't hurt by it.
But to-day, says he, Uncle Roberts
given Leslie new skates. That's NICE
says |. 'Ye-es,' says he; I'm glad
he's got 'em. Then he kept still
minute, n then he burst out, sad
enough: why is it, grandma, that
Leslie has every thin N | don tp
Does God love him BETTER He does
meY That scared me. Mercy, no,
says l, N | kissed his peaked, little.
saller face. Folks have different gifts
says |. May be when you get to be a
man, Leslie won't have any better
times than you do. God gives us the
chance to make our happiness some
way or other. If we don't get it, it's
our own fault, l believe He seemed
to understand that right off. I'm in
hopes it was the right word for him. -
I'm glad" said grandpa, heartily,
Leslie steps off so prompt aud an
swers so keen, that he takes But
got an insight into Leslie last punkin'
plantin' time. l told the boys that T.
give each of 'em tinted ish-pole il
they'd seed out the punkins. Then !
told 'em how to 60 to work. They
mustn't put more'n four seeds to hill,
and they must go down just such rows.
After while sort O. sa'ntered down
to see how they were gettin' on
'Leslies all through, long ago. Cyru;
says. Smart, AIM hep says 1. Yes
sir, says Cyrus, never lettin' on bu
what he really thought so. What hills
did he seed?" says l. Cyrus told, anC
l began to investigate. There the seeds
were at the beginnin', thicker'n puddin
in every hill, and then they petered on
to none at all. That was one tim,
Cyrus got somethin' Leslie didnt-fo
! didn't give Leslie any tishpole."
81 remember that" said grandma
sand it was only boy-like, after all"
"Ye-es, " responded grandpa; "onl!
I'd a little rather Leslie hadn't dom
it."
The Peckhams' farm lay beside tina
! of Mr. Weatherly, Leslie father. Mrs
, Susan Weatherly was Mrs. Peckham'
| sister, and their houses lay less than a.
, eighth of a mile apart. Mr.. Weather.
, and Mr.. Peckham had built their barn
just about halfway between their tw
: houses, and close against each other
4 Just alike, and warmer and better i
many respects for being built side b
side, though they were long distanc
from the house, the boys used to thin
4 in winter.
1t was the day after Grandpa an
K Grandma Peaseley had held this cor
n versation that Cyrus and Leslie, VIII
a | were lllIbtGu anu lOuIltGu years OlN
:. respectively, were out in the barr
: doing the evening "chores." Lesl
a had finished first, as he usually die
. and had come in to gossip little wit
Il Cyrus. 1t was about five o'clock, an
Z very dim in the barn, so Cyrus hg
. lighted the lantern and set it on ii
i corn-sheller near by.
J. "Why, there's BOuncer exclaimC
y Leslie, as a great black dag came jun
e ing in. "Well, old fellow, how a
u you?n He began to frolic wildly wi
o tie huge dog.
y Cyrus back was turned, and he d
P not see Bounce spring up to the top
O. the corn-sheller. He did not see {
l. lantern sway and totter but he d
l. hear the crash Of glass and then
s. scream of horror from Leslie,
e Bounce dashed past them and OF
ID doors. Then Cyrus understood tn
n the lantern had tipped over a
~ broken. There was a pile of hay Gle
ry by. The barn was on fire.
ny The color left Cyrus ''little. peakC
Sc saller' face, but his eyes shone Ii
Dc glow-worms on a summer MIG
es Somehow, a verse came into his mi
" about instant in business" He m
ha ttinstantn nnU