Little Falls transcript., 1886-07-09
A BOYS HEART.

A BOYS HEART.
It was perfect June day, the last
OF the month. Mary Clifton stood on
the piazza of her fathers house, and
looked down over the intervening
space, shading her eyes with her hand,
till they rested upon straw hat bob
bing hither and thither in the shrub
berry, and almost hidden by the rich
foliage and clustering blossoms of the
acacia trees. She ran lightly down
| the steps and toward the wearer there
OF.
20 Harry, here you are I have
called and hunted for you five minutes
! at least, and, oh, what lovely bou-
quet you have made! You mean it
for the minister's wife, of course;
please give it to me quick; it is Just
what want for her own room, and it
| will save me so much time and labor"
and the fair young girl held out her
hand for the treasures, not yet so
plenty as not to be very precious.
"Sorry, Sis said the young gentle
man of 12, holding his bouquet high
| above his head; "they are not for
your minister's wife, but for mine.'
'Well, we'll, all the same; twist this
bit OF paper around it, and leave it
yourself III her room. Come, we must
hurry; the train is due in twenty min
utes."
"Can't help it if it's due in ten.
These are not to 60 into the new min
lister house, but the old one. Tell
you, don't forget, if some other folks
90. Your new minister's got about
all the flowers and things in townnow,
and I'm just going to give these to
Mrs. Brown before school, too; so
good-hy, sis; guess you can find few
stragglers yet, if you look sharp" and
Off ran the nimble feet, leaving his Sis
ter looking after him, not for the flow
ers.
''The dear boy" she murmured,
hot flush coming into her cheeks; che
has taught me a lesson" and then she
turned and went easily back to the
house.
As she entered the family sitting
room, she met her mother with fat
basket OF good things on her arm,
coming out to put it in the carriage at
the door, to be transferred to the new
parsonage, while her father, a. mild,
silver-haired deacon, was just count
ing over a pile of bills, preparatory to
doing them up in a neat package ad-
dressed to ''Rev. Horatio B;.rnes.''
80 MAMMA" exclaimed Mary, stop
ping her mother by taking the heavy
basket and putting it into a chair,
''Only think, found Harry in the
garden picking a bouquet for Mrs.
Brown, and he said he had not forgot
ten her if we all had, and he has gone
OH with them to her. I felt awfuly
ashamed; I'm afraid we have been ne
glectful of them the past few weeks"
II declare for it," said good Mrs.
Clifton, II do believe We have, and
they all alone 50, and he sick.'
Il don't believe anybody's thought
to invite her to the reception this
svening, either, and I'm sure don't
see how she could leave him and come,
anyway
II could manage that nicely, sister,"
said q gentle voice, issuing from an ad~
joining room. "If Harry would drive
me over to Parson Browns, we could
take Mrs. Brown to the party, and I
could be company for the minister,
and so returning. You know | could
not think OF going into crowd"
The speaker, an elderly, delicate
looking man OF about sixty, now ap-
peared at the door, and poth mother
and daughter exclaimed together:
ooh, thank you, Uncle John; that
would be nice, and now how shall we
get word to her?"
81 will attend to that myself said
the deacon, putting up the emoney and
rising; and Mary, as she reached him
his hat and cane, saw q suspicious
dimness in his eyes. Nosounl sho we'd
what his thought was, however. my
dear old master and friend! The dear
boy who had a more tender heart
than his fathern'
Meanwhile Harry sped on, past the
church and schoolhouse, and all the
business part OF the town, till he came
to a pretty white cottage, a. little
back Of the street, the garden and
front yard enclosed by neat picket
fence. Harry, d1scarding the SEN
sible but stupid gate, swung himself
lightly over the fence, and took q
short cut to the side door. A short
sharp sound struck his ear.
Il declare if she isn't driving tacks;
putting kown a carpet, like enough;
pretty work for her!" And stepping
softly to the door which stood ajar,
he peeped in. True enough, there was
an elderly woman down on her knees,
carefully mailing a carpet. She was
hummlng a familiar hymn. e. en-
from youth to old age," and did not
hear new step till a boyish hand laid
a firm hold on the hammer, and n
boyish voice exclaimed:
y ''Now, Mrs. Brown, this is what /
call breaking your word. Didn't you
promise Walter that you would let
me help you just as he did? And here
you're breaking your back down here
on the floor; l think it's just mean!"
Mrs. Brown rose hastily, and though
some tears which she had been brave
ly keeping back, didetake the oppor-
tunity to drop upon some beautiful
AO"eio, WHICH Ae p1dCeu LII ueC utHu
in place of the hammer, she laughed
gayly as she inhaled their delicious
fragrance, saying: !.
"Well, Harry, my boy, you have
certainly made a fair exchange. Ifear
you have robbed your garden to en-
rich me-"
.s "Oh, my, no; though l did bring the
best I could find / wanted to, you
know; and how is Mr.. Brown this
morning?"
Not very smart, l fear. You 60