The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1886-06-23
CYRUS AND LESLIE.


A Nice Enough Boy when There Amt
Pumpkins to Plant and the Barn Don't
ketch Fire" ....l. ... ..
81 wish," said Grandma Peaseley to
her husband one evening, "that there
wasn't such difference between
Esther's Cyrus and Susan's Leslie"
Eyes" said grandpa, rubbing his
stubby chin, ''Leslie is better lookin'
than Cyrus" h..
II feel sort O. guilty" went on
grandma, ''because I've always been
kind O. PARTIAL didn't mean to show
ito Leslie. 'Twouldn' make much
difference if Cyrus wasn't hurt by it.
But to-day, says he, Uncle Roberts
given Leslie new skates That's nice,
says l. 'Ye-es,' says he; I'm glad
he's got en- Then he kept still a
minute, m then he burst out, sad
enough: why is it, gra ndma, that
Leslie has every thin, m I don'tp
Does God love him better'n He does
meP' That scared me. Mercy, no, >
says I, m kissed his peaked, little.
saller face. Folks have different gifts
says 1. 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, believe He seemed
to understand that right of. I'm in
hopes it was the right word for him."
I'm glad" said grandpa, heartily,
"Lcslie steps off SO prompt aud an
swers so keen, that he takes But I
got an insight into Leslie last punkin'-
plantin' time. l told the boys that I'd
give each of 'em a tinted fish-pole il
they'd seed out the punkins. Then
told 'em how to go to work. They
mustn't put more four seeds to hill,
and they must 60 down just such rows.
After while Isort O. sa'ntered down
to see how they were gettin' on.
'Leslie's all through, long ago. Cyrus
says. Smart, amt hep says I. Yes,
SIR says Cyrus, never lettin' on but
what he really thought so. what hills
did he seed?' says l. Cyrus told, and
I began to investigate. There the seeds
were at the beginnin' thicker'n puddin'
in every hill, and then they petered out
to none at all. That was one time
Cyrus got somethin' Leslie didnt--for
l didn't give Leslie any tish-pole"
remember that" said grandma,
"and it was only boy-like, after all"
"Ye-es," responded grandpa; "only
I'd a little rather Leslie hadn't done
it." .....t .... ..... -
The Peckhams' farm lay beside that
OF Mr.. Weatherly, Leslie's father. Mrs.
Susan Weatherly was Mrs. Peckham's S
sister, and their houses lay less than an
eighth of mile apart. Mr.. Weatherly
and MIR. Peckham had built their barns
just about halfway between their two
houses, and close against each other
just alike, and warmer and better in
many respects for being built side by
side, though they were long distance
from the house, tho boys used to think
in winter.
1t was the day aftor Grandpa and
Grandma Peaseley had held this con-
versation that Cyrus and Leslie, who
were thirteen and fourteen years old,
respectively, were out in the barns
doing the evening ''chores." Leslie
had finished first, as he usually did,
and had come in to gossip little with
Cyrus. 1t was about five o'clock, and
very dim in the barn, so Cyrus had
lighted the lantern and set it on the
corn-sheller near by.
"Why, there's Bounced! exclaimed
Leslie, as great black dog came Jump
ing in. ''Well, old fellow, how are
you?" He began to frolic wildly with
the huge dog.
Cyrus back was turned, and he did
not see Bounce spring up to the top of
the corn-sheller. He did not see the
lantern sway and totter-but he did
hear the crash of glass and then a
scream of horror from Leslie, as
Bounce dashed past them and out
doors. Then Cyrus understood that
the lantern had tipped over and
broken. There was pile of hay close
by. The barn was on fire.
The color left Cyrus ''little. peaked,
saller' face, but his eyes shone like
glow-worms on summer night.
Somehow, a verse came into his mind
about "instant in business. He must
be ''instant" now.
| Like fash he remembered that he
had heard animals would run into fire.
'sThen, " he thought, I'VE can not save
the stock unless they are taken out be-
fore they see the blaze"
II think l can put this out" he
cried, hoarsely. sect out the horses,
though. Les. for fear / shouldn't!
Hurry" ~ .trp
He rushed for q pail and water, oi
which there was fortunately large
| cistern near, and when he returned
Leslie had vanished. liltH ii1a
| "The horses will be saved, thank
goodness!'' he said to himself. IN
When he brought the third pailful he
found that he could not reach one trail
| Of flame which was creeping up to the
great NOV. If the fire got into that,
thcre would be no hope. He gave an
awful groan as he threw the water as
high as he could, and found that it did
not reach to the top Of the Kissing little
| flame. H f
just as he gave the moan of despair,
o man came rushing in. 10 sssln1ta a8
Cyrus had often seen him, and knew
his name was johns.
''Oh, put 1t out!' he screamed, point.
Ing to the trail of fire. sNff
''rhe tall. kind-fxced man snatched
the bucket, aud in Q few seconds ths