The Monitor. [volume] (Woodstown, N.J.) 1884-1892, 1888-10-12
A BOY GUEST.

"You may invite Harry for a week if you
like. BE sure to say a week, in your letter. -
This was in answer to her sons urgent
request. lie wanted to see his old friend
again whom he had known two years be-
fore in the city, and there was no way to
do it unless Harry could visit him. Both
the boys were fourteen years old, and had
once been neighbors and friends, until the
Steubens moved to a small town on the
seashore. After that the boys knew of
each other only by letters.
Mrs. Steuben had her own homework to
do, and it was midsummer, a time which
tried all her strength and will power.
There would be another room to attend to,
another person to cook for, besides the
little extra niceties and the effort to enter
tain which would be due to a guest. But
she loved her boy, and he wanted Harry.
Papa was willing, grandpa made no OBJ
lection, and little Lottie danced up and
down with a child's love of company.
So Harry came. He had grown in the
two years, and look quite like a young
man, Mrs. Steuben thought, as he walked
up the path with the valise. This made
her a little more nervous about her. house
hold arrangements, and there was the mer-
curry already above ninety.
But Harry was only a boy yet, after all.
He and Fred were soon running races in
the yard, and trying to see which could
jump farthest. Then they went off for a
long walk around the town, and came
back tired and dusty from their tramp.
Harry vent up to his room to wash, and
presently Mrs. Steuben saw him refilling
his pitcher at the well.
THAT'S good!' she thought, II was
just thinking l should have to take up
more water before bedtime"
The next morning Harry came early
down stairs before Fred had thought of
stirring. Mrs. Steuben was busy in the
kitchen. He said good morning brightly,
and sat down by the window where it was
cool. Presently there was a rap at the
door.
ooh dear!." exclaimed Mrs. Steuben,
"here are my hands all in the iour!''
"Ill co. said Harry.
1t was a neighbor bringing a fine head
of lettuce. Harry received it in his hands,
with the dirt clinging to the roots, and
instead of asking where he should put it,
said;
"Ill take this out to the well and wash
it for you, Mrs. Steuben."
When he brought it back thoroughly
washed, with the roots and torn leaves re-
moved Mrs. Steuben said impulsively:
'What a helpful boy you are, Harryl'
She was yet more impressed when, dur
ing the forenoon, she went from room to
room making beds, to find Harry's room
looking as neat and orderly as if ke had
not slept in it. The bed was made, the
bureau set in order, and the boy had hung
his best suit carefully away in the closet.
"When would Fred ever think of such a
think? ?" Mrs. Steuben asked herself.
Each day Harry, without making any
ado. found some way of helping. If any
thing were Suddenly wanted from the
store, Harry cheerfnlly offered to go.
Sometimes he brought in wood, sometimes
he got a pail of water. He seemed to en-
joy every moment, whether in the house
every point of interest in the neighbor-
hood, and Mrs. Steuben was encourage
to propose rowing on the river, when she
saw how strong and how capable Harry
was in all he undertook. She went row.
ing herself with the boys, and was not
afraid to let Lofty so, too.
One day as she was looking at an old
splint- bottomed chair in the corner, Harry
said:
''My mother had a chair like that, and
she got some white paint and painted it all
over white, with little gold bands around
the legs, and around parts of the back.
Then she made a peacock blue cushion for
it. and set it in the parlor. You might do
that, too, Mrs. Steuben. 1t is very pretty
when it is done"
Mrs. Steuben decided on the instant that
she would do it, and felt grateful TO Harry
for the suggestion. Another time, when
the ice-man was bringing in ice, Harry
mentioned that his mother always wrapped
ice in old newspapers when she put it
away, and this made it last a good deal
longer.
Harry's week was extended to two
weeks by Mrs. Steuben's especial request,
and she told her own boy privately the rea-
son why.
"He makes SO little trouble, Fredi' she
said, and he is so cheerful and obliging.
l fairly enjoy giving him a good time, and
| am going to have a picnic for you all on
the shore before he goes. Now if you ever
visit anywhere yourself, dear, remember
and try to be like Harry. Then you will
always be welcome and find friends
She was a little touched the next day,
when she went to Fred's room, to find that
her own boy had been making up his bed.
He had begun already, and in various little
helpful ways, awkwardly at first, but very
naturally and deftly afterwards, be showed
his willingness to be of service to Others,
even as his boy guest had.-ToatA's Com
pani6n.