Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1888-12-21

"A walking and talking DOH O. he said ~
Emeretta, who went out 10 meet him Mr.
Ferris says thirty or forty dollars at the
least ~
Thirty or forty dollars for doll Oh.
Nahum, what shall we do -
I've thought IT. all over said Nahum
"lf the dolls hand were not spoiled sup.
pose we should have 90 take it away from
Mary Jane, though I'm afraid it would make
her sick. As 1t is, we must buy one for
Nance Turkey. We might sell Brown Betty
old Mr. Meserve would buy her but don't
know how mother and little Mary Jane
could get along without the milk"
'Oh, they couldn't they couldn't We
mustn't sell Brown Betty :" cried Emeretta
There's one other way Mr. Barker at
the factory will give me a dollar more a
week if | will bind myself to stay year,
| and ! think he would advance me enough
money to pay for the doll
And then you'd have to stay, even if
| you got chance to go to Boston What
made you put your hand into your pocket
tir~a4 Nahum Is that letter Oh Ma
hum hdrc you got a chance -
81 didn't mean to tell you, but ! don't
know that it will make you feel any worse
It's queer how things happen The post
master called me. when was going hy this
D ''''i NiHef NIN gave Hlt lillN lf-lieI. ~ mat
drummer is an awful good fellow | sup
pose he thought it would be all the better
to me coming Christmas. It's pretty good
place, | think it's large firm they want
a boy they can trust" Nahum said this a
little proudly, and there's a chance to |
work up But don't feel so badly, Emeret- |
Ia maybe there'll be another chance some |
time
There won't. And you can never earn |
anything here, and you'll 90 off to sea and |
break mothers heart, cried Emeretta in .
despair. ooh isn't there some other way
to get the money p
They wouldn't advance it to me in a
new place ! couldn' ask them, you know
said Nahum who had turned over posi-
bllties in his mind all the way from Fleet
well
Then we'll carry the doll to Nancy Tu-
key if the hand is spoiled - said Emeretta,
desperately.
Even if the hand were not spoiled /
couldn't bear to take it away from little
Mary Jane now. She's so sensitive, I'm
afraid it would kill her And mother keeps
saying she thinks it may cure her, she's so
happy with it. You needn't feel so badly,
En-; it was awful hard added Nahum.
generously. 81 might have done just the
same myself. am going to see Mr.. Bar
ker this afternoon he'll have time to talk
to me today. And if he won't advance the
money, | shall have 10 tell Mr. Meserve
that he can have Brown Betty"
81 will 90 with you as far as Luella tn
keys | am going to tell her all about it, ."
said Emeretta, firmly. 1T will be some
thing of a Christmas to them to know that
Nancy is going to have a doll, and shau't
feel quite so much like thief
Better wait till we get the doll coun-
selled Nahum, sagely she might insist
upon taking that one. with its spoiled hand.
and then what would Mary Jane do Be
sides its no good 10 confess. added Ma
hum. being a boy. IF you've Vron-el a
fellow, or girl, or anybody, it,, the way
to make up for it just as quick "a. YOU can
then he knows how YOU feel without your
making a great fuss.
But this advice. which ! think myself
was not to be despised, did not impress En-
eretta favorahy. She felt that she must
relieve her Overburdened feelings aud also
that Luella ought not to be left to think
that they were quite forgotten 10y Santa
Claus-a condition of which she knew the .
unhappincss SO they set ont together.
with perhaps about as heavily burdened
hearts, for young ones, as the Christmas
skies looked down upon for Nahum could I
not reconcile himself to the loss of his long
hoped for opportunity, and Emeretta was
doublv miserable in being the cause Of his Z
trouble. Luea Turkey came running out
of her house when she saw them coming .
Nahum, who had already well developed 1
masculine objection to Scenes was pre-. Z
pairing to climb over the fence and pretend
that he was in such hurry that he was
obliged to 90 across lots; but Luella call
ed TO him. Her face was radiant, and she
was almost breathless with eagerness
''Oh, Nahum, you must come and see it
too and shawl and hat for me-iust :
like yours only its eyes are bluer they're
just rs blue as--as china And she forgot
TO put it into your box, she meant to,
and sEe marked Immediate on the bundle.
50 they sent it right over from the express
Office and its just come, aud you ought to
see Nancy; were afraid she II hug the talk
and the walk right out Of it And | don't
know as Miss Enderton meant to send me
anything, for she only said she forgot to
put the doll into your box, so suppose, be
cause she forgot, she thought she would.
So I'm glad she did forget. Why, Emeret-
Ia Nlckerson, what are you crying for
The idea of crying over such beautiful
things What is the matter with her, Ma
hum =
But Nahum had turned about, and was
hurrying toward home. His voice threat
ened to fail him, and he thought Of explain
ing TO Luella that he had a very bad cold
He decided that it was allowable for a boy
to run away when there was danger of his
making a girl Of himself if he stad. He
called back that he was going to pack his
clothes, and write to that drummer that he
was coming at once
'lf Luela Turkey knew that he had got
place to work in Boston, she couldn't ex-
pect him to he interested in dolls and
things, he said to himself
Did Emeretta confess to Luella know,
but never shall tell. Whether she did or
not, they were just as good friends as ev
er, or even better and little Mary Jane
and Nancy had tea party at which both
the dolls received, and there was great
deal of discussion as to whether Mary James
dolls eyes looked blue at all, Nancys dolls
were so much bluer. And Luelas brother
Leander milks Brown Betty now and chops
the drift wood for Nahum is in Boston
He is not earning very much money at
present, and the room he is living in does
not have much carpet TO boast of, and he
does not have plumcak for supper any
oftener than he did at home, but he Is
showing his employers that they can I. ust
him, and bidding fair TO make his Il cams
come true. He is the sort of 10y that is
not content to stop at dreaming. And
shouldn't wonder if all XII .is of good times
yet found their way to lukey's Cove.-So-
phie Slceit, IN Harper's Young Propic.