Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1889-07-01
aylonth' q Column
Two Boys on a Strike.
II cts strike. Willie =

ooh, | don't mean that, Willie.
What | want is more money. L only
get fifteen cents week, and you ten.
/ won't run all round everywhere
for papa and mamma and do more'n
thousand things for Bridget, If
they don't pay me more-and don't
you, Willie"
"Course [ won't. Charlie Rob-
erts gets fifteen cents week, and L
don't have but ten. | won't do an
other single thing thought papa and
mamma come up
The little speakers. Weld and
Willie Giddings, were aged nine and
seven years. They had been hear
ing a good deal in the home circle
about strikes, and began to feel that
they ought to have hand IN that
kind of business so the next morn
ing after this agreement between
them, they let their mamma know of
|
When they told her that ''they
couldn't do everything for everybody
'thout got more pay" she turned
away to hide smile, but presently
assured them she thought they were
making a mistake, and that she could
not promise to increase the amount of
their spending money. They left her
a little disappointed, but went on to
interview Bridget, who was informed
that they shouldn't bring any more
wood, run to the market, or do sim
gle thing, for they were con a strike.
They let her know that the usual
number of goodies which she provid-
ed for them was not enough.
When Bridget heard this, she was
not as polite as their mamma had
been, but laughed outright in their
faces.
ooh, me boys she said, eye
don't name it, shure, and yen be
glad enough to come back to the old
way o'doin' things before long"
Willie said, as soon as they were
outside the door, that Bridget was a
hateful old thing, and Weld prompt
ly agreed with him.
Having thus made known all around
their determination to strike, they
sauntered off to begin a season Of idle
ness, as strikers are wont to do.
They found the forenoon a long one {;
somehow they missed mammals pleas
ant voice and Bridget's shrill tones,
for she never called to them once.
By noon they were hungry enough
for their usual dinner; but what was
their surprise, upon entering the dim
ing-room to find no sign of anything
to eat. They ran out headlong to
find mamma, but she was not to be
found. When they went to look up
Bridget she was sitting by the kitch-
en- window sewing and singing away
as happy and unco -cerned as could
be. Weld being spokesman, cried
out:
"Well, Bridget why don't you get
dinner? and where's mammal
'She's on strike, me boys, and
has gone to see yer grandma and
she said needn't get no dinner foI
any sthrikers-and that's how it is,
Master Weld. She said you could
find somethin' to eat in the pantry
whin yer hungry !''
The boys glared at poor Bridget
but as she did not stir, they went or
to see what there was to eat. They
found two slices of bread and butter
and two cups of milk placed within
their reach, and this was all. Willie
was on the point of crying, wheE
Weld said:
! "Don't cry, Willie, we shall hav,
some supper, and mamma will brins
us something nice from grandma s
: you see if she DON'T
| This cheered poor Willie for tn,
} time being. So the boys ate thei
, bread and butter and drank thei
milk. Then they strolled out int,
7 the garden, but somehow the tim,
| dragged heavily on their hands. B
2 five o'clock they began to feel hungr
: again, and anxiously waited 70
| mamma to make her appearance,
) Willie said he was lonesome, an
: began to cry. Weld could do moth
ing to help him this time, for he wa
too near doing the same thing to b
t of any use to Willie.
At six o'clock, when their MANN
e came home, she found two discor
: solate, repentant little boys.
Weld rushed up to her and said
, "Mamma, we don't want to strik
any more. Let's have supper.
M ANNA turned to Wiley and ask
-. ed him if his strike was over. III
threw himself sobbing into his arm
4 and said:
eyes, | hate strikes"
Mamma talked to them little O
the folly of strikes in general an
: then said:
eEWell, if we are ready to go
- work again, l guess we must hay
d something good for tea
IS In short time, Bridget who wa
, well prepared to make good the lac
n of dinner, gave the boys nice sup
Sc per, which they declared was Esseme
d. thing like"
Just before leaving the table, Bird
get entered, bearing in one hand
small box, and in the other covere