The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1890-12-31
Our 8ops ano Girls.
How Fast Fritz Grew.

Grandpa shouted a little boy,
bounding into sunshiny porch where
an old, white-haired man sat reading
his paper" grandpa, Pm seven years
old to-day; and I've got on trousers,
and Pm going to begin school"
Why, whyl" said the old gentle
man, laying down his p PER- how
many things are happening all to-
getherl"
Grandpa was about as far from the
end of his life as Fritz was from the
beginning, and there seemed a wide
difference between the bent form,
white head and feeble gait of the one,
and the shining bright curls that shook
aud nodded at the bounding steps of
the other. Yet grandpa and Fritz
were great chums, and loved and un-
derstood each other perfectly.
And now, grandpa, measure me up
against your wall" continued our new
school.boy, $50 that l can tell just how
much | have grown by the beginning
of another term"
SO grandpa took out his pencil; and
while Fritz stood with his back to the
wall, very stiff, and still, and straight,
grandpa put his spectacle case on the
boys head, to yet his exact level, and
marked him off on the clean, white
paint, writing his name and age, and
the day of the month and the year.
4" But stop, Fritz" said grandpa, as
he was running off; " I've only meas
ured one-third of you"
Fritz looked puzzled.
:" Is your body all of your" asked
grandpa.
"No, sir; l s'pect I've got mind,
too," answered Fritz; but he spoke
doubtfuly.
Yes, a mind to do your sums with l.,
and heart to love God and his crea-
lures with. Don't you see I've only
measured one-third of you? Come and
III measure your mind. How much
arithmetic do you know? AS far as
multiplication? Good. And you are
Now write your name down here in my
notebook, and put these facts down,
that | may take the measure of your
reading, writing and arithmetic"
Fritz, highly amused, took the pencil
and wrote in clumsy hand, " Fred
erick Jones, multiplication and second
reader"
"And what about my hearth" the
little boy asked presently.
Grandpa looked very grave, aud was
silent for a minute. Then he said:
d ID you please your mother by get
ting down in time for prayers this
morning."
"No, sir.n
"Did you look for little sister Lucy's
doll that she lost Yesterday"
No, sir"
Did you carry Mrs. Parsons the
honey she told you to ask your mother
for to cure her cough?'
Why, grandpa, forgot all about it,"
The old man did not say a word but
began to write in his book; and
Fritz, looking over his shoulder, man
aged to spell out these words: " He
that loveth not his brother whom he
hath seen, how can he love God whom
he hath not SEEM"
A year passed away and again we
find Fritz on his graudpa's knee.
Grandpa's step is slower and his voice
weaker and his eyesight somewhat
DINNER. Fritz is somewhat changed,
too. His curls are shorter, and his
trousers are longer, his shoulders
broader, and when he backs up to the
wall, behold he is way above last years
mark. He reads in Fourth Reader
now, and knows something about frac-
tions, and when he writes his name,
the letters do not tumble down and
sprawl about as they did last year.
"And how about the other measured"
asks grandpa.
Fritz is silent; but the old man puts
his arm around him and says tenderly
u heard mamma say yesterday that
Fritz was her greatest comfort. Lucy
cried when she found Fritz's holiday
was over, and old Dame Parsons said
she would be lost without that boys
helping hand"
Again grandpa wrote in his little
book; and, though the writing was
shaky, Fritz could read it plainly this
time: IF We fulfill the royal law,
Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thy
SELF We do we'll"
"Now, Fritz, boy" he said, "that's
the best growing up you've done this
year" -ChriStian Intelhgencer.