Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1890-01-18

N'UhNNN'As NdIO tAt ldliltA W -hdt
who during the foregoing short dialogu
had remained perfectly silent, hopin
against hope that Arthur would preva.
upon his father to permit him to stay
Mark at onc stepped up to Mr., Green,
You're an honest-looking lad enough
though you are ragged and dirty. An
so you want to do chores for your board
en-? What do you know about farm
work?'
Not any thing" said Mark; "l'ye al
ways lived in the city, but | know
could learn will do my very best, sir
if you will take me"
"Well, we'll, Wen see about it in tn
morning. In the meantime sou Ia,
better go down to the creek, and tax,
a bath. s'pose we'll have to keep yol
over night anyway, and them feet an,
hands of yours amt Just the things t.
put between clean white sheets. Arthu
may 90 with you and show you tn,
'Swimming-hole,' but don't stay in tn,
water long, and be sure and put up tn,
bars so that the cows won't get int,
the meadow" shouted the farmer afte,
them as they started, with many
whoop and shout, for Oaks creek, /.
stream flowing through Mr.. Green,
farm.
As soon as the boys had disappeared
the farmer turned to his wife and said
"Wcll. Polly, what do you think.
Had we better keep this young tramp
or not? | really need a boy to help dc
the chores: Arthur isn't at all strong, as
you remind me twenty times a day. II
| thought the lad would be of any earth.
ly use to me I'd try him for a month"
'lIe seems an honest, bright lad, -
said Mrs. Green, ''and, besides, he's
just Arthur's age. Let's give him a
trial"
The fact of his being Just Arthur's
age" seemed to be his strongest recon.
mcndation in the eyes of the loving
mother. Arthur was a sickly though
merry lad, and the chores that
naturally fall to the lot of boys of his
age on all farms had, in great part, been
done by his father; the doing which kept
the latter from his other duties to such
an extent that he was continually be-
hindhand with his work.
In the course of half an hour Arthur
and Mark returned from the creek, the
latter looking very clean and rosy and
the former very blue.
1--WE have concluded, Mark" said the
farmer, slowly, ito give you a months
trial
'llurrah, hurrah,' shouted Arthur.
throwing his cap in the air. "Ain't that
jolly? Now | shall have some one to
play with"
Il shall expect YOU" continued the
farmer when Arthur's enthusiasm had
somewhat abated, ito help milk, feed
the pigs and hens, water the horses.
bring in the wood and water, and do
such other light work as | may call upon
you to do. If at the end of a month we
are mutually satisfied with each other
we will make a bargain for a longer
period
Thai night, for the first time il his
life, Mark Bloomer slept on a feather
bed between snow7white sheets. The
next morning he was up atdaybreak and
had the fire made and the tea-kettle
singing right merrily before Mrs. Green
made her appearance. In a short time
the farmer came into the kitchen with
two large tin milk-pails, one of which he
handed to Mark with the remark:
Now, my lad, come out to the barn
with me and | will give you your first
lesson in milking" Mark was rather
awkward at first, but soon learned to
milk as well as the farmer himself. In
fact, he did so well and so endeared him
self to the whole Green household. espe-
cially Arthur, that at the end Of the trial
month they were not only willing but
anxious to have him stay through the
fall and winter and do chores for his
board and schooling.
"All work and no play makes Jack a
dull boy Farmer Green, being a
man, recognized the truth of
this 2 }lfcSSi avi9g' and gave Marh'o'; cons
.of 4--,, and by fil'yyom"'. one day
each week, ''all to himself" Instead,
however, of its being all to himself,
it was all for Arthur; for he gave up
the entire day to the amusement Of the
latter, making for him kites, balls,
bows and arrows, traps, etc. In fact
he worked harder on his play days than
at any other time. Arthur was con
~stantly singing his praises; he could
''out-run, out-swim. out-Skate any boy
round At school he fairly astonished
the teached by the rapid progress he
made. At Farmer Green's every thing
about the barn and shed was in order;
every tool had "A place of its own, and
was kept in its place: the cows were
sleek; the horses shone like glass bot
ties; the wOod-shed was piled full of
wood. and the wood-box and watcr-pails
were " empty.
II don't know what ! should do with
out him." said the well-satisficd farmer.
Hes worth his weight in gold"
Things went along thus pleasantly
until the holiday vacation. The day but
one before Christmas Mr.. Green handed
a scaled envelope to Mark, saying: 81
want you to take this to Mr.. Perry. lie
lives over on the Cherry Valley road,
You know. Id let you have one of the
horses, but I've got to go to the village
for that load of feed. You'd better put
the letter in your inside coat pocket,
for there's money in it, It's the pay fol-
that yearling | bought. ! didn't agree
to pay for it till the lst of March, but
Pcrry's just heard that his daughter in
Ohio is very sick, and is going to see
her; consequently he wants the none,
for car fare"
Mark placed the letter in his inside
pocket, as directed, and started on his
crrand, whistling a merry tune. The
farmer went TO the village, got his load
of feed, and returned home and unloadet
IT.
"Seems to me it's about time MARI
got back. It's almost chore time" sale
Mr.. Green to his wife.
20, may be he's met some Of hi
schoolmates on the road, and is having
"a p%lay-spell. Boys will be boys, yo'
know" said the kind-hearted Mrs
Green.
At five o'clock Mark had not mad,
his appearance, and the farmer wen
out to milk alone. "'Tain't like him t,
dilly-dally when on an Grand, he NUT
tered to himself, as he took down hi
milking-stool. II hope he hasn't rul