Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1890-11-14
SIX AND SIXTEEN.


keenly it gave no uneasiness Was not
sixteen years old
One afternoon the little fellow came
slowly into the library, where ! sat study
ing He said not a word but, stopping at
the window, looked out lstlessly
what is it, Harold Z" asked
Il breaked Mrs. Lncoln's plate
Broke Mrs. Lincoln's plate Why,
Harold How came you to do such a
thing y
81 slipped it off on the floor 'thout know
in it,"
"Where was the plate :"
In the parlor, on the table. l was
waitin' for Jimmie
"Why, Harold Lightfoot 1t must he one
of those beautiful japanese plates. Did you
tell her about it e.
mo she wasn't-there.n
what did you do y
IL picked up the pieces. They fitted to-
gether. left 'em on the table. g."
What a very naughty boy ~ said l. 1T
is mean and cowardly to leave things in
that way. You should have found Mrs.
Lincoln, and told her at once. Perhaps,
now, she may think that Jimmie did it.
Harold began to cry. Il didn't mean to,
sister and don't know Mrs. Lincoln So
very-much
80 Harold, taking him on my lap, that
is nothing but an excuse. Mrs. Lincoln
ought to know it, and the sooner the better
You must 20 over and tell her 1t is your
duty"
At this stern word Harold's sobs only
became more piteous.
30 sister, ~ he cried, don't make me 90
Please don't make me 90 ~
"You must 90, Harry. You did the mis-
chief. You must confess it. "
Il cant, | can't, / can't ~ he almost
screamed. Il won't never break any more
plates, sister
He clung to me almost frantically.
pitied him from the bottom of my heart
but | felt that must be firm. 1t was my
duty.
"My little brother doesn't want to be a
coward, does he Z" | asked severely.
II don't want to tell Mrs. Lincoln.
| Couldn't you just please tell her, sister -
| put him down upon the floor This was
the decisive moment.
Harold said |, you must go and tell
| Mrs. Lincoln. Don't stop to think about
it, but 90 at once
He threw his little arms about my neck
with mute appeal
Go quickly, and you'll be back before
finish my translation.
But he did not stir.
"You are not sisters brave boy, after
all.
Couldn't you just come with me Z" he
asked tearfully.
II hate to leave my French" said |, hall
Grossly. I've lost a good half now,
But ! suppose l may as well do it first as
last. Get your hat, and we'll start
This consent, ungracious as it was, seem
ed an immense relief to him and the con
sciousness of a praiseworthy action made
me almost forget my own annoyance. We
walked across the fields, hand in hand.
We found Mrs. Lincoln at home, and
plunged at once into the unfortunate cause
of our visit.
Harold has come to tell you something
Mrs Lincoln-somethng that will max,
you feel very sorry, | am afraid"
Something that will make me feel sorry
What can it be =
Tell her, Harold
But he clung foolishly to me
"What is it, Harry q asked Mrs Lincoln
No answer.
He has come TO tell you that he has heel
doing mischief " said
as it possible What mischief =
Tell her. Harold, | repeated but tn
child sat immovahly silent.
He has come to tell You that he ha
broken something
Something of mine Well, I'm sure h
dldnt do it on purpose. What have yo
broken Harry =
"Whv don't YOU tell her - l exclaime
impati'nty but my words had not th
slightest effect
He has broken one Of your Japancs
plates" said |. at length. in desperation
He pulled it ofI the table He didn't mea
too. but he vas very careless
Harold glanced auxiously at Mrs Lin
cJm What penalty conld possibly atom
for such dreadful crime
But, to his gr,nl relief, she only laughro
81 found the pi,c,'s on the table, sal
she. at has been broken three tim bC
fore, and can easily be mended usan And
if it couldn't" she added in sweet, mott
erly way, which brought Harold to her sid
at once, ''it wouldn't be worth one of thes
poor little tears
) She kissed him as she spoke, and
looked gratefully up into her face.
"If | hadn't told you bout it, you migf
"a thought Jimmie did il, mightn't yOl
Mrs. Lincoln y
Our burst of laughter puzzled him Ii
were we both as we left Mrs Lincoln
/ door. Her tender sweetness toward tn
little culprit had reminded me of mother
, parting words, which | had somehow fol
gotten -
Harold will be trying, of course bu
, then, he is so little. Always think of tina
daughter" -
And what wee mite of humanity it wa
that trotted along so contentedly by my side
grasping my hand with a loving pressur,
which felt didn't deserve.
Let's take run up the lane, Harry
Don't you want TO do your French
he asked innocently.
"Well let the French wait awhile, l al
swered with blush. "We'll go up to ii
old rock, and see if we can see anything {
Miss Deborah Flanders.
"P-r-aps she'll be out feeding the hens
said Harold
Perhaps"
We gained the rock. His cheeks wei
rosy with exercise, and his blue eyes shor
with pleasure. But he had not forgotte
Mrs. Lincoln's plate,
1T was good to confess, wasn't it, sister
"Yes, Harold"
"lm glad | confessed. Must everybod
always tell when they break things Z"
- \ es, always. 1ou II remember Una
dear, won't you I"
Eyes, I'll remember. We don't see Mi
Deborah anywhere, do we y
"No; but she's at home, We can st
the smoke from her chimney. How woul
you like to go and call on her, Harold I"
The word Ego" was always an attracti'
one TO my little brother He started up
once
Miss Flanders was a tall, gaunt wOma
about sixty years of age She lived alon
in a little red house, in a sort of hollow,
shut in from the rest of the world that OF
had to climb the friendly rocks TO get
glimpse of her dooryard Her only relativ
a nephew, had been a sailor for years an
the various curiosities which he had brougl
her from time 10 time had always seem'
marvellously attractive to my young eyes.
Though Miss Flanders never made call
she always expected them. Hitherto, hoy
ever, our visits had always been made wi
mixed emotions The African parrot d
lighted US, the Persian cat we held in his
esteem but the old lady's voice was loI
and rasping, and her first greeting W
usually reprimand for not coming oftene
Dear mel" she exclaimed, as she OPEN
the door "what strangers! Knight be de-
aud buried for all my neighbors know of n
What brought me to your minds today.