The Monitor. [volume] (Woodstown, N.J.) 1884-1892, 1890-12-12
MISS REzIAH's A

Blusb you! why, Oi COURSE, you must.
What would you wear, I'd like to know,
ifyou didn't wear this?"
Il could do without any oat at all"
Yes, N ketch yer death O. cold"
mo, | wouldn't. This shirt is real
thick"
"Caliker thick. Well, that's somethin'
new. Sounds jest like a boyiI never see
the boy yet tibet he'd a mite o sense, m in
all my born days, / never heerd tell o. such
a fuss about a coat! One would think you
was to be the main fgger at the perform
ance. You speak yer piece well, m don't go
to stutteriu' N stammerin' m forgettin'
half O. it, m folks won't think O. yer coat. -
But it's so big, n none o the other
boys wear coats like that" poor little Joe
faltered. The tears had risen thickly to
bis blue eyes-so thickly that the chickens,
scratching around in the straw which pro-
teeted the rose bushes in the garden, seemed
to Joe one big brown blur.
What ef they don't9" rejoined Miss
heziah, harshly. She stood at the kitchen
sink, a sponge in one hand, and in the other
a black broadcloth coat, considerably the
worse for wear, which she was spopging
vigorously.
"Aint ye got grit enough to stan that?'
she went on. Folks as poor as you be
can't pick'n' choose. They amt expected
to foller every freak o. fashion that comes
along. The clothes in that cedar chist up
stairs is every one OMEN whole'a good. m
it would be a sin'n'a shame to let 'em lay
there a-wastin' while | was buyin' a new
one for We down to Sill's store.
mo; eff ye can't wear this coat to the
school house, We en- stay to home. It's
discipline for ye to wear this coat, N If
there's one thing more'n another | believe
in, it's discipline. We amt none Gus goin'
to get through this world xithout il, that's
sure"
Joe sighed, and continued to gaze stead
lily from the window at the frozen garden
and busy hens. He knew further argu-
ment was useless. He must wear that
black brcadcloth coat.
1t had belonged to Miss Keziah's father,
who had long been dead, and though Miss
keziah, with whom economy was a mania,
had taken in the seams and cut of the tails
and shortened the sleeves, it was still any
thing but a good fit for Joe.
Miss keziah bad such confidence in her
own judgment and good sense that she
never asked advice. She was"raisingo
poor little Joe after the most precise rules
and regulations, and said frankly that she
couldn't for the life Of her see why folks
made such a fuss about managing boys; she
didn't have any trouble with Joe.
Poor little joel
He was the only child OF Miss keziah's
grandniece, who was dead, and Miss Keziah
had thought she was doing a very noble
act in giving the little boy a home.
But Joe made himself useful. He split
k~indlings, brought in wood ard water,
kept the weeds out of the garden, fed the
hens and the pigs, and went to the village
store on errands. Miss Keziah acknon-
lodged to DIR. Berry one day that she didn't
know how she would get along without
Joe now.
You're sure you know how to bring him
up-morally as well as physically" the
doctor asked.
Land, yes! | wasn't born yesterday -
said Miss keziah. "All a boy needs is
plenty o~'dIscipline."
The doctor looked doubtful. you may
come out all right, and you may not" he
said. ''If you run across a snag, let me
know"
20, well, I'll let you know, ''she answer
ed.
The most rigid discipline failed to make
Joe any less sensitive to the ridicule of his
companions at the district school, and to
wear that old black coat would bring their
jeers upon him. He knew it, and suffered
agony in anticipation.
This was the day of the annual exhibit
ton, always given at the close of the win
ter term. Joe was to speak a piece"
and the thought of standing on the platform
by the teachers desk with the eyes of the
whole audience on that antiquated coat
was absolute torture. He would rather
stay away than so through the ordeal, but
he did not venture to make such a propo-
sition.
Miss Keziah finished sponging the coat,
and hung it over a chair by the kitchen
stove to dry. Then she took down the tin
basin hanging on a nail over the sink, whip
ped a clean roller towel out of the drawer
in the kitchen table, and cut off an end of
new bar Of soap.
"I'm ready to wash We now, Jos." she
said, "'n'ye haiat no time to lose, nuther
It's most one O'Clock already, N it'll taxi
We a good half-hour to walk to the school
house,
Joe wiped away his tears with the bach
of his brown hand, submitted to the wash
ing and brushing, and then without pro
test allowed Miss keziah to put the coai
upon him with many jerks and smoothing
slaps.
MANY a poor boyd be glad enough Of
good coat like this" she said, as she but
toned the garment. but some folks neve'
1 l. 49, r. storo -rntl 1T NJ etu,