Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1892-12-08
A MANNERLY coy.

/ What Happened to Him His First
Trip Alone on Torse-Car.
The Boy was going out to Roxbury.
He was going alone, though he was
only five years old. His Aunt Mary
had put him in the horse-car, and the
car went directly past his house; and
the boy hoped he did know enough to
ask somebody big TO ask the conductor
10 stop the car
So there the Boy was, all alone and
| very proud with his legs sticking
straight out becaus they were not long
enough 20 hang over-but he did not
mind that. because il showed his trou-
sers all the better-and his five cents
clutched tight in his little warm hand.
! Proud as he was, the Boy had a slight
| feeling of nneasiness somewhere down
/ in the bottom of his heart His Aunt
Mary had just been reading Jack and
the Rean-stallS' to him, and he was not
quite sure that the man opposite him
was not an ogre. lie was very
very large man, about twelve feet tall,
the Boy thought and at least nine feet
round. lie had wide mouth, full of
sharp-looSing teeth, and he rolled his
eyes as he read the newspapers He
was not dressed like an ogre. and he
carried no knife il sight; but it might
be in one Of the pockets of his big, gray
coat
Altogether the Boy did not like the
look OF this man at all; but nobody
else seemed to mind him. a pretty girl
sat down close beside him, a very
plump, tender-loolling young girl. but
the big man took no notice Of her or
anybody else. and kept on reading his
newspaper and rolling his eyes.
So the boy sat still, only keeping a
good lookout so that If this formidable
person shoad pull out a knife. or begin
TO grind his teeth and roar, Fee, fl, TO-
funl'' he could slip off the seat and out
at the door before his huge enemy
could get upon his feet.
The car began to fiji up rapidly. Soon
every seat was occupied and several
men were standing up. One Of them
trod 10y accident on the ogre's toe-the
boy could not help calling him the
ogre. though he felt it might not be
right-and he gave kind of a growl
which made the boy quiver and prepare
to jump; but his eyes never moved from
his newspaper, so TIE boy sat still.
BY and by poor woman got in with
heavy baby in her arms She looked
very tired but, though there were sew
eral other men sitting down beside the
big gray one, no one moved TO give the
woman a Seat.
The Boy remembered his manners,
and knew that he ought to get up; but
then came the thought: IF get up, !
shall be right close to the ogre. for there
is no standing-room anywhere else. !
am wedged so close between these two
ladies that ! can hardly get out, and if
do, there can not possibly be room for
that large woman
The Boy gave heed to this thought,
though he knew in his heart that it did
not make any difference. Just then the
tired woman gave another sigh, and
shifted the heavy baby to the other
arm.
The Boy did not wait any longer, but
slipped at once down from his seat,
Here is little room, maamr he said,
in his clear. childish voice. There
isn't enough for you, but you might
put the baby down, and rest your
arms.
At that moment the car gave a lurch.
the Boy lost his balance and fell for
ward-right against the knees of the /
ogre!!
Iii! hi" said the big man, putting
aside his newspaper. whats all this? (
Hey?n
The Boy could not speak for fright;
but the poor woman answered: Its (
the dear little gentleman offering me I
his seat for baby. sir! The Lord bless |
him for little jewel that he is
"Hl hi" growled the big man, get
ting heavily up from his seat and still 1
holding the Boys arm, which he had 4
grasped as the child fell This won't /
do one gentleman in the car, Ell? And /
an old fellow reading his newspaper |
Here. sit down here, my friendi" and he .
helped the woman to his seat, and F.
bowed to her as if she were duchess.
"And as for you, Hop-o'-my-th
then he stopped and took the Boy up,
and set him on his left arm, which was
as big as table. There, SIR he said,
sit you there and be comfortable, as
you deserve.
The Boy sat very still; indeed, he was
too frightened 10 move. Since the man
had called him Hop-o' -my-thumb he
was quite sure that he must be an
ogre: perhaps the very ogre from whom
Hop and his brothers escaped. The
book said he died, but books did not al
ways tell the truth; papa said So
When the big man began to feel in the
pockets of his gray coat the
child trembled so excessively that he
shook the great arm on which he sat.