Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1892-08-25
A MANNERLY BOY.

What Happened to Him His First
Trip Alone on Horse-Car.
The Boy was going out to Roxbury.
lie was going alone, "a. ,dgh 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
TO stop the car"
So there the Boy was, all alone and
very proud, with his legs sticking
straight ont becaus they we've not long
enough to hang over-but he did not
mind that, because it 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 slight
feeling of uneasiness somewhere down
in the bottom of his heart His Aunt
Mary had just been reading Jack and
the Rean-stalk" 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 fee t
round. He had wide mouth, full of
sharp-looking teeth, and he rolled his
eyes as he read the newspapers He
was not dressed like an ogre, and he
carried no knife in 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 10 mind him A pretty girl
sat down close beside him, a very
plump, .-aer-loolsing young girl, but
the nia mar ipols no notice Of her or
any 3F aise and on reading his
newspap, and rolliea his eyes.
So the boy sat stil, only keeping
good lookout so that if this formidable
person should pull out knife or begin
to grind his teeth and roar, Fee, fl. TO-
fum!" he could slip off the seat and out
at the door before his huge enemy
could get upon his feet.
The car began to fill up rapidly. Soon
every seat was occupied and several
men were standing up. One of them
trod by 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 a kind of growl
which made the boy culver and prepare
TO jump; but his eyes never moved from
his newspaper, so the boy sat still.
by and by a poor woman got in with
n 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 n 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 lurch,
the Boy lost his balance and fell for
ward-right against the knees of the
ogre
"Hi hi" said the big man, putting
aside his newspaper. What's all this?
Hey?"
The Boy could not speak for fright;
but the poor woman answered: tits
the dear little gentleman offering me
his seat for baby, sir! The Lord bles,
him for little jewel that he is"
Hi. hi''' growled the big man, get
ting heavily up from his seat and still
holding the Boys arm, which he hat
grasped as the child fell. This won
do, one gentleman in the car, Ell? Anc
an old fellow reading his newspaper
Here, sit down here, my friend" and h,
helped the woman 70 his seat, ant
bowed TO hrr as if she were duchess
And as for You, Hop-o- my -thumb
then he stopped and took the Boy UP
and set him on his left arm, which wa
as big as table There, sir" he said
SIT You there ana be comfortable, a
you deserve
The Boy sat very still indeed he wa
too frightened 10 move. Since the MAJ
had called him Hop-o'- my-thumb h
was quite sure that he must be a.
ogre perhaps the very ogre from WHOM
Hop and his brothers escaped. TIL
book said he died, but books did not a.
ways tell the truth, papa said SO.
When the big man began to feel in th
right-hand pockets of his gray coat tn
child trembled so excessively that
shook the great arm on which he sat