The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1893-06-14
Grandpa's Fresh Air Boy.

Grandpa Blown sat very still as he
drove home from the city on his great
high farm wagon, and won dered how
he was ever going to plead his cause
when he got back to the farm; not that
grandma ever disagreed with him, but
this was such an unusual request. 1t
was only that morning that ragged
little bootblack, with pinched white
cheeks, had earned a dime by polishing
those muddy boots of grandpa's and
had gone two blocks to get the right
change.
" Well, your mother has got an hon
est little chap, hasn't she?', said
grandpa cheeiily.
" Mothers dead! " answered the boy
brio fly.
"Well, your father, then"
"Oh, fathers dead, too"
THAT'S hard, little fellow. Where
do you livt?"
"Down at the newsboys' lodging.
five cents night"
" B less my heart, but that pinched
face of yours doesn't look as if you had
too much to eat; how would you like
to stay on farm for couple of weeks,
eh?"
Like it? Bet your life I'd like it'll
Say, you amt one of them Fresh Air
fellers, are you? Cause if you are, I'd
work so hardl 1 can work, even if |
am little; and L never was in the
country"
"Well, well, little chap, Wen see
what mother has to say first, and if
she's willing I'll drive you home with
me some day"
Cali right, sir. You can find me
any day here by the city hall, and every
one about knows Joe Blake, the boot.
black"
So grandpa's heart ached all the way
home as he thought of the puny little
city youngster, and he knew that
tender-hearted Grandma Brown would
be willing TO take the child and send
him back in the fall with healthy red
cheeks in place of the thin pale ones.
He's such bright little fellow,
mother, l know that he won't be in
your way, and besides, you need some
one to run on errands for you, and
Jerry here wants some one to play with,
don't you?"
1t was grandpa who was talking,
standing in the door of the big sunny
kitchen, where grandma was baking
pies, ard little four.year old Jemima, or
j Drry, as she was always called, was
trying to Catch tie golden sunbeams.
isn't it rather risky, father?" asked
grandma gently as she deity trimmed
her pies, Ito take dirty little fellow
whom we know nothing aboul?"
Riskyp' broke in daughter Jane,
- should think it was risky Here
father goes TO the city, sees horrid
little bootblack, and straightway must
have him here for tie summer. III
bet tina. lie swears, and l know that
Jerry will never get along with him."
"Oh, yes, mamma, Jerry will get
along" called out the CHEEKY little
voice.
IS, e, mother, even the child pleads
for the lad; surely one month more or
less cannot matter, and has he not COM
maDded us to be sood TO the homeless?"
He shall come, father" answered
grandma softly.
Daughter Jane was ri.h'; it was
great deal of fuss to make over a ragged
little bootblack; but how those bright
black eyes of his did shine when he
saw the cosy farmhouse, the well-laden
tea table, with its snow-white cloth;
how he did race through tie fields and
make frie nds with the sheep; how old
Bowser learned to jump at his call, and
oh! how little blue-eyed Jerry did love
him! Joe had never seen any one like
her before, he confdentially told
grandpa. OF course he had seen pretty
little girls in the city, but never, never,
never had he felt such soft, golden hair
or seen such smooth, pink cheeks.
Morning and night she went with him
to drive the cows and to the barn to
find the eggs crafty hens had hidden
there, and then, when the chores were
done, they would go to the sheep pas
ture and make wreath of clover for
Jerry's lamb, also called Jerry by his
little mistress.
And then the stories that Joe knew
about wonderful little girls and sturdy
little newsboys! And couldn't he stand
on his head and turn such marvellous
somersaults that even Jerry, the lamb,
stared at him in astonishment! How
carefully Joe would lift the dainty little
maiden over the muddy places! and
even her careful mother grew to trust
her to the little fellow. How his eyes
did fill with tears when he thought that
in few weeks he must leave it all-the
cows and the woods, and the little pigs
that grunted when they saw him coming,
and, oh, Jerry! How could he ever
leave her? He knew that she would
cry when he left, and wondered
whether Grandpa Brown would ever
bring her into the city and let her talk
to him, when he would only be the
common little bootblack, Joe Blake.
He lay on the hay in the barn one
morning, wondering when he would be
sent home, when he heard grandpa say
to Jack, the hired man: Jerry is lost;
we must go over to the neighbours fields
and look for her!"
Joe felt his heart stand still as he
listened, as he sat up and gasped.
{" We missed her this morning early,
and she must have strayed good ways
by this time" and then grandpa hur.