The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1893-04-12
OUR BOYS AND GIRLS.
Chubby DixOn's Prayer.

Chubby had freckles and tow hair; vet
somehow, when the towhead bobbed in
at kitchen door and two merry eyes
twinkled and CHEEKY voice called out:
Green corn to day, cucumb ers?'
there was not housewife in Cotton
but wanted to hug him on the spot
Yes, green corn and ucumbers-these
meant bright quarters and half-dollars
NOW for boy who wears made-ovei
clothes, quarters and half dollars are
greatly to be desired. Chubby desired
them, and that is why he spaded and
raked, planted and hoed, till be had the
best garden anywhere about. Not that
money was the sole end and aim of
Chubby's life; far from it. He worked
for something better than money
namely, whole year at the academy.
once Chubby might have gone al
most anywhere and done almost any,
thing without thinking of the cost, but
that was long time ago, before Chubby
and his mother went to live with Aunt
Hetty; she it was who took them in
when Chubby's father went off and left
his wife and boy without penny. H.
deed, they were worse off by many a
penny than if they had " never sot eyes
on him." as Aunt Hetty put it; for he
spent not only his money, but in a
dreadful moment, he forged Aunt
Hetty's name TO note-that meant
state prison.
"Oh, HettyW begged the poor wife
when the miserable story was told,
eyou won't send him there-you can't
Think of Chubbyr'
Aunt Hetty did think of Chubby; so
instead of shutting up her bad brother
ln-law, she put mortgage on the little
home; and now the two women sewed
early and late to pay it off.
Chubby did not know all the ms and
outs of the matter. He knew there was
trouble "of some kind; that their own
home was gone, with its pretty belong
lngs; that frosted cake was thing of
the past; and, worse than all else, that
he must forever appear in made-over
clothes.
Now Chubby was not vain boy, yet
he had feelings; and it was not pleasant
for boy to look as if he had been shot
into his jacket, and through some mis-
calculation had gone couple of inches
too far. Chubby was conscious of pre-
senting just this appearance; it was
therefore with glad heart that he went
down to Mrs. Knapp's one hot, hot Au-
gust day, to borrow her latest pattern.
Mrs. Knapp was the village tailoress,
who, in moment of compassion, had
offered her best pattern for Chubby's
academy suit. 1t was hotter day when
Chubby was called from the cool grape
arbor to "come in and be fitted"
"All right, mamma" and he came
hopping into the house like disabled
hen.
81 wouldn't hop too much till we see
how it's coming OUT" snapped Aunt
Hetty, who had just broken her fourth
needle.
"Coming on, you mean," laughed
her nephew, with supreme confidence
in the new pattern.
Stand up straight now, Chubby,
and let me see about the shoulders; the
front is all right" said his mother.
Chubby squared himself for the Or
deal.
"It seems to bag in here" she con-
tinued, taking up handful just below
the nape of the neck. "It needs taking
in good two inches-so," and she
jabbed in pin to make sure of the
place. "Just run up the collar, Hetty,
while haste this seam, and we'll have
it fitted in no time" Alas and alack!
when the jacket was tried on again
Chubby gave up in despair. The back
of the collar, like water, was bound to
run down hill.
81 verify believe" said Aunt Hetly,
&C the thing is possessed. The Valley
of Humiliation isn't circumstance to
these everlasting collars" and she gave
the offending garment an upward
twitch that brought Chubby's white
teeth together with snap.
81 have tried and tried" sighed Mrs.
Dixon hopelessly, "but could never
do anything with boys Clothes"
cts plain neither of us can," snap
ped her prim sister, cycling the new
jacket spitefully. This one looks like
all the rest-as if it had been snatched."
Chubby knew at once what the effect
must be, and try as he would, his eyes
began to fill.
dispose oughtn' to care so much"
thought he, with look at his mothers
tired and perplexed face. "S'pose l
ought to be thankful for even" but at
this point visions of a boy in snatched
jacket were too much for all Chubby's
s'poses, and with lump in his throat,
he dashed out of the door and fled to
the barn, where he could shed his tears
unseen on the haymow.
The speckled hen flew from her nest
with a loud cackle as Chubby threw
himself down.
"Wish l was hen myself" sobbed
the disappointed boy. " Then my coat
WOuld grow on meD
But when Chubby had cried his cry
out, he made up his mind that even
hens have their trials. Think of losing
your coat entirely, and being made into
pie!
For long time Chubby lay watching
the cobwebs, trying to become recon-
ciled to his fate. All at once a sun
beam popped through knot hole, and
struck him full in the eye. 1t seemed
to bring Chubby to himself, for he sat
up straight, and with little smile
whispered to himself: "I've said 'em
always, ever since l was baby, but ]
have never really asked for a single thing
in all my life"
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