The Penn's Grove record., 1894-03-30
EARNING HIS SALT.

room door with a slam, and Sammy.
hor orphan nephew, took up the pal
Of milk and went to feed the calf.
He went down through the garden
very slowly, and the pail seemed very
heavy, Judging from the detected way
in which he carried It, or, perhaps, il
was his heart which vas % heavy,
after all.
He did seem to be so unfortunate;
ne had just broken the blue-and-white
bowl from which his supper Of bread
and milk had Just been eaten. OF
course, he had not meant to break ii
and was truly sorry, but 1t had vexed
his aunt all the same, and brought
down upon him sharp words Of con-
domination which he had so often
heard.
"You don't earn your salt!"
And he had worked so hard that
day, it was hot and sultry after a
rainy morning, and he had churned,
and weeded the garden beds-such
| ng beds they were, too-and raked
IL, dooryard, and hunted out a stolen
hans nest, and picked some currantS,
and fed the chickens over aud ovel
again, and the calf and the pig-why,
it made him tired just to think over
all he had done! And it was Satur-
day, too-a holiday for most boys; but
for poor Sammy there had been M
time to play oreven to go fishing up the
creek with 1.-THE boys, OF eve to look
between the covers of a %story-booE
which one Of them had lent him; and
so the day had gone, and after all, he
had not earned his salt.
He had reached the bars of Spots
pasture, and the pretty creature had
just put her eager ose In the pail,
when one Of the Lawrence boys came
skipping along the lane.
"Hey, Bertl Come owe and see
Spot drink"
'fAll right can't stop but a min,
ute, though, for I've got an errand
for Miss Smith; but, my gracious!
amt Spot growing into a beauty"
Eyes, that she is; she's the biggest
eater you ever seen! But say, Bert,
is salt very dear stuff"
salt? why, l don't know; I guess
not, though, for everybody has lots
OF it. Why, Sam, you don't feed
much of it to Spot yet, do you?"
'tOh, no. l was jest wonderin'
about it, that ALL"
"Well, ask your Aunt Hammer;
she'll be sure to know-but, my sakel
I mustn't stand here, for the baby's
sick an ma wants help"
Bert sped to the house, and Sam
fingered so long over. the bars that
his aunt had some excuse for the
sharpness with which she called:
sammy! Sam, Sammee! where be
you a-stayin' to-"
And as soon az he made his appear
ance she said:
Il want TO know if you've come at
lastl l didn't know but you'd fell in
the pail of milk an drowned yourself.
Here, I've got to go straight over to
Mis- Laurence's cause her baby's sick
and she's scairt nigh to death. as she
always Is if the least things the mat
ter, an l want to lock up the house
an take the key, so you'll have to
come In an go to bed"
/ Poor Sam! 1t was only a little
after sunset, and it was getting so
pleasant and cool out of doors, and
he knew just how hot and stuffy it
was 10 his little room under the caves.
"Oh, Aunt Hammer! please, mayn't
I go with you?"
'You? why, what airthly use do
you think you'd be to the baby?"
stNone, of course; but-but you'll
be so awful lonesome a comm back
all alene!"
STUFF an nonsensei l don't mean
to stay over an hour; an I don't like
to leave t lie house all stark alone
with all that money In 1t neither;
not that there's any real danger, for
there amt no providers around nova
days, an il there was they'd never
think of lookin' where 1 keep my
money hid. I was a fool for tellin'
you, / s'pose."
"Why, Aunt Hammer! you know I'd
never touch it,"
'tOf course you wouldn't; you'ra
honest, or you wouldn't be Benja-
minis boy. But, as / was sayin', /
ought to have gone in to the bank
this forenoon, but it was so hot an I
had SO much to do. l must go sure
on Monday; an you be a good boy an
20 straight to bed, an mebbe I'll let
you go along. I've got to buy you
another pair of shoes, ! s'pose. How
clad 1 shall be if you yer do git big
rnough an capable enough to earn
..our salt"
Sam hung up his hat in the entry
nd went into the kitchen, where his
alnt was bu y putting things in order
Tor the night and fastening down the
windows, but suddenly she said:
II do s'pose it Amt cooled of a
mite up in your room yet. Sammy, SO
IL you want to you can set here by
this window, a spell, if youll promise
+ 1T to go tut of it, an be sartin' sure
u put it down an turn the catch
Gown over the top before you go to
I'D"
Sam gracefully promised, and his
aunt, knowing she could trust HIM,
Tucked the door, put the key in her
lcket, and departed, for, in spite of
r. stern and abrupt manners, she
| I'd the experience and ready tact
hich made her a blessing to her suf.
frring nelghbors.
The lonely boy watched her out Of
II sht up the lane, and thought wist.
| lily how the Lawrence boys would
10 out playing wolf" and chop
scotch' all through the long twilight,
and wished that he might be with
them; but then with a little thrill OF
pleasure he Thought Of the promised
new shoes, and there was the story
baok-surely he might read u few
minutes, so he ran upstairs after it,
and settled himself close by the win
dow to catch the last remnant O day-