The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1895-08-31

OF which was swung the lanterns Tor
Paul Revere to see, nearly one hundred
and twenty years ago, in order to warn
Paul that the British we're leaving Bos-
ton. to begin the war of the Revolution
at Lexington. Paul Revere, you know.
stood on the Charlestown shore with
his horse, waiting in the dead of night
to see those lanterns, and when he saw
them he mounted his horse and galloped
away by the Middlesex farms, and
shouted to the farmers to look out for
war on ocean and on land.
Johnny Lamelegs's house was just
opposite to the old Cops Hill burying
ground, in which so many historical men
and women are sleeping. and nearly op-
posite to the Copps Hill schoolhouse.
In those days when Johnny Lamelegs
was ten years old, it was very nice
place indeed in which to live. 1t isn't
SO nice now. The boys are rougher
than they used to be. and the houses are
not so new.
But there were some rough boys around
there even then, and one day in their
rough play Johnny hurt his leg SO badly
that he used to have to go on crutches
and keep away from school.
For some time after Johnny became
lame his schoolmates treated him very
respectfully indeed; but as the months
went on they became more inconsiderate,
and Johnny was 80 timid that he was
afraid to venture out Of the front door.
So he spent all of his days in the back
yard playing with his little darkey d H..
his dog, and his kitten. When he wasn't
playing with them he was making lit
tie garden.
He felt that he had to do good deal
Of digging to make really.ine garden.
so he got little spade with which to
dig post holes, and in those holes he
placed poles for his vines to twine
about.
One day, when he was pretty deep in
the very last hole he was to dig, bis
spade struck something that made me-
tallic ring. He thought at firstIthat it
was rock, but on digging deeper, what
was his surprise to see square IRON
bound oak box, rusty and worm eaten.
He ran into the house and told his faith
er all about it, and his father, in great
excitement, went out and looked down
into the hole. Then lie tried to lift the
box, but it was too heavy for him, SO he
went and got pick. and pried open the
old lock and lifted the lid.
What do you suppose was in the box?
Hundreds and hundreds of old pieces of
gold and silver-shillings crowns. and
sovereigns. many with King George the
Third of England's head upon them.
They must have been buried there a
long, long time, by some one in the last
century, perhaps in the trounlous days
of the Revolution.
When the coins were all changed into
American money. Johnny Lamelegs was
worth over fifteen hundred dollars.
With part Of that money q good doctor
was called in. who fixed up Johnny's
legs until they were as good as now. and
Johnny grew into fine strong man, and
became doctor himself.
He is now very we'll known physician
and lives on Beacon Hill. just back OF
Beacon street, in Boston, and he issvery
good to poor children. He always takes
care of them when they are injured, and
never charges them dollar for his SER
vices. His own narrow escape from be-
ing cripple for life has made him very
charitable and tenderhearted. NAT the
time he thought it was terrible to be
driven into his back yard by the rude.
ness of thoughtless boys, but he now
knows that what seem awful misfortunes
are very often blessings-Little Men
and Women.