Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1896-05-02

Dut tuc iustuut big spoho W HIN ~
disappeared. and he actually smiled
as he turned toward her, though the
tone of his voice was still somewhat
luRubrious.
"Have you done those two problems
in algebra?" he asked.
no." laughed Winnie, "have
you?"
81 sat up half the night trying, and
don't believe they can be done,
said the boy, bitterly.
"Oh, yes answered Winnie. "Will
Bailey told me last night that be had
done one of them, and | mean to go
at them in good EARNEST rs soon rs
get the history lesson of my mind.
think we can do them"
"Perhaps we can," said the boy,
more hopefully; and by the time they
reached the schoolhouse steps he was
not only convinced that he could, but
resolV ed that he would do them, and
was quite cheerful in consequence.
Winnie and the boy were two sec
onds late, and Miss Miller frowned as
she heard their footsteps in the hall,
but when she saw Winnie her frown
faded out. Moreover, as Winnie
walked to her seat nearly every pair OF
shoulders in the room went down a
trihe, as though her coming had, in
some mysterious way, tempered the
prevailing frieidity.
Nothing of particular moment hap.
pened during the forenoon, unless it
was the falling out OF Nellie Paterson
and Julia Davis at recess. Their eyes
were flashing, and they were making
the most ill natured remarks to each
other, when Winnie CHANGED their
way. | don't know whether she said
anything, or only looked in their yes
till they couldn't help laughing, but l
do know that two minutes later Nellie
and Julia were pacing the hall, arm in
arm, and on best of terms
There were seven scholars who lived
SO far away that they always brought
their dinners, excepting when they
forgot it, as did Annie aud Frank Car.
roll on this particular day. Winnie
spied them standing apart from the
others, staring disconsolately out of a
window, and Immediately OWNED the
trouble. Almost before YOU could say
"Jack Robinson she had gone to
them, and before you could count
fifty the three were seated, with Win.
MES lunch basket in their midst, max
ing merry over the shortness of their
commons. Then the other four joined
the group and divided their lunch
also; and as the mothers of some of
them had been particularly bountiful
in the matter of food that day, the
whole seven Jared very we'll, and /
dare say ate all that was good for
| them.
On the way home from school at
night Winnie saw two boys, on the
sidewalk ahead of her, slyly upset
fruit stand, behind which sat an old
Irish woman. A policeman who had
come up unperceived seized one of the
boys, the other took to bis heels, and
the old woman gesticulated and
stormed with rage and righteous in.
dignation.
Winnie fastened her steps, and lay
ing her hand on the policeman's
sleeve, asked him very earnestly if he
wouldn't please let the boy go, just
long enough 10 help pick up the fruit,
which was rolling about the sidewalk
and out into the street.
In All incredibly short time, if you
had been there, you would have seen
the policeman walking serenely down
the street, strange gentleman right.
ing the fruit stand, Winnie and the
two boys picking up apples. bananas
and peanuts, as if for a wager, while
the old woman was laughing to see so
many working for her while she sat
still, and saying, leniently, that "b'ys"
would be "b'ys," she supposed, as long
as the "wurruld" held together.
When Winnie came within three
doors of her own door, she saw the
telegraph messenger leave message
with Mrs. Alden. Mrs Alden stood
in the doorway aftef reading it, with
perplexed and troubled expression,
and glanced at Winnie as if she had
half mind to say something to her.
IT'S it bad news, Mrs. Alden?" VEN
tured Winnie, sympathetically.
Then Mrs. Alden spoke quickly
enough. EYES," she said, my sister
is ill, and I ought to go to her on the
very next car, but let my girl 60
away for the afternoon and evening,
and father isn't feeling we'll, and I
don't dare leave him alone"
"Why, I will come in and stay with
him." said Winnie, heartily. 'I'd
just as lief as not-1'd like to-"
"Would your" said Mrs. Alden, the
troubled look vanishing. 81 should
be 50 much obliged"
+ "Ill run home and tell mother, and
be back in minute" said Winnie,
hurrying along.
When she returned Mrs. Alden was
coming out of the gate, with bonnet
and cloak on. "You won't have to
stay more than an hour" she said, as
she put on her gloves, "for Mr. Alden
will come home ut s." and, giving
Winnie few directions, she fastened
away.
Old Mr.. Alden was in one of his
melancholy moods, and insisted, in
spite of Winnie's protestations, that
he had outlived his usefulness; that
he took no comfort in life, and was
only burden and an expense; that
everybody would be better off and
happier if he was out OF the way; that
he ought to have died years before,
and the Lord had surely forgotten
him.
Winnie knew the old gentleman was
fond of telling stories of his younger
days, and so, when there came little
pause in his lamentations she artfully
led up to the subject of these same
younger days, and it was hardly any
time at all before the old man was
telling, with great gusto, the story OF
q favorite horse he had once owned,
and Winnie was listening as interest.
eddy as though she had not heard al.
ready the same story Mt least three