The midland journal., 1898-11-25

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"Look here, girls, I've brought you
new helper. Make him run errands for
you, and can you make room for him to
pick over at one of your bins?'
No one spoke at first, for many In the
neighborhood had no sympathy with
Jake's drunken father, or for his shift
less family, as the neighbors called it,
so there seemed to be no place for
Jake until at last gentle Fannie
Damon broke the silence by saying:
81 can make room for him here, Mr..
Brown" and Jake took his place be-
side her, and she kindly instructed him
in his new duties in way that forever
won his honest little hearts allie
| glance.
Day after day Jake held manfully
to his duties, but ofttimes the work
was hard and irksome, for beside the
constant picking over 1t was: Jake,
come here" and, "Jake, run there"
from morning till night, and not al
ways in the kindliest tone either, for
some of the girls would not forget that
he was drunken Jake Taylor's boy, and
must be treated accordingly.
"Girls," said Fannie one day, "please
be more kind to Jake. for he is such a
good boy and tries so hard to be help
full"
do you suppose we're going to treat
old Jake Taylor's boy like prince p
said Kitty, outspoken as usual.
"But, Kitty, let's be kind to him for
his own sake" said Fannie. "He is very
quick to feel every slight, and he is so
sensitive about his father already
That is what makes him so shy"
The cranberry picking season sped
on. The October days and nights were
very chilly now, and Jack Frost had
painted all the trees in brilliant colors,
while the frost flowers lifted their
white faces from the brown stretch of
meadow lands like children Of sum-
mer, pale with fear at finding them
selves so far away from their kindly
mother.
Little Jake worked faithfully day
after day, despite weariness and the
fact that no one indoors or out seemed
disposed to pay him any attention, ex-
ceptinghis gentle friend, Fannie, whose
kind words and smiles had made him
her willing slave. So when one day
came, and she was not found in her
place, life looked dull indeed to little
Jake. He winked back q tear as he
heard some one say that she was tired
out, and would not be able to work
any more, although she had depe nded
on the money to pay for term at the
academy, which she had hoped would
enable her to teach in one of the vii
lage schools, as her invalid mother had
almost nothing for her support.
AS Jake listened to the talk about
her, the thought came 10 him: "Well,
here is my money, I might give it to
her." He put the thought away as one
that must not be entertained, but as
he remembered her kindness, 1t oc-
Cured to him over and over again, and
1t seemed so like voice that he found
himself unconsciously answering:
"Well, don't I want to go 10 school,
too, and I haven't any other way to
earn money. Why should I give 1t to
her?"
So he thought on all day, one min
ute deciding that his friend should
have his money, the next thinking that
| he needed it quite as much himself.
The hours went by very slowly. No
one seemed to notice him except to
send him hither and thither on err
rands, now to the story above with a
message, now out to the edge of the
bogs where he would fain have lin
gered, for the autumn air was bracing
and clear, and the meadows were so
pretty with the ruddy berries showing
their heads above the water which
| flooded them.
Farmer Brown, who had been kind to
| Jake whenever he had a chance to
speak with him, met him as he came
| from an errand back into the cram
berry house.
"Well, my little man, how is business
to-day?" he kindly asked.
"First rate, SIR" answered Jake,
Strengthening himself, and growing
certainly an inch taller under the
kindly look.
AS he reentered the room one of the
men shouted to him from the upper
| floor: "Jake, bring up some water and
be lively"
He started cheerfully on the errand,
but when half way up the ladder-like
stairway he heard creaking sound
and felt something give way. Fran
| tically he clutched at the side of the
ladder, but failed to find support, and
with cry fell to the floor beneath.
where he lay motionless. The terrified
| girls gathered around while Mr.. Brown
lifted him from the floor, pillowing his
head on his knee, while he tried to re-
store him to consciousness.
At last he opened his blue eyes, and,
seeing Fannie Browns kindly face
above him, murmured, family:
"Please give it all to her, for you see
I'm man, while she's only girl"
Then he closed his eyes again and
moaned family. He was quickly car
ried to his home and physician sum-
moned, who found that the extent of
his injuries was broken leg, which
would be likely to keep him in bed
| good many weeks.
Jake's sad-eyed mother, patiently
accepting this new burden, set to work
to make him as comfortable as posi-
~