The midland journal., 1898-11-25
Little Jake, bolstered up in bed, Ia
boriously printed-on the outside of the
envelope.
ITO MISS FANNIE.
FROM HER FRIEND JAKE.
P. M.-TO GO TO THE
CADEMY." 2;

!! !.
When Fannie received the little pack
age she smiled and cried over it in
turns, while she said to the girl friend
who had brought it.
"As If would take his money, when
he needs ii so much more than /, es-
pecially now, since Mr.. Brown has
been so kind as to offer to loan me the
money for the academy. No, shall
send it back to the generous little fell
low, of course"
Look here" said Kitty (for it was
she who had brought the package).
81 tell you what let's do: Let's go
there some night after school and
give him surprise party, and then
get as many as are willing to promise
to go there in leisure hours and teach
him until he is able to go to school
again."
agreed" cried Fannie, and Kitty
hurried off to see the other girls and
secure their aid, which was willingly
promised, for they were all kind
hearted girls and had been much
ashamed of the way in which they had
treated little Jake.
So one evening after day when the
broken leg had been unusually trouble
some and time had gone slowly for lit
tie Jake, as he had no books or games
10 while away the hours, there came
knock at the door, and when Mrs.
Taylor opened it bevy of bright girl
faces appeared, and as they clustered
round Jake with kind greetings each
one laid down parcel on the bed.
AS he opened them one by one he
found school books for which he had
longed, two or three bright story
books and dissected map Of the
world, for which he could hardly ex-
press his thanks, SO great was his
delight, for Jake was an ardent little
student in geography.
As he looked from one to the other
of the little group around him he
smiled in the pathetic way he had and
said: What made you doit? Oh, you
are all so kind!"
1--WE wanted you to know how sorry
we are for your hurt and to do some
thing to help you forget It," said his
friend Fannie, who had been dele
gated spokesman Of the party.
| "And we're coming every night aft
er school to hear your lessons until
you are well again." cried impulsive
Kitty Wells.
Little Jake was almost too happy to
| speak as he listened to them, and as
they bade him good night he said, in
his quaint way: 81 guess the angels
must have told you to do it,"
That night as his mother came to
kiss him and give his pillow Pumping
up she discovered a folded paper un-
der the pillow, which, on being opened,
was found to contain $50 in bills and
these words: "For an unselfish boy
who was willing to give all he had to
another" and under them a list of
names, headed by Mr.. Browns, and
followed by everyone who had been
at work in the cranberry meadow.
isn't this a happy night, mother?"
said Jake, smiling up into her face.
''I'm glad broke my leg, else should
never have known how good folks are"
The girls kept their word, and night
after night they came for the self
inspired task of helping Jake with his
lessons, and 1t was astonishing how
fast he learned during the winter, for
it was months before he could walk
again, and yet to him it was the hap
piest time of his life.
His poor mother, under the influ-
ence of the kind interest which people
began to show toward them, bright
ened up and seemed to take heart
again. while the father, feeling the
same influence, began to give up his
drink and look about for work, which
was only too gladly given when his
neighbors perceived that he was in
earnest.
"Yes. girls, Cranberry Jake will
make his mark in the world yet," said
Kitty one day to her friends.
~ don't doubt 1t, but why do you call
him by that title?" asked one.
"Oh, just to remind my self how hate
full l was to him last fall, and how
patient and accomplishing he was all
the time"
Next spring Jake went back TO
school, and to his great delight he was
even little in advance of his classes.
Things have gone well with the Tay-
lor family since then. The father is
fast becoming a respected citizen,
while Mrs. Taylor looks years younger,
and Cranberry jake" as Kitty Wells
sometimes calls him, last spring COM
pleted his course at the academy and
last fall entered college. not, however,
MS Cranberry jake" but as James
Taylor, the student who ranked high
est among the many candidates for ad-
missicn.-Good Housekeeping.