Little Falls herald., 1900-11-16
THE STORY OF A BOOK

THE housemaid had found it in an old
cedar box in The attic, ard put it beside
A:volume of Dickens on the middle shelf Of
the library bookcase. 1t was little, square,
green-covered, dog-eared, round-cornered
geography. 1t was published when the art
Of geography making was, comparatively
speaking, in its infancy.
The advent of this old.fashioned volume
among the richly-bound books in the library
caused futter of excitement not un-
mingled with indignation.
Il can't see for the life of me-" exclaimed
. collection of Matthew Arnold's essays,
"why this common book should force him.
self upon our company
No, nor l. responded the Dickens novel.
sharply. IF this library is to be turned
into literary junk-shop, we might as we'll
be in secondhand store at once.'
Come, what have you got to say for your
self" inquired gruff old Ben Jonson
What made you stick yourself in here
against our cOnSent!
Il didn't want to come" answered the
Geography, mildly Indeed I didn't. 1t
wasn't my fault. I was lying in the old
cedar-chest in the attic, where I have lain
ever since she grew up, and where would
have been now but
Cne: interrupted DICKENS. w no IS
she, pray?'
'Nhy, don't you know herr" replied the
Geography, in amazement. "I thought you
must know her. She used to study me when
she was little pink girl. years and
years ago She and Jack studied me to-
gether. They were very fond OF me, and
suppose that is the reason l have been kept
so long
"Jack?' again inquired the inquisitive
Dickens. "Who is Jack?'
~Jack," continued the Geography, en-
Enthusiastically, "was the handsomest boy /
ever knew, and knew whole generation
Of boys and girls, too. l ought to know
them well, for | was read thumbed and
studied by them for nearly 40 years before
Jack found me on the bookshelf in his
fathers library, where his older brother had
left me when he finished school and went
to sea-
"That doesn't explain how you hap.
pened to be here" interposed Ben Jonson,
rudely. Come, tell us that
Il was just about to tell you," continued
the Geography. You see, Jack took me to
school with him the very first day he went
there 1t was the little red schoolhouse un-
der the hill. You probably know it. No?
thought every one knew where that was.
The master was very strict and very cruel,
SO l used to think, and every day he used to
whip nearly all the boys and keep half the
girls in at recess, just because they whis-
pered, and l tell you that boys and girls
can't keep from whispering in school any
more than from breathing. I said nearly
all' the boys. Jack was one he didn't whip.
happen? III tell you.
~ ~, o11 / h
school. She was year younger than Jack.
He was II and she IL, and they loved each
other just as much as people a good deal
older than they were, if not little more.
One day after school, Jack and Phillis were
sliding down the schoolhouse hill On Jack 5
big sled. The master was out watching
them.
"rhey started--the last slide they had
from the top, and were going faster than
they had ever gone BEFORE when Philis gave
little scream and caught hold Of the sled
tighter than ever.
'',Jack looked over her shoulder, and saw
long gslcd, piled high with logs, crossing
road
How fast they We're going. and how slow
it creq,t along! The seconds seemed like
years They couldn't possibly turn out, for
it was in the very middle OF the grove.
1T didn't take Jack long to make up his
mind what to do. With quick sweep of
his ,eg he turned the sled SIDEWAYS He
couldn't stop it, but he could make the end
where he sat hit the logs first.
"a second later Phiilis was lying in lit
tie frightened heap in the snow by the
roadside, unhurt, but Jack was stretched
out. white and sense,ess, under his sled,
by The side OF the big runners of the log.
se,
The master picked him up and carried
him 20 the schoolhouse. Then he sent for
Jacks father, WHO Was the country doctor,
after Jack opened his eyes and knew
anvont, he was.calr'ed home. and he didn' t
.eate it all winter long. Hi: back was in.
jured. so they said.
'The next spring he was able to 50 to
schoo, again, but he couIdn pay with the
other boys; his crutcheS We're III the way
And no matter how much he whispered the
master never whipped him.
''He never wanted to. either, for most
every one loved Jack. !1e used to sit with
little PhilliS, and they learned their les.
sons out Of me. During recess they would
open me at the map Of Europe, and mark
out the trip they were going TO take when
they grew up and were married.
''Tney We're going to Paris, where Jack
was going to be cured. Then they would live
in Italy a year or So on the banks ei a
beautiful lake, and they would be so happy
that they wouldn't care whether they had
any money or not
'WeN," observed Dickens, when the
Geography paused moment to Freat he,
''did they marry?'
NO." replied the other. sadly. "The next
year Jack died, and was buried in the ltt}e
church-yard behind the village church,
Phiiiis' father preached The sermon at the
funeral and the whole school put flowers on
the grave. For awhile Phiils was iuconsol
able; but such grief never lasts very long, az
I've learned, and before her school days
were she was just as CHEEKY and much
more beautiful, than ever before. was laid
away years before she grew up--]ail away
very carefu,ly-lor Phiiiis never forgot the
secrets that I shared with hsr. But
haven't seen her for years. ] don: know
really what has become Of her. She brought
me to this house with her, over in the Old
chest. l.