Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Benton County, Or.) 1900-1909, 1901-03-19
home. 1 think she felt bad about Will


lie.
Miss Lucy told Harry and me she
didn't like us any more and she didn't
want us to come around her, because
she thought we were dangerous; we
might hit her. l water the plants
when l finish my definitions in the
afternoon and when l went after the
bottle she said: No, Joseph Harris,
you needn't go. | haven't any confer
ence in you. How do | know but you
might squirt water over the engineer
And he's bigger than you, pa.
After a while a note came around
saying the basement cat was gone and
she asked the children if they knew
anything about it, and she looked at me
and Harry as if she thought we took it,
and when she said goodnight to Harry
and me she didn't smile at all. Then
after school all the other boys said we
ought to be ashamed; and, pa, every
one of them would have been in it, only
they didn't come early enough. Harry
and me went over to Willie's house and
Harry gave him the nickel he was GO
ing to buy stamp with, but 1 didn't
have anything. 1 think I'll give him
my best necktie, if ma will let me. He
likes anything red. Do you think Miss
Lucy will ever like me again? She
said Willie wouldn't be that way if he
could help it and we ought to be thank
full we were all right.
Itch 1o&
some pie and cake. I don't think he
ever gets any. 1 wish 1 hadn't teased
him, because he's only little boy in
his mind, Miss Lucy says, and it isn't
fair to tease a boy, is it, pap
Mr.. Harris consoled Joe as well as he
could, then said: Now tell you what
to do. Instead of doing your examples
tonight just write Miss Lucy a letter
and you and 1 will walk over and leave
it at the house. Well put it under the
door and then ring the bell and run
away just as if it were a valentine
What shall l say, pa?" said Joe,
smiling.
"Oh, just tell her all about it. know
she'll forgive you"
Joe labored in the agony of compost
tion his father refusing all assistance,
and produced this masterpiece:
Dear teacher: line sorry teesed
Willie dident no it would make you
mad at me l wont do it again and if
my ma let's me line going to give him
my red necktie that my unkle joe gave
me crismas harry gave him a nickel he
had saved up and hes going to give him
tail my pa ran after Grassy boy when
he was little and he never hit his teach
er or stole a cat hes real good 1 herd
my ma tell miss black he was the best
man in the city he always brings his
envelope home without taking out a
cent. Your loveing scollar,
JOSEPH HARRIS"
"Pa" had much ado to keep from
smiling when he read this, but man
aged to say gravely, '"That will do very
WELL but l think we must have a few
spelling lessons some time''
On the way over to deliver the i'm
portant letter pa remarked that the
boy he had chased wasn't so very crazy
and knew enough to take care of him
self very well.
But of course he added, cit was
wrong to tease him at all, though we
generally got the worst of it,
A happy little boy ran to meet 'spa''
on his way home from work the next
evening and a beautifully written letter
with a gold monogram was carefully
produced 1t said:
'My Dear Little Pupil: I forgive you
from the bottom of my heart ana 1 am
going to ask you to forgive me- 1 am
afraid l am as fond Of teasing as any
boy in the world. When 1 got home
from school last night l thought l had
been as cruel to you as you have been
to Willie-more cruel, because l ought
to know better. What l said to you
and Harry was my way of teasing.
Let US both start fresh tomorrow and
l hope we will both remember as long
as we live that what is fun for the
boys is death for the frogs If you
don't understand what that means l
will read you the story. ASK your
mother if you may come over to my
house next Friday evening. l want to
show you and Harry some things l
have. Your loving teacher,
HELEN LUCY"
"And she let me water the plants and
take a note to the engineer, too,' he
added.
Miss Lucy is a daisy" said his ia
ther, land l don't think she'll teach
school very long"
"Why, pap
"Oh, I'll tell you some other time.
Well go over to Willie's tonight and
take him the cake your mother prom
ised to bake for him. got him work
to-day where he can use a wheel
barrow all day and get 81 week for
it. l thought would get square with
myself for chasing the boy that lived
near me when l was little. I never felt
bad about it until to-day, though"
And "pa" smiled Chicago Record