Norwich bulletin., 1918-08-15
Thoughtful Harold.

Boys, said Mrs. Howard one morn ing, looking up from a letter she was reading, q have had a letter from your grandma. She writes that she is returning to America shortly"
 The boys went on with their break fast without showing any great amount of interest in this piece of news, for they had never seen their grandmother. and therefore could not very we'll be expected to show any affection for her.
 Now Mrs Howard the mother of two of the boys and an aunt to the third little fellow. was 8 widow and very poor. and often found it a hard task to provide for her three boys" as she called them, for having adopted her orphan nephew, she always treat ed him as her own son. She had sometimes thought it strange that the Mrs Howard should not have offered to provide for Harold herself, but she had never done so, and Mrs. Howard ceased to expect it. But now, right at the end of her letter, Grandma Howard wrote:
 T have been thinking that perhaps it would be a little hard for you to support not only your own two boys but also poor Alices son, so on my return to America I propose, if you are willing. to adopt one of them."
 Time passed on and winter set in, and full of delights of skating. the boys forgot all about the expected arrival of their grandmother. During the Christmas holidays the boys one morning. started off to Broome meadow for a good days skating on the pond there 1 As they ran along the frosty road 1 they came suddenly upon a poor old woman, so suddenly that Harold ran right up against her before he could stop himself
 Harold apologized at once for his carelessness.
 q am sorry" he said. T hope I did not hurt you; and you have such heavy parcels to carry, too. Please Jet me help you"
 "Oh! come on, Harold" said his cousins. we shall never get to the pond at this rate!"
 But Harolds only answer was to take the parcels and he trudged mer- rily along beside his companion.
 On reaching her cottage the old lady dismissed Harold without scarcely a Thank you"
 He raced along, trying his hardest to overtal1e his cousins, and was soon skimming about with the rest of them
 MT. Branch, in whose grounds the boys were skating, came to the pond 10 watch the fun, and, being a kind hearted gentleman offered prize o1 new pair of skates to the boy who would win the greatest number O races the next day.
 But the skates were not to be wor by Harold, for on the following day as he and his cousins were on theil way to the pond they came across tht queer old woman whom they had me on the previous day.
 She was sitting on the ground an( seemed to be in great pain. The boy stopped and asked what ailed fer. ant she declared that she had slipped ant sprained her ankle.
 You mustn't sit here in the cold, said Harold. Come let me help vol home"
 "Oh, Haroldi' said his cousins ''hurry, or you'll miss the fun.''
 Never mind; go on without me, Harold replied.
 Harold helped the old woman home but she would not allow him to enter Rather than see his friend in pair
 Harold ran quickly to tell his aunt. : When Mrs. Howard arrived sh found that Harold's old woman wa
 find out the character of her grand sons, came in disguise to the littl ) village where they lived.
 Wide -Awakes, which of the boy r MARY MURPHY, Age 1S.