The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1919-02-28

| At last Uncle Peabody agreed with
me that 1t was about time to pick the
melon. / decided to pick II immediate
ly after meeting on Sunday. SO that
could give 1t to my aunt and uncle
ut dinner-time. When we got home
ran for the garden. My feet and
those Of our friends and neighbors
had literally worn a path to the mel
on. In eager haste i got my little
wheelbarrow and ran with 1t to the
end Of that puth. There found
nothing but broken vines! The melon
had vanished. l ran back to the
house almost overcome by a feeling
of alarm, for had thought long of
that hour of pride when / should
bring the melon and present 1t to my
aunt and uncle.
"Uncle Peabody" I shouted. my
melon is gone"
"Well, vanl" said he. somebody
must "a stole It,"
But 1t was my melon" said with
trembling voice.
"Yes, and I yum it's too bad But,
Bart, you amt learned yit that there
are wicked people in the world who
come and take what don't belong to
EN-"
There were tears in my eyes when
| asked:
they'll bring it back, won't theyT
"Never!" said Uncle Peabody, "Pm
afraid they've ct it up"
He had no sooner said 1t than q
cry broke from my lips, and l sank
down upon the grass moaning and
sobbing. 1 lay amidst the ruins OF
the simple faith of childhood. 1t was
as if the world aud al ITS joys had
come to an end.
Aunt Deel spoke in low, kindly
tone and came and lifted me to my
feet very tenderly.
"Come, Bart, don't feel so about
that old melon" said she, lit amt
worth it. Come with me. Pm going
to give you present-ayes / be
was still crying when she took
me to her trunk, and offered the
grateful assuagement of candy and
a belt, all embroidered with blue and
white beads.
"Now you see, Bart, how low and
mean anybody Is that takes what
don't belong to 'em-ayes! They're
snakes Everybody hates 'em an
stamps on 'em when they come in
sight-ayes y
The abomination of the Lord was
in her look and manner. How it
shook my soul He who had taken
the watermelon had also taken from
me something l was never to have
again, and very wonderful thing it
was-faith in the goodness of men.
My eyes had seen evil. The world
had committed it's first offense against
me and my spirit was no longer the
white and beautiful thing it had been.
Still, therein is the beginning Of wis
dom and, looking down the long vista
of the years, thank God for the
great harvest of the lost watermelon.
Better things had come In Its place
understanding and what more, often
i have vainly tried to estimate. For
one thing that sudden revelation of
the heart of childhood had lifted my
aunt's out of the cold storage of
puritanic spirit, and warmed it into
new life and opened it's door for me.
In the afternoon she sent me over
to Wills to borrow a little tea.
stopped for q few minutes to play
with Henry Wills-a boy not quite
year older than l. While playing
there / discovered a piece of the
rind of my melon in the dooryard. On
that piece of rind / saw the cross
which 1 had made one day with my
thumb-nail. 1t was intended to in
dictate that the melon was solely and
wholly mine. l felt q flush of anger.
81 hate you," l said as l approached
him.
81 hate you," he answered.
you're snakel" said
We now stood, face to face and
breast to breast, like a pair of young
ROSTERS. He gave me a shove and
told me to go home. i gave him a
shove and told him I wouldn't. Il
pushed up close 10 him again and
we glared into each others eyes.
Suddenly he spat in my face.
gave him scratch on the forehead
with my finger-nails. Then we fell
upon each other and rolled on the
ground and hit and scratched with
feline ferocity.
Mrs. Wills ran out of the house and
parted us. Our blood was hot, and
leaking through the skin of our faces
little.
"He pitched on me-" Henry ex-
planned.
l couldn't speak.
go right home-this minute--you
bratr' said Mrs. Willis in anger.
Here's your tea. Don't you ever come
here again."
took the tea and started down the
road weeping. What a bitter day
that was for me! / dreaded to face
my aunt and uncle. Coming through
the grove down by our gate l met
Uncle Peabody. With the keen in
sight Of the father of the prodigal son
he had seen me coming "a long way
off" and shouted:
well, here We bel was kind o.