The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1920-03-04
NATCH YoIIK -.
PETER RABBIT
By Thornton ". Burgess
lAll Elrhls raserKcll

. II
ing 70 break 1t of.
Peter Rabbit stopped short and sai
up with a most surprised look on hi,
face. "Why should watch my step .
he demanded. and stared all about him
70 see what could have SO excited Hap.
ply Jack 'Why should | watch my
step? What ails you anyway, Hap.
Ply Jack Squirrel ?"
Seeing that Peter had stopped, Hap
Ipy Jack gave little sigh THANK
goodness" said he, you didn't do
H."
Didn't do what?' demanded
Peter looking more puzzled than ever.
Didn't step on that little tree |
planted for my great-great-ever-so-
great grandchildren" replied Happy
Jack promptly. III you had steppej
on il Pm afraid that would have been
the end Of IT,. This is a queer world.
No matter how thrifty person may
be, the earelessness Of some one else
may make that thrift useless"
While Happy Jack was talking Pc
ter Rabbit had continued to stare a
bout him more puzzled than ever. 81
don't see any tree that ! could pos
sibly step on" said he. Are you
crazy, Happy Jack"
"No, I'm not crazy" retorted Hap
py Jack. Look right down in front
of you under your nose. Do you see
that little green plant coming up
through the dead leaves ?"
| Peter looked down and nodded.
"Yes," said he, II sec it, What Of il"
That's young hickory-troe," de-
clared Happy Jack. 81 planted hic-
kory-nut there last fall. | planted il
for my great great ever so great
grandchildren. Some day, if careless
people like you don't step on It, that
will be big tree like the one | am
sitting in, which was planted by my
own great-great-ev grand
father.
Peter turned up his wobbly little
nose scornfully. "Do you mean to tel
me, Happy Jack Squirrel that you are
worrying about tree that you won't |
live to see grow up, and from which
you won't get so much as one lone
some nut ?" he demanded
Didn't just tell you that it is my
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES grandchild- /
rem | am thinking about ?" retorted
Happy Jack sharply. "The trouble
with you thriftless people is that you
never look ahead. You think only Of
the present. and that is pure selfish
ness. You don't give a thought to
those who viii come after you. You
think only Of yourself, and your child
rem and their children will have to
for living and take what
they can find. My great-great-evcr-so-
great grandfather planted this tree ]
am sitting in and lot Of others that
| and my family might be sure Of
haying plenty to eat. Ny grandfather
and my father planted trees, and each
fall l do the same thing. That sort
of thing is thrift, Peter Rabbit"
Again Peter Rabbit scratched long
ear with long hindfoot and the puz-
lied look returned to his face. 81
though" said he, that thrift is just
saving things"
THAT is one kind Of thrift. That
is, it is if the things saved are to be
used later" replied Happy Jack. but {
the best kind Of thrift is saving ]
thing and then putting it where it will
That is an investment. | !
saved that nut last fall and planted !
It. Already it has begun to grow, and
some day there will be thousands Of Z
sweet hickory-nuts from just that one. .
That is, there viii be If you don't step /.
On it," Z
81 won't" interrupted Peter hastily, :
and backed away a little farther.
"That nut was an investment" I
Happy Jack.
Investment" repeated Peter roll
ng his tongue around the big word as
( he enjoyed Il. "In-ycst-ment ]
never have known the meaning of that }
word until now"
Probably you never heard it be-
ore" said Happy Jack drily.
Il have too heard it before retort-
d Peter. Il heard it this very morn
ng. Farmer Browns boy was over
~ the dear old briar-patch and ]
leard him tell another boy that Thrift {
stamps, whatever they are, are the
,est investment in the world for =
Joys and girls, and that he hoped that !,
very boy and girl in the whole eoun- c
~ would buy at least one during h
Thrift Week he said they ought 70 &
or their own good and the good Of b
go 1 -