Evening star., 1920-03-01
little green plant coming up through
the dead leaves?'

the dead leayes""
Peter looked down and nodded
Yes. said he. II see it. What of it?'
That's a young hickory tree" de-
clared Happy Jack. II planted a hick-
for my at-great-ever-so-gre
grandchildren. Some day. if careless
people like you don't step on it, that
will be be big tree like the one ]
am slttinS in. which was planted by
by own gre reat-great-ever-so-
Peter turned up his wobbly little
| nose scornfully. DO you mean to tell
| me, Happy Jack Squirrel, that you are
worrying about a 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 l just tell you that it is nv
great acknowledgment -grandchil-
dren am thinking about?" retorte ed
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
90. YOU don't give a thought TO
those who will come after YOU. You
ou srlf, and your chill
dren and their children will have to
scrabble Tor d living and take what
they can ma. My great-great-ever-
very tree ] am sitting in, and lot
of others, that l and my family Nigh,
be sure or having plenty to eat. My
grandfather and my father planted
trees. and each fall ! do the same
thing. That sort of thing is thrift,
Peter Rabbit"
Again Peter Rabbit scratched long
ear with a long hindfoot. and the puz-
zled look returned to his face. Il
thought" 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 a
thing and then putting it where 1t
will increase. 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 sweet hickory nuts from just that
one. That is, there will if you don't
step on it
'I won't" interrupted Peter. hastily
and backed away little farther
That nut was an investment,
added Happy Jack.
'In-vest t-ment.' repeated Peter, roll
ing his tongue around the big word
as if he enjoyed it. "In-vest-ment.
never have known the meaning OF
that word until now"
"Probably you never heard it be-
FORE" said Happy Jack, drily.
81 have. too, heard it before re-
torted Peter. Il heard it this very
morning Farmer Browns Boy was
over by the dear Old Briar-patch and
/ heard him tell another hoy that
Thrift Stamps. whatever they are, are
the best tin-vest-ment in the world for
boys and girls. and that he hoped tina,
every boy and girl in the whole coun-
try would buy at least one during
Thrift Week. He said they ought to
for their own good and the good OF
their country. I don't know anything
about Thrift Stamps. but if they are
an invest -ment it must be that they
grow. Anyway, Farmer Browns Boy
was terribly in earnest"
Happy Jack Squirrel chuckled hap
PLY. "Of course. they must grow said
he For myself l prefer hickory nuts
but probably that's because l am. a
Squirrel. SO there is to be Thrift
Stamp Week, That is the best news
I've heard for a long time. If they
keep on some day these humans VIII
he as wise as u Squirrel. Thrift Week
That's great, | hope every boy and
girl will buy a Thrift Stamp. Well.
can't stop to gossip any longer. Sc
long. Peter. And for goodness sake
do watch your step"
Copyright. 1870. by T. ". Burgess)