Year: 1864




"Mother," said George Maxwell "there's
poor boy in our school who l wish had
some of my clothes. The boys call him
Pinch, he looks so pinched: but he is real
clean-his knees and elbows are so well
patched. He was dreadfully cold in school
to-day; 1 know he was, he kept shivering
So"


The poor do not suffer half so much from
cold as we think they do, said his aunt !;
they get used to it,


Let's see you try it, cried George.


Hush, my son, said his mother.


well, mother, just as if flesh and blood
would not feel such weather as this, with
only thin piece of cloth between them
Aunt is covered with flannel from head to
foot; no wonder she doesn't know what
cold is


George and his aunt were apt to disagree
and the worst Of it was, they did not agree
to disagree.


What is the boys name besides Pinch p
asked his mother


Jed Little. | guess he has no father,
and | don't know where he lives. I only
know he is good fellow, and real pitiful this
weather.


WELL said Mrs. Maxwell, IF you can do
anything for him, 1 shall be very glad to have
you


Good, cried George, turning to his book
again; before tomorrow night I'll take the
shiver out Of poor Jed, if L can


lie could now study better.


Jed was not at school the next forenoon.-
Co. ocI-o I,
boys knew-none, at least, that he asked.
After school the master told him, and away
he scampered to find him. 1t was in an old
block Of buildings in another part of the
town, which he made a business to search
through and through when he got there.
Presently there was a tap at one of the base
ment windows, and George espied Jed's face
at one of the squares.


Halo, Jed 7 cried he.


Jed came to the door and peeped out.


Where are you bound down here? he
asked.


Looking you up, old schoolfellow,' said
George.


Mother is lining my old trowsers, and
I've got nothing to wear while she is doing
it, said the boy; 4 can't go out, SO you
come in


George went into the small room where
the Littles lived-a poor widow with four
children, whom the long and severe winter
was pinching the very extent of their scanty
means. Such a box of a stove, George
thought, and about porringer of potatoes :;
and Jed with old summer pants on and a
blanketo over his shoulders-while his mother
was basting strips of flannel in his school
trowsers, and they the best he had 1t was
the reality Of poverty, which he seldom saw


Il just thought l would hunt you up
jed he said, making as if to 60; for he
felt half ashamed of his thick coat beside
his poor half-clad school mate


Thank you ever so much for coming said
Jed; ft's good in you Why, you see, al
most froze in school yesterday, and mother
did not want to let me go till she had time to
fix me. She sews for the shop, and has to
sew for us by piecemeals. [ wish always
twas summer, like the tropics geography
tells us about


Poor JEDI said the kind-hearted George
to himself, as he ran home; poor fellow
poor fellow ?


Mother, he cried, as he bounded into
the house with his glowing cheeks, 4 want
to make up bundle of my clothes for Jed
Little-quick, mother, quick =


1T is dinner time, said his aunt.


Dinner = cried the boy; what do 1 care
about dinner when poor Jed Little is freez-
ing?


But his mother quieted his impetuosity
until after dinner, when she went up stairs
with him and gave him leave to select full
and comfortable suit for the poor boy.


George shouldered the bundle, and took
in his other band tin pail, full of dinner,
for the destitute family. t


you are a good boy said his aunt.