Year: 1874

rather astonishing piece of French was
set down in black and white.
The tea-bell rang before Jack finished
and copied this production. Afterward
he did his chores, but so full was he of
his essay that he could not sleep before
laying it under apprcciative eyes. He
asked his mother if he might not go over
to see Miss Grace" that evening.


Miss Grace" was Jacks teacher. She
was fond OF boys, and perfect mistress Of
all their hearts.


She sat by her parlor table sewing
when Jack was shown in, and she made
him quite at home instantly.


IL came to bring my composition, Miss
Grace" said Jack. Il thought maybe
you'd like to criticise it little this even
ing. It's a storyr'


"A story, is its" said Miss Grace, smil-
ing. We'll, since you are here, and are
more familiar with it than am, suppose
you read il to me-"
That was just what Jack wanted to do.
He drew nearer the light --rf-


:" The name of it is The Beautiful Res
cu6r,'" said he, his heart beginning to
beat considerably quicker than usual.


$50 on" said Miss Grace, encourag-
ingly, turning her head to see what kept
the boy puckering and frowning so long
over his manuscript.


The fact was, Jacks handwriting was
somewhat of the pot hook" character,
and he could hardly read it himself.
Finally he cleared his voice and began:


There was man who had CRATE menny
cnnemys. His name was Agustuss derwcnt.
One day rs he went to take a walk on the
raleroad track, he swung his cane and enjoid
the bammy breeze and two other men which
jumped out from pile of rocks and nocked
him down.


They gagged his hands and feet, and lade
him acro,t the track and tide him tite to the
rales with ropes as big as my two arms, and
when they herd the express train coming they
lit out for the woods.


Now there was high stone wall about thre
feet thick, beside the Track, and Beautiful
young Lady was walking on the other side of
it. She pceped throo little crack and saw a
Gentleman fastened to the ralcs and the train
Il coming at ltcning speed. So she did not
know what to do, but she got a rock and
broke a hole through the wall and crept
through.


The COW -kctchcr of the express trane was
uoW right up to mister Derwent's head, but
She pulled out her pen-knife and cut him
louise, and pulled him off just as the train
whizd byl


When he come to he thanked the young
Lady for saving his life, and asked Her If he
should see her home for fear Of the Indians.


"Wee, Silver-plate," replied the young Lady
who was Frenchman. So they walked u
piece when she told him she saw hominy on
n shovel which was her father and he would
go the rest of the way with her. Agustuss
derwcnt then married the young Lady, who
he called his Beautiful Rcscucr


Her name was Il Mcia


There was short pause and, getting
no response, Jack hemmed and coughed
to signify that he had read all he had
written. Miss Grace had stopped her
sewing and was bending toward the CRATE,
shaking quietly; though why she shook
Jack couldn't imagine.


Jack, dear, she said, presently, in
strange voice, did you ever read Baron
AIunchauscn?


- q No, ma'am."


"The bool-is there on the table. Sup
pose you take it up while look your es-
say over"


Accordingly Jack took the book and
began to read. Soon he looked up with
a comical mixture of Indignation and
amusement on his face. Miss Crace's
meaning in setting him to study the Baron
had dawned upon him.


"Gracious!" said Jack, "can't he tell
big ones?"


He read little farther, and laid the
book down. IL wish hadn't written
story. But I've read lots Of newspaper
ones most as bad as this mans" His
teacher remained silent.


"Say, Miss Grace cried Jack, starting
toward her suddenly let me write some
thing else. l believe l don't like my
story"


Very WELL you may write another
composition while sitting here with me,
if you like. There are pencils and paper
in the drawer"


So, making her his muse this time, and
forgetting all about Jayhawkcr Bill"
he wrote an essay on Truth" which Miss
Grace thought would do very well (when
the spelling, etc, was corrected). He
read it to her, sitting on IA footstool at
her feet. Jack was only eleven, but Miss
Grace told him boy of eleven ought to
think independently, and NEVER let his
mind get poisoned by the wretched style
and matter of such story papers as the
New York Thunder-Clnp. This is Jacks
second compositions


Truth is when you don't tell lie. ! some
times miss the truth, which is Falsehood.
1t is rong to tell false Hoods 1t makes q
fellow mean and small The biggest Lyre l
ever heard of was Baron Munchausen Jack
had copied the hard word very carefully out
of the bool) He sed he tide his horse to
stick when the sno was deep and in the morn
ing when the snow melted he found 1t was TO
the church stccple, so there the Horse hung
till he shot the Bridal in two and let him
drop.


Many stories which is printed is lize and are
not the truth; not because they are not true,
but because they are not like Life, and teach
People harm.


l wrote story oncet but was ashamed OF
it. mean to stick to the truth the rest Of my
life JACK SMITH.


Youths Companion.