Year: 1871

5H EbEN Il. REXFORD.


John Ranger walked along on his vsy
home from school one pleasant winter az
ternoon, feeling rather out of sorts. The
reason of the uncomfortable feeling in his
mind was this: That morning, the boys
had proposed building 8 snow fort on the
hill near the school house. For some
days the weather had been very "moder-
ate" as people in the country express it,
and the snow had become of Just the right
consistency to roll into balls, and thus IA
cilitate the building of a snow fort in cap
ital style. John had fallen in with the
plan very eagerly. He loved sport of that
kind as well as any boy in school. When
he played he threw all his energies into
the sport, and was consequently a leader
in all the amusements incident to school
life And / am glad to say that he studied
in very much the same way as be played;
he made no half-work about il, but got his
lessons thoroughly and well. Probably
his relish for play gave him keen appe-
tite for his studies. ] have often noticed
that those boys who play best study best.
Not those boys who play most, however,
for some boys think of nothing but play.


As the plan was proposed in the morn
ing, that they might have time to build the
fort in the hour given them at noon to eat
their dinners, the boys had agreed to eat
their lunch during the forenoon recess,
and devote the entire hour to work on the
fort, and complete it, if possible, before af-
ternoon school hours began, that it might
be ready for use next day. Nearly all the
large boys had hard lesson in arithmetic
that forenoon The teacher had told them
that three of the hardest problems must
be worked out on their states and brought
for inspection at recitation time. If not
correctly done, time must be taken from
the hours nooning to study on them. The
boys thought of the snow fort to be built,
and applied themselves diligently to their
lessons. John took his slate and worked
away busily. Before recitation came he
had conquered all difficulties, and had the
knotty problems written down for the
teachers inspection.


Recitation came. He took his slate and
started for the class which was forming on
the floor. He had got nearly to his place
when he saw that the examples he had
written down SO carefully were gone.
Rubbed out entirely. He stared at the
blank slate, with look of complete be-
wilderment. He had taken unusual pains
with them. When he looked last they
were certainly there. Now they were
gone. But who had rubbed them Oute :
Some one must have done so. He could
not remember that any one had come to
his seat, and yet some person had found
and taken the opportunity to blot the re-
suit of his mornings labor.


i had the examples on my slate, sir"
he said to the teacher. "They are gone.
Some one has rubbed them out"


Who rubbed them outp asked the
teacher, in his sharp, stern way.


81 don't know, sir, answered John.


Are you sure you had them worked
out correctly i" asked the teacher.


"Yes, sir" answered John, flushing up
at the doubt implied by the teachers tone
and question.


Every well; as you are unable to pro-
duce them, and can accuse no one Of
having rubbed them out, you may stay in
at noon and work on them"


John was too proud to say word in
protest, unjust as he felt it to be. So he
took his seat in silence, resolved to find
out, if it were possible, the author of his
misfortune, for such he considered it to
be, since it obliged him to stay away from
the fort building that was to take place st
noon. Stay away he did. 1t was time for
school to begin again before the problem
was solved and written out He could not
study much when he thought Of the sport
the boys were having on the hill he
could hear their merry laughter, and
imagine how they were enjoying them
selves. He thought, with a bitter feeling
in his heart, that, but for some one Of
them, he might have enjoyed the sport too.
He walked home from school that night
as have said. feeling very uncomfortable.
He had missed rare bit of sport for one
thing; for another he had found out that
some one "Owed him a grudge;" and
smother thing was-and John felt this
most keenly, perhaps, of the three-thal
the teacher seemed to think he had shirk-
ed his lesson, and considered his story as
an excuse to get rid of little labor.


The next day, as small boy was pass
ing his seat. John dropped his pencil.
The boy picked it up and handed It to
him. As he did so, he whispered; Joe
Evans rubbed out your problem yester-
day; saw him do it"


Don't tell any one" John whispered
back, and the boy passed on A week
passed. A dozen times John found oppor-
tunities to nav off his score with Joe. but
his better nature told him that it would be
more noble and manly to overlook the
matter entirely.


One holiday, John obtained permission
to 90 10 a pond about mile from home to
skate. When he reached the pond he
saw that Joe Evans was there before him:
He sat down on the bank and commenced
to strap on his skates. Just as ne was
fastening the first buckle, he heard 3 cry
and the sound of cracking ice, and looking
up, he saw that Joe had broken through q
thin spot and was struggling in the water.
Quickly as possible he sprang to the
rescue, and by means of long pole which
was living on the ice near the scene OF the
accident, he succeeded in getting Joe out
safely, though much frightened


"0h, Johnf' cried Joe, shivering with
terror and cold, -"if you hadn't helped me
out should have drowned"


"I guess yeu would" answered Jonn,
quietly.


"And served you in the way didI'
cried Joe. az rubbed out your problems
the day we built the fortl"


al knew itp' answered John, II found
it out next day"


very insignificant in comparison with John
Ranger. This was a new way OF revenge:


"Don't say anything more about it,
said John, but hurry home and get some
dry clothes or"


John was satisfied with his revenge.
1t was a great deal better than paying
back IN the same kind of coiR.-HorE
and Play.


A Word TO the Girls.


Girls, take good care of your health;