Year: 1871




John Ranger walked along on his way
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 merning, the boys
had proposed building 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 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 it, 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 st noon to eat
their dinners, the boys had agreed to eat
their lunch during the forenoon recess,
end 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. Ii not
correctly done, time must be taken from
the hours incoming 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-
vilderment He had taken unusual pains
with them. When he looked last they
were certainly there. Now they were
gone. But who had rubbed them out?
Some one must have done so. He could
not remember that any one had come to
AAo 6Cdl, anu JOb 6OAAC PC4cOA Aoa AOAAA
and taken the opportunity to blot the re-
suit of his mornings labor.


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


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


81 don't know, sir," answered john


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


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


"Very 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 at
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 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
another 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 dav, as q 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; 1 saw him do it"
"Don't tell any one" John whispered
, back, and the boy passed on. A weeE
! passed. A dozen times John found oppor
!, iunities to pay off his score with Joe. bu


his better nature told him that it would bt
more noble and manly to overlook tht


matter entirely.


One no idsy, John obtained permission
to go 20 pond about mile from home tc


skate. When he reached the pond he
saw that Joe Evsns 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 cry
. and the sound of cracking ice, and looking
up, he saw that Joe had broken through 6
thin spot and was struggling in the water
!, Quickly as possible he sprang to ths
, rescue, and by means of long pole which
was lying on the ice near the scene OF the
: accident, he succeeded in getting Joe ou
safely, though much frightened


"Oh, Johnp cried Joe, sbivering with


terror and cold, if you hadn't helped me
out should have drowned"


"I guess you would" answered John
, quietly.


"And / served you in the way did =


cried joe az rubbed out your problems


the DAY we built the FORT"


at knew itp' answered John, 81 found
! it out next day."


And Sou never told of it~ Joe fell
very insignificant in comparison with Johr
Ranger This was new way OF revenge
Don't saw anything more about it,


said John, but hurry home and get som'


dry clothes on"


John was satisfied with his revenge


1t was a great deal better than payinl
back IN the same kind of coiR.-Worj