Jack's Ward; Or, The Boy Guardian

is mother. "Rachel was just predictin

see me safe and well, Aunt Rachel," said Jack

than drowning," repl

as w

to be hanged is s

mean me. But, mother, I didn't tell you of my goo

get it?" aske

ke it, mother; I warrant

any. Before you take off your boots, Jack, I wish you'd run over to the grocery store, and

gotten us," she remarked, as

chel, gloomily. "Will it c

and perhaps Timothy will have work

step of one who brings good tidings, but slowly and deliberately, with a quiet gravity of demea

acy to forbear intruding upon him questions to wh

Aunt

in tryin'! The times is awful dull, and mark my words, they'll be wuss before they're better. We mayn't live to se

starving till the time comes. Anyhow," glancing at the table, on which was spread a good p

me flour," rep

?" asked t

for a few pounds," said Mrs. Hardi

o was puzzled, as his wife anticipated. "I

arned it himself, holding

er, cheerfully. "We ain't so bad o

" she said, with the air of

ng evil?" said Mrs. Harding. "You see you'

sat down

husband's cheerfulness in a measure restored, "what

thy. "He isn't at all sure when it will be saf

" commented Rachel, wi

ng couldn't hel

you haven't formed

me. I must try to get

for ins

it's only sawing wood. We shall have to get along as eco

we can live very plain," said Mrs. Hardin

sooner," was the comfor

umoredly. "Perhaps we might have lived a leetle more e

father," said Jack, hopefully.

said his mot

ntly fearing that the family might become too cheerful, whe

courage people, Aunt Rachel,

stant umbrage

nything to be cheerful about when you're on the verge of starvation, I hope you'll enj

shness," said Timothy. "You do

. "If it hadn't been for me, I know you'd have been able to lay up money, and have something to carry you th

great help to me in many ways. That pair of stockings, now, you're knitt

o lose the use of 'em soon, and be as useless as old Mrs. Sprague, who for the last ten years of her life had to sit with her hands folded on her lap. But I wouldn'

d this storm, winced under the last wor

don't you try to look pleasant and cheerful? W

en their house is a-burnin' down before their eyes, and I've heard of one young man that laughed at his aunt's funeral," di

s a time to laugh, too

d Aunt Rachel; "but human nater ain't to be forced. I can't s

to persuade Rachel to cheerfu

knit in grim silence, while Jack seated himself on a three-legged stool near his aunt, and began to whittl

to his nose. He then took down from the mantelpiece one of the few books belonging to his library-"Dr. Kane's

of graceful tranquillity, but it proved to

n the world. This, I think, no one will deny who has any practical acquaintance with them. Jack was working quite vigorously, the block from which the boat was to be fashioned being held firmly between his knees. His knife having got wedged in the wood, he made an unusual effort

ifting her foot, clung to it convulsively, whil

ng "Dr. Kane" fall to the floor, started up in great dismay. Mrs. H

long to see ho

, Rachel?" in

ely: "You careless, wicked, ungrateful boy, that I've been wearin' myself out knittin' for. I'm almost sure you did it a purpose. You won't be satisfie

aunt, who was rocking to and fro in her chair. "You know I didn't.

said his aunt, sti

for you to put on it, Ra

ostures indicating a great amount of anguish, limped out