Jack O'Lantern; A Tale

Book may have numerous typos, missing text, images, or index. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. 1878. Excerpt: ... XIV. BRAVE JACK. QO the summer wore slowly and hap DEGREES pily away; the raspberries went _ to seed, the daisies and the buttercups died, while the asters and the goldenrod, and a few red branches of the maples told that fall was approaching. Hardly a day passed that the children did not drop a cent or two for their goat in the china mug stowed away in their Private Roost; hardly a day passed that Jack did not drop a few pennies in the hollow of the old oak-tree. Little Jack! how happy he was those long summer days! he had never been so happy in all his short life. Every morning when he brought his berries to the kitchen door he would loiter to catch sight if possible of Mrs. Meredith, for a smile or a few words from her would send him dancing through the day. Often she would tell him that Patrick needed his help in the garden weeding, or in the fields mowing, or in the barn fanning rye; then grinning all over he would go to work, taking home at nightfall his piece of puddingcloth stuffed out with money, and generally stopping by the way to fill his pail with berries for his grandmother's tea, for, business boy though he was, he seldom forgot his grandmother. Occa sionally he would stay and play with the children, which was a grand treat, to be long looked forward to, and long treasured in his memory. But Sunday was Jack's day of pure delight. Ever since Mrs. Meredith had forgiven him he had almost worshipped her; he looked upon her as his patron saint, and when she made room for him in her Sunday-school class his happiness knew no bounds, and he could only feebly express his gratitude by giving her his prettiest burr-basket. And ever after it was his great pleasure to be the first in the school-room, to repeat his verses more perfectly than Ira Lessing, and to listen most attentively, in...