The William Henry Letters. Diaz Abby Morton

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Your affectionate grandchild,William Henry.

      P. S. When punkins come, save the seeds – to roast. If you please.

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      My dear Grandmother, —

      One of my elbows came through, but the woman sewed it up again. I've used up both balls of my twine. And my white-handled knife, – I guess it went through a hole in my pocket, that I didn't know of till after the knife was lost. My trousers grow pretty short. But she says 't is partly my legs getting long. I'm glad of that. And partly getting 'em wet.

      I stubbed my toe against a stump, and tumbled down and scraped a hole through the knee of my oldest pair. For it was very rotten cloth. I guess the hole is too crooked to have her sew it up again. She thinks a mouse ran up the leg, and gnawed that hole my knife went through, to get the crumbles in the pocket. I don't mean when they were on me, but hanging up.

      My boat is almost rigged. She says she will hem the sails if I won't leave any more caterpillars in my pockets. I'm getting all kinds of caterpillars to see what kind of butterflies they make.

      Yesterday, Dorry and I started from the pond to run and see who would get home first. He went one way, and I went another.

      I cut across the Two Betseys' garden. But I don't see how I did so much hurt in just once cutting across. I knew something cracked, – that was the sink-spout I jumped down on, off the fence. There was a board I hit, that had huckleberries spread out on it to dry. They went into the rain-water hogshead. I didn't know any huckleberries were spread out on that board.

      I meant to go between the rows, but guess I stepped on a few beans. My wrist got hurt dreadfully by my getting myself tripped up in a squash-vine. And while I was down there, a bumble-bee stung me on my chin. I stepped on a little chicken, for she ran the way I thought she wasn't going to. I don't remember whether I shut the gate or not. But guess not, for the pig got in, and went to rooting before Lame Betsey saw him, and the other Betsey had gone somewhere.

      I got home first, but my wrist ached, and my sting smarted. You forgot to write down what was good for bumble-bee stings. Benjie said his Aunt Polly put damp sand on to stings. So he put a good deal of it on my chin, and it got better, though my wrist kept aching in the night. And I went to school with it aching. But didn't tell anybody but Benjie. Just before school was done, the master said we might put away our books. Then he talked about the Two Betseys, and told how Lame Betsey got lame by saving a little boy's life when the house was on fire. She jumped out of the window with him. And he made us all feel ashamed that we great strong boys should torment two poor women.

      Then he told about the damage done the day before by some boy running through their garden, and said five dollars would hardly be enough to pay it. "I don't know what boy it was, but if he is present," says he, "I call upon him to rise."

      Then I stood up. I was ashamed, but I stood up. For you told me once this saying: "Even if truth be a loaded cannon walk straight up to it."

      The master ordered me not to go on to the playground for a week, nor be out of the house in play-hours.

From your affectionate grandchild,William Henry.

      I was very sorry that while in the neighborhood of the Crooked Pond school, a short time since, lack of time prevented my finding out the Two Betseys' shop. These worthy women, as will be seen further on, became William Henry's firm friends.

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      My dear Grandmother, —

      Lame Betsey gave me something to put on my wrist that cured it. I went there to ask how much money must be paid. I had sold my football, and my brass sword, and my pocket-book. They told me they should not take any money, but if I would saw some wood for them, and do an errand now and then, they should be very glad. When I told Dorry, he threw up his hat, and called out, "Three cheers for the 'Two Betseys.'" And when his hat came down, he picked it up and passed it round; "for," says he, "we all owe them something." One great boy dropped fifty cents in. And it all came to about four dollars. And Bubby Short carried it to them. But I shall saw some wood for them all the same.

      Last evening it was rainy. A good many boys came into our room, and we sat in a row, and every one said some verses, or told a riddle. These two verses I send for Aunt Phebe's little Tommy to learn. I guess he's done saying "Fishy, fishy in the brook" by this time, Dorry said he got them out of the German.

      "When you are rich,

      You can ride with a span;

      But when you are poor,

      You must go as you can.

      "Better honest and poor,

      And go as you can,

      Than rich and a rogue,

      And ride with a span."

      This riddle was too hard for me to guess. But Aunt Phebe's girls like to guess riddles, and I will send it to them. Mr. Augustus says that a soldier made it in a Rebel prison. Mr. Augustus is a tall boy, that knows a good deal, and wears spectacles, and that's why we call him Mr. Augustus.

RIDDLE

      I'm one half a Bible command,

      That aye and forever shall stand;

      And, throughout our beautiful land,

      'T is needed now to foil the traitorous band.

      I'm always around, – yet they say

      Too often I'm out of the way.

      Thereby leading astray;

      I'm decked in jewels fine and rich array.

      Although from my heart I am stirred,

      I can utter but one little word,

      And that very seldom is heard;

      My elder sister sometimes kept a bird.

      Reads the riddle clear to you?

      I am very near to you:

      Both very near and dear – to you,

      Yet kept in chains. Does that seem queer to you?

      That about being "stirred from the heart" is all true. So is that about being "around." The "Bible command," spoken of at the beginning, is only in three words, or two words joined by "and." This word is the first half. But I mustn't tell you too much.

      They are all dear. But some kinds are dearer than others.

      I wish my father would send me one.

      That about the bird is first-rate, though I never saw one of that kind of – I won't say what I mean (Dorry says you mustn't say what you mean when you tell riddles). But maybe you've seen one. They used to have them in old times.

      I've launched my boat. She's the biggest one in school. Dorry broke a bottle upon her, and christened her the "General Grant." The boys gave three cheers when she touched water, and Benjie sent up his new kite. It's a ripper of a kite with a great gilt star on it that's got eight prongs.

      My hat blew off, and I had to go in swimming after it. It is quite stiff. The master was walking by, and stopped to see the launching. When he smiles, he looks just as pleasant as anything.

      He patted me on my cheek, and says he, "You ought to have called her the 'Flying Billy.'" And then he walked on.

      "What does 'Flying Billy' mean?" says I.

      "It means you," said Dorry. "And it means that you run fast, and that he likes you. If a boy can run fast, СКАЧАТЬ