Page:Harper's New Monthly Magazine - v109.djvu/171

Rh addressed his petition: "Please, God, lend me a penny." Now the box was well filled, and Tony in his excitement held it upside down. His hands were twitching under the strain of his anxiety. Is any one prepared to assert that this combination of circumstances alone caused a penny to slip out of the aperture in the lid and roll gently towards Tony? That is a matter between Tony and his God. As he arose his gratitude was fervently expressed: "Thank you, God. I'll give it back to you to-morrow night."

When bedtime came on Saturday night Tony toiled up the stairs, broken-hearted. His faith in humanity was shattered, for gran'muvvie's usual donation had not been forthcoming. What could he say to God? His obligation weighed heavily upon him, for he felt a debt of gratitude that could not be repaid simply by the return of the borrowed amount. The success of his plan had exceeded expectations and he knew that it was largely due to the peppermints. Joy at the impending visit to the circus had made him radiate good humor all day. That afternoon gran'muvvie had given a tea-party, to which she had bidden four friends of her girlhood. He was so happy that he had offered to kiss them—in fact, he gave Mrs. Jones, who did not like little boys, two. Towards evening Tony began to grow impatient. How could they drink so much tea! What a lot of talk! It made his head ache. At every sound of his mother's voice he started, expecting to hear, "Tony, it's time for little boys to go to bed." Anxiety set in with the lighting of the lamps. Gran'muvvie, all unconscious of the havoc she was working to his peace of mind, gossiped on, and in the delight of reminiscence forgot the largess to her beloved boy. Oh, horrible thought! Maybe gran'muvvie didn't have any more nickels! The suspicion became conviction. Bravely he battled with his tears, and although he looked upon the quartet as being in some inexplicable manner the authors of his misfortune, he included them in the goodnight kiss.

How did he ever summon courage to falter through "Now I lay me"? Tony lay in his bed, thrilled by a sense of his unworthiness. "Oh God," he sobbed. "I'm terrible bad. I didn't mean to cheat. Honest, God, I didn't. Cross my heart. Oh dear God"—his voice sank to a whisper,—"do you think maybe I shook the box?" Insomnia gripped Tony. He lay alternately praying and sobbing long after the quiet of night had descended over the household. He could endure it no longer. Slipping out of bed, lie ran towards his mother's room. Midway he was arrested by the light streaming from gran'muvvie's reading-lamp, beside which she sat with her Bible. Here was spiritual consolation on tap. In an instant he had precipitated himself on her lap. "Oh, gran'muvvie," he wailed, "I owe God a penny."

Eagerly Tony lifted the little metal casket and knelt to pray: "Here's your penny, God: I'm terrible much obliged—and please, God, won't you specially bless my bootiful gran'muvvie?"

And gran'muvvie felt as she gathered him up in her arms that Tony's prayer had been answered.

HE class in German had been learning a little poem about Bismarck, and the teacher was taking occasion to tell them in German a few facts about him. She made the statement that he was called "Der Mann von Blut und Kisen (the man of blood and iron).

They all knew what Blut was, but none of them knew what Eisen was.

So pointing to one of the iron ventilators in the wall, she said: "Das ist Eisen. Now Bismarck was the man of blood and what?"

"Ventilators," shrieked a youngster.

ITTLE MARGARET came to her mother one day, and asked, "Can I take my dollie to heaven with me when I die?"

"No, I think not." answered her mother.

"Very well, then, I will just run round to hell with her," said Margaret, in a tone which settled the matter once and for all.