Randy and Her Friends | Page 8

upon a
home made pattern.
The group of farmers, obedient to his command, turned and looked at
the speaker, while from behind the stove which, hot weather or cold,
held the place of honor in the centre of the store, a shrill voice ventured
to question the pompous owner of so great a property.
"Be ye goin' ter say, Josiah, that every feller what's edicated at a
deestrict school can git ter own sech a fort'n as yourn?"
"Huh! Wal, no, not exactly," was the admission, for while this good
committee-man was fighting a suggestion which had been made
relative to securing better quarters for the school which promised to be
larger than on any previous year, he did not wish to diminish his own
glory by inferring that any one, however bright, or ambitious, could
possibly arrive at his eminence.
"I think, friends," said Parson Spooner in his soft, pleasant voice, "that
our scholars should be given every comfort and advantage which our
village can possibly afford to grant."

"That's it, that's it," assented Josiah Boyden, "but the thing is, she can't
afford to offer nothin' extry beyond just what's set aside fer schools."
Again the squeaky voice from behind the stove made itself heard.
"That's the time, Josiah, when the taown can't afford it that cap'talists,
such as you say you be, oughter step right inter the gap an' help aout."
"I've got a arrant daown ter the mill," remarked the offended
"_see_lectman," "an' I'm goin' right along ter 'tend to it, but I'll say in
leavin', thet I won't waste my breath a talkin' to a person with a mind so
narrer as ter s'pose fer a moment that private puss-strings hangs aout fer
every person who feels like it ter pull. I'm public sperited, every one
knows that, but I don't help support no institootion er larnin when I got
the hull er my edication at a deestrict school," and in intense disgust he
left the store followed by an irritating chuckle which, although it came
from behind the rusty old stove, reached the ears of Boyden as he
stamped down the rickety steps of the store and stalked majestically
across the square and up the road.
He was sure of a sympathetic listener at the mill, for it was a well worn
saying in the village that the miller "agreed with everyone."
The river which kept his mill running, wound its way through the next
village, where another grist mill was humming, and Martin Meers was
far too shrewd to permit himself to express a difference of opinion from
that held by a good customer, who in his wrath might take his grist to
the rival mill to be ground.
Pondering over the "narrer minds" of those with whom he had been
conversing, Josiah Boyden tramped along the dusty road, becoming
more incensed with every step, as he thought of the individual who had
presumed to suggest that he might contribute toward the school fund,
and still the gossip at the store progressed, unhindered by the departure
of the "_see_lectman."
"My Reuben," remarked Mr. Jenks, "made more progress in his studies
last season than he ever made before in two winters' work, and I feel
that the teacher deserves a deal of thanks fer stirring up such an interest.

I don't have the sort er feelin' that Boyden has. I stand ready and willin'
ter put my hand in my pocket ter help aout expenses, ef some others
will 'gree ter chip in."
"But there's a 'scuse fer Boyden," chuckled Nate Burnham, the old
fellow behind the stove, as he relighted his pipe, and puffed a few times
to determine if it intended to burn. "There's a sort er 'scuse fer Boyden,"
he repeated, "fer his children have growd up, so he ain't got no use fer
schools, and fellers like him don't pay fer things they ain't a usin'."
"Wal, I think we ought ter have a village improvement sarsiety fer the
benefit of us as is out'n school," remarked Joel Simpkins, thrusting his
hands deep into his pockets and tossing his head to shake back a
refractory lock of hay-colored hair.
He was the "head clerk" at Barnes' store. To be sure he was, as a
general thing, the only clerk, but Joel considered himself quite a
personage, and never referred to himself as other than head clerk.
"Kinder had an idee that ye couldn't be improved, Joel," remarked a
young farmer who had thus far taken no part in the conversation.
Joel looked sharply at the man, and vaguely wondered if possibly the
remark was sarcastic, but the face into which he peered was so
genuinely good natured that Joel was reassured, and he at once decided
that only a very fine compliment was