dly
caution:

"Don't you go to judging him, children, till you know."

"Well, he promised," said Joel, as a settler.

"Aren't you ashamed, Joel," said his mother, "to talk about any one
whose back is turned? Wait till he tells you the reason himself."

Joel hung his head, and then began to tease David in the corner, to make
up for his disappointment.

The next morning Ben had to go to the store after some more meal. As he
was going out rather dismally, the storekeeper, who was also postmaster,
called out, "Oh, halloa, there!"

"What is it?" asked Ben, turning back, thinking perhaps Mr. Atkins
hadn't given him the right change.

"Here," said Mr. Atkins, stepping up to the Post-office department,
quite smart with its array of boxes and official notices, where Ben had
always lingered, wishing there might be sometime a letter for him--or
some of them. "You've got a sister Polly, haven't you?"

"Yes," said Ben, wondering what was coming next.

"Well, she's got a letter," said the postmaster, holding up a nice big
envelope, looking just like those that Ben had so many times wished
for. That magic piece of white paper danced before the boy's eyes for a
minute; then he said, "It can't be for her, Mr. Atkins; why, she's never
had one."

"Well, she's got one now, sure enough," said Mr. Atkins; "here 'tis,
plain enough," and he read what he had no need to study much as it had
already passed examination by his own and his wife's faithful eyes:
"Miss Polly Pepper, near the Turnpike, Badgertown'--that's her, isn't
it?" he added, laying it down before Ben's eyes. "Must be a first time
for everything, you know, my boy!" and he laughed long over his own
joke; "so take it and run along home." For Ben still stood looking at
it, and not offering to stir.

"If you say so," said the boy, as if Mr. Atkins had given him something
out of his own pocket; "but I'm afraid 'tisn't for Polly." Then
buttoning up the precious letter in his jacket, he spun along home as
never before.

"Polly! Polly!" he screamed. "Where is she, mother?"

"I don't know," said Mrs. Pepper, coming out of the bedroom. "Dear me!
is anybody hurt, Ben?"

"I don't know," said Ben, in a state to believe anything, "but Polly's
got a letter."

"Polly got a letter!" cried Mrs. Pepper; "what do you mean, Ben?"

"I don't know," repeated the boy, still holding out the precious letter;
"but Mr. Atkins gave it to me; where is Polly?"

"I know where she is," said