rl, but her wish to help
the child made her feel quite grown-up and very wise.

"Henry," said she, "how nice you look when you are not crying. Why, now
you're smiling, and you look like a darling!"

He laughed.

"There! laugh again. I want to tell you something, Henry. You'd be a
great deal happier if you didn't cry so much; do you know it?"

"Well, Miss Dunlee,"--Kyzie liked extremely to be called Miss
Dunlee,--"well, Miss Dunlee, you see, the boys keep a-plaguing me. And
when they plague me I have to cry."

"Oh, fie, don't you do it! If I were a little black-eyed boy about your
age I'd laugh, and I'd say to those boys: 'You needn't try to plague me;
you just can't do it. The more you try, the more I'll laugh.'"

Henry's eyes opened wide in surprise, and he laughed before he knew it.

"There! that's the way, Henry. If you do that they'll stop right off.
There's no fun in plaguing a little boy that laughs."

Henry laughed again and threw back his shoulders. Why, this was
something new. This wasn't the way his mamma talked to him. She always
said, "Mamma's boy is sick and mustn't be plagued."

"Another thing," went on the little girl, pleased to see that her words
had had some effect; "whatever else you may do, Henry, _don't_ 'run and
tell,' Do you suppose George Washington ever crept along to his teacher,
rubbing his eyes this way on his jacket sleeve, and said 'Miss
Dunlee--ah, the boys have been a-making fun of me--ah! They called me
names, they did!'"

Henry dropped his chin into his neck.

"Never mind! You're a good little boy, after all. _You_ wouldn't steal
anything, would you, Henry?"

This sudden question was naturally rather startling. He had no answer
ready.

"Oh, I know you wouldn't! But sometimes little _birds_ steal. Did you
hear that a magpie stole a watch the other day?"

"Yes, I heard."

"Well, here's some candy for you, Henry."

The boy held out his hand eagerly, though looking rather bewildered. Was
the candy given because George Washington didn't "run and tell"? Or
because magpies steal watches?

"Now, good night, Henry, and don't forget what: I've been saying to
you."

Henry walked on, feeling somewhat ashamed, but enjoying the candy
nevertheless. If his pretty teacher didn't want him to tell tales, he
wouldn't do it any more. He would act just like George Washington; and
then how would the big boys feel?

He did not forget his resolve. Next morning when Dave Blake ran out hi