e joiners of Norridgewock.

All the boys were out sliding. Ed Peet had come from over the river;
Fred Danforth was there from the tavern; and George Sawtelle came
running up from the big house under the willow. Others were there too,
slipping along on Jack Frost's floor.

Little Albert looked out of the window, and saw the boys at their play.
Why couldn't he go out too?

"Shall I go, mother?" he asked.

"Your slippers are too thin, Albert."

"Oh! I can put on grandpa's boots."

"Yes, you can go, but be careful. You are too young for such rough
sport."

Off scampered the eager feet, and on went the big boots. A smile must
have lighted up the mother's eyes as she heard her little boy tramping
over the floor in the heavy boots.

The boys were taking their turn at sliding. Away down at the end of the
line stood Albert. They were sliding carefully, not running too hard;
for a little way out the ice was thin. After a while, it was Albert's
turn. "I'll beat those big, clumsy boys," he thought.

Taking a long run, driving ahead with all his force, he shouted, "Now
see your grandpa go!" And, sure enough, grandpa's boots went and went,
out where the ice was thin, and down went Albert into the water! The
water was not deep, though. He was out again in a moment; and there he
stood, cold and dripping like an icicle in a January thaw.

I can hear the boys laughing, and I seem to see the smile lighting up
the mother's brown eyes still more merrily, when her little boy came
home. Albert never forgot it. In after-years he would say, "Whenever I
am inclined to show off, I think of grandpa's boots."

E. A. R.

[Illustration]

[Illustration]

WHAT JESSIE CORTRELL DID.

POOR little Johnny Cortrell's eyes kept growing dimmer; and one day in
May-time they failed altogether, and Jessie, his sister, led him home
from school stone blind.

His father and mother were greatly distressed at this. Dr. James held a
candle to the poor blind eyes; but they never blinked. He said he was
not enough of an oculist to determine whether they could be cured; but
there was a doctor in Boston--Dr. Williamson, 33 Blank Street--who would
be able to pronounce with certainty.

Now, the Cortrells lived thirty-five miles away from Boston, and were
quite poor. The father did not see how he could afford the expense of
sending Johnny to Boston yet a while, but hoped to do it in the autumn.