r a while he rose to a good position in the shop. And he became at
last a great railroad engineer. He built that great bridge at Blankville.

"Why," said John Harlan, "I thought your Uncle David built that."

"So he did," said Harry. "My uncle was the boy that could not learn
Latin."

"I suppose," said Tom Miller, "that God has use for us all, boys. Perhaps
Jimmy's father was as much intended to make shoes as mine to preach. What
a mistake it must be to get into the wrong place, though."

"Come, you're getting too awfully solemn, Tom," said Jimmy Jackson;
"you'll put a fellow to sleep before he has time to go to bed." And
Jackson pretended to snore.

"The m-m-meeting's adjourned," said the president. "Jimmy Jackson will be
the sp-speaker at the n-next m-m-meeting of the Cellar-d-door S-society."

THE WOOD-CHOPPER'S CHILDREN.

The next Friday evening found all the members of the Cellar-door Club in
their places. Will Sampson, the stammering "chairman," was at the top,
full of life and fun as ever. Jimmie Jackson, running over with mischief,
was by him, then came Tom Miller and John Harlan, while Hans Schlegel and
Harry Wilson sat at the bottom. After a half-hour spent in general talk
about school and plays, and such miscellaneous topics as every gathering
of boys knows how to discuss, the "chairman" called out,

"Come t-to order! Th-th-the C-cellar-d-d-door Society is c-called to
order. G-g-gentlemen, the Hon. J-Jeems Jackson is the speaker f-for the
evening. I h-have the pl-pleasure of introducing him to you."

"No, you don't!" said the shoemaker's son; "don't put it on so thick. If
you want me to tell my yarn along with the rest of you, why, I'm ready,
but if you call it a speech, you scare me out of my shoes, just like the
man that tried to make a speech in the legislature, but couldn't get any
farther than 'Mr. Speaker, I am in favor of cartwheels and temperance.'
Or, like a boy I knew, who tried to declaim the speech beginning:
'Friends, Romans, Countrymen, lend me your ears!' and who got so badly
confused on the first line that he said, 'I'd like to borrow your ears!'"

This raised a laugh at the expense of Harry Wilson, who had broken down
on that line, though he did not make it as bad as Jimmy represented it.

"G-g-go on with your story!" stammered the chairman, and Jackson
proceeded.

_JIMMY JACKSON'S STORY._

There lived in a country a long way