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Only An Irish Boy; or, Andy Burke's Fortunes, a novel by Horatio Alger |
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Chapter 16. The Christmas Present |
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_ CHAPTER XVI. THE CHRISTMAS PRESENT Godfrey didn't return to school at all. He fancied that it would be more aristocratic to go to a boarding school, and, his mother concurring in this view, he was entered as a scholar at the Melville Academy, situated in Melville, twelve miles distant. Once a fortnight he came home to spend the Sunday. On these occasions he flourished about with a tiny cane, and put on more airs than ever. No one missed him much, outside of his own family. Andy found the school considerably more agreeable after his departure. We will now suppose twelve months to have passed. During this time Andy has grown considerably, and is now quite a stout boy. He has improved also in education. The Misses Grant, taking a kind interest in his progress, managed to spare him half the day in succeeding terms, so that he continued to attend school. Knowing that he had but three hours to learn, when the others had six, he was all the more diligent, and was quite up to the average standard for boys of his age. The fact is, Andy was an observing boy, and he realized that education was essential to success in life. Mr. Stone, before going away, talked with him on this subject and gave him some advice, which Andy determined to follow. As may be inferred from what I have said, Andy was still working for the Misses Grant. He had grown accustomed to their ways, and succeeded in giving them perfect satisfaction, and accomplished quite as much work as John, his predecessor, though the latter was a man. As Christmas approached, Miss Priscilla said one day to her sister: "Don't you think, Sophia, it would be well to give Andrew a Christmas present?" "Just so," returned Sophia, approvingly. "He has been very faithful and obliging all the time he has been with us." "Just so." "I have been thinking what would be a good thing to give him." "A pair of spectacles," suggested Sophia, rather absent-mindedly. "Sophia, you are a goose." "Just so," acquiesced her sister, meekly. "Such a gift would be very inappropriate." "Just so." "A pair of boots," was the next suggestion. "That would be better. Boots would be very useful, but I think it would be well to give him something that would contribute to his amusement. Of course, we must consult his taste, and not out own. We are not boys." "Just so," said Sophia, promptly. "And he is not a lady," she added, enlarging upon the idea. "Of course not. Now, the question is, what do boys like?" "Just so," said Sophia, but this admission did not throw much light upon the character of the present to be bought. Just then Andy himself helped them to a decision. He entered, cap in hand, and said: "If you can spare me, Miss Grant, I would like to go skating on the pond." "Have you a pair of skates, Andrew?" "No, ma'am," said Andy; "but one of the boys will lend me a pair." "Yes, Andrew; you can go, if you will be home early." "Yes, ma'am--thank you." As he went out, Miss Priscilla said: "I have it." "What?" asked Sophia, alarmed. "I mean that I have found out what to give to Andrew." "What is it?" "A pair of skates." "Just so," said Sophia. "He will like them." "So I think. Suppose we go to the store while he is away, and buy him a pair." "Won't he need to try them on?" asked her sister. "No," said Priscilla. "They don't need to fit as exactly as boots." So the two sisters made their way to the village store, and asked to look at their stock of skates. "Are you going to skate, Miss Priscilla?" asked the shopkeeper, jocosely. "No; they are for Sophia," answered Priscilla, who could joke occasionally. "Oh, Priscilla," answered the matter-of-fact Sophia, "you didn't tell me about that. I am sure I could not skate. You said they were for Andrew." "Sophia, you are a goose." "Just so." "It was only a joke." "Just so." The ladies, who never did things by halves, selected the best pair in the store, and paid for them. When Andy had returned from skating, Priscilla said: "How did you like the skating, Andrew?" "It was bully," said Andrew, enthusiastically. "Whose skates did you borrow?" "Alfred Parker's. They were too small for me, but I made them do." "I should suppose you would like to have a pair of your own." "So I should, but I can't afford to buy a pair, just yet. "I'll tell you what I want to do, and maybe you'll help me about buyin' it." "What is it, Andrew?" "You know Christmas is comin', ma'am, and I want to buy my mother a nice dress for a Christmas present--not a calico one, but a thick one for winter." "Alpaca or de laine?" "I expect so; I don't know the name of what I want, but you do. How much would it cost?" "I think you could get a good de laine for fifty cents a yard. I saw some at the store this afternoon." "And about how many yards would be wanted, ma'am?" "About twelve, I should think." "Then it would be six dollars." "Just so," said Sophia, who thought it about time she took part in the conversation. "I've got the money, ma'am, and I'll give it to you, if you and Miss Sophia will be kind enough to buy it for me." "To be sure we will, Andrew," said Priscilla, kindly. "I am glad you are such a good son." "Just so, Andrew." "You see," said Andy, "mother won't buy anything for herself. She always wants to buy things for Mary and me. She wants us to be well-dressed, but she goes with the same old clothes. So I want her to have a new dress." "You want her to have it at Christmas, then?" "Yes, ma'am, if it won't be too much trouble." "That is in two days. To-morrow, Sophia and I will buy the dress." "Thank you. Here's the money," and Andy counted out six dollars in bills, of which Miss Priscilla took charge. The next day they fulfilled their commission, and purchased a fine dress pattern at the village store. It cost rather more than six dollars, but this they paid out of their own pockets, and did not report to Andy. Just after supper, as he was about to go home to spend Christmas Eve, they placed the bundle in his hands. "Isn't it beautiful!" he exclaimed, with delight. "Won't mother be glad to get it?" "She'll think she has a good son, Andrew." "Shure, I ought to be good to her, for she's a jewel of a mother." "That is right, Andrew. I always like to hear a boy speak well of his mother. It is a great pleasure to a mother to have a good son." "Shure, ma'am," said Andy, with more kindness of heart than discretion, "I hope you'll have one yourself." "Just so," said Sophia, with the forced habit upon her. "Sophia, you are a goose!" said Priscilla, blushing a little. "Just so, Priscilla." "We are too old to marry, Andrew," said Priscilla; "but we thank you for your wish." "Shure, ma'am, you are only in the prime of life." "Just so," said Sophia, brightening up. "I shall be sixty next spring. That can hardly be in the prime of life." "I was readin' of a lady that got married at seventy-nine, ma'am." "Just so," said Sophia, eagerly. Miss Priscilla did not care to pursue the subject. "We have thought of you," she continued, "and, as you have been very obliging, we have bought you a Christmas present. Here it is." Andy no sooner saw the skates than his face brightened up with the most evident satisfaction. "It's just what I wanted," he said, joyfully. "They're regular beauties! I'm ever so much obliged to you." "Sophia wanted to get you a pair of spectacles, but I thought these would suit you better." Andy went off into a fit of laughter at the idea, in which both the ladies joined him. Then, after thanking them again, he hurried home, hardly knowing which gave him greater pleasure, his own present, or his mother's. I will not stop to describe Andy's Christmas, for this is only a retrospect, but carry my reader forward to the next September, when Andy met with an adventure, which eventually had a considerable effect upon his fortunes. _ |
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