Miss Billy : $b A neighborhood storyMcNeely, Marian Hurd
General
Miss Billy : $b A neighborhood story
McNeely, Marian Hurd
Families of clergy -- Fiction; Neighborhoods -- Fiction; New York (N.Y.) -- Social life and customs -- Fiction
"Now me," begged little Mike.
"Are even the babes in arms mustered into service?" asked Francis.
"To be sure they are," responded the hostess. "Mike is one of our
best workers. Tell us about it, dear."
"A boy camed and shaked our new 'ittle twee. An' I said 'No, no,
boy,' and he wunned away. And Fwiddie helped me make a fence wound
it," lisped the little lad.
Even Marie Jean was delighted with the childish recital, and she
joined enthusiastically in the applause which followed. Little Mike
buried his face in his sister's lap, and only glanced out shyly when
Friddie began his report.
"I'm using my ecspress wagon to clean up the streets with," he began.
"I go out early every morning, and Aaron Levi helps me. We pick up
all the trash in the street an' pile it in my wagon, and sometimes
there's two loads of it. We sell it to Mr. Hennesy for fillin' holes
with. He gives us a cent a load. We bought nine cents worth of taffy
on a stick last week, an' we're goin' to save up to buy a patrol
wagon."
One by one the other reports followed. Lena Engel had burned a pile
of rubbish in the alley; Moses Levi had gathered all the old rags on
the street and sold them to the ragman; Mary O'Shea had planted grass
seed in her yard; Pius Coffee had cut down "eight stacks of weeds";
the little Moriaritys had "filled up a sink hole" on their premises;
Jacob Kohn had stopped putting ashes in the street; and two of the
larger boys had placed a box on the corner, for the disposal of
rubbish. Even the tiniest children had their small stories to tell,
and Miss Billy glowed with pride as the last member of the Street
Cleaning Brigade was heard from.
"Isn't that splendid?" she said, with face aglow, as she turned to
her two older guests. "Just think what it will mean to Cherry Street
to have citizens of this kind growing up on it!"
Francis had risen from his place on the grass, and was facing the
small audience. "May I give my report?" he asked, his brown eyes
twinkling mischievously through his sedate glasses.
Miss Billy's pleased face was consent enough.
"You all know how long I have lived on Cherry Street," began Francis;
"just long enough to be greatly interested in your work, and yet
not long enough to accomplish much. During that time I have had two
sidewalks repaired, a new one laid, and some curbing reset. I have
taken down three fences. I have cleared my uncle's yard of weeds,
and we are beginning repairs on his house. I don't know what one's
qualifications must be to belong to your club, but I should like to
join,--here and now."
The members of the Street Improvement Club cheered with enthusiasm
at this delightful addition to their number. But there was a greater
surprise in store for them.
"And so would I," said Marie Jean unexpectedly.
Whether it was Francis' example, or the reports of the little ones,
that had inspired the action, it would be hard to say; but the cause
of Marie Jean's conversion was not inquired.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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