Little Ted

The sun was shining brightly one early May morning, and little Ted sat on the front doorstep.

His elbows rested on his knees and his chubby face rested in his hands. Ted was thinking; and as he sat there keeping time with his little foot, he was softly singing a kindergarten song.

It was Saturday, and much to Ted's regret there was no school, and the busy little boy did not know what to do with himself.

"I wish there was kindergarten every day," sighed Ted, and he thought longingly of dear Miss Alice and little Hazel and John and Paul, and of the pretty pink mat that he was weaving; and then the song came again to his lips and he sang merrily and sweetly:—

"That was such a pretty story that Miss Alice told us about the little stream," thought Ted; "how the little stream went singing on its way as happy as it could be, watering the grass and the flowers on the banks, and the roots of the big trees, and the cows and sheep and the birds and the little boy who came after the cows. It was such a nice story!"

Pretty soon Ted was aroused by hearing the milkman ring his bell. Ted ran down the steps and up to the wagon in a moment.

"Well, Ted," said Thomas, the driver, "you have come in good time. My leg is so lame with rheumatism that I cannot get out of the wagon this morning. Will you carry the milk in to Maggie?"

"Yes, sir!" said Ted, glad of something to do: and he carried the milk very carefully to the kitchen door, where Maggie met him with a pitcher in her hand.

"Thomas is lame with rheumatism," said Ted, "and can't come in."

Maggie gave him a cookie, which she had just taken from the oven, and off he went again, as happy as a bird. He felt as if he had wings. He ran out to the gate and swung there for some time, the song again jingling in his mind.

Very soon he saw his little friend, Kitty Culpins, coming down the walk, wheeling her baby brother. As she went to cross the street, the curbstone was too high, and she was not strong enough to get the carriage over. She pushed and she pulled, but it was of no use.

Ted watched her for some time, and then a happy thought popped into his little brown head. He rail to Kitty, and he pulled while she pushed, and they got the carriage safely over.

They walked up and down in the bright sunshine for a long time, and then Kitty went home and Ted went to his favorite place on the front steps.

"Singing, singing all the day," sang Ted, as he took some marbles from his pocket, and counted them over.

He heard a strange noise on the sidewalk, and looking up, he saw an old blind man, very much frightened at a wagon that had passed quite close to him as he was crossing the street.

The blind man had lost his way and was tapping with his cane upon the sidewalk, to find out where he was.

Ted ran down to see what was the matter, and the poor old man told him that he had lost his way.

He wanted to go to North Street; and so Ted took hold of his hand and turned him gently around, and the old man thanked him kindly.

Just then the dinner bell rang, and Ted ran in with a light heart. His father said, "Ted, what have you been doing to-day?"

"Oh! having some fun" said Ted.