24
GRANNY’S SKEIN.

    

ql was a warm, bright Saturday in June—
just the right kind of day for cricket,
thought Will, as he hurried over his
morning work about the house, so as to
be able to get to the field in good time
@,, for the match in which he was to take part
<<? that afternoon.

When dinner was over he was all eagerness to be off;
but Granny wanted him to hold a skein of wool for her
to wind before he started. ‘Oh dear!” said Will impatiently,
“what a bother!” For Granny was old, and wound very
slowly. He was sorely tempted to run off and let Granny
wait until he came back; but he thought better of it. He
_ fidgeted dreadfully during the winding process, however ;

and that did not help matters, for the skein became badly
tangled one or twice. At last, he could contain himself no
longer. “Oh, Granny,” he said, “this is’such a large skein,
and I’m in such a hurry!” But Granny only answered,
“Never mind, Will; it will soon be done now.” When at
length the tiresome task was finished, Granny said, “ Thank
you, my boy; now off with you, and you won't enjoy your
game any the less for knowing that I wanted this wool to
complete a shawl for poor little crippled Susie” (a very
particular friend of Will’s). ‘I promised she should have it
to-morrow. If you had not helped me, I could not have had
the shawl ready for her, and I should have been so sorry to
disappoint the little maid.”

Willie looked shyly into dear old Granny’s eyes. “I
should have been sorry, too,” he said, and he kissed her.