Bellows Falls times. [volume] (Bellows Falls, Vt.) 1856-1965, 1859-05-20


table. and, opening it, pretended, for few
momt nts, 10 be reading.
John J the mother continued to call.
Here | am, moiher,' John answered,
from the parlor door.
i want YOU dear
John went up TO his mother with new
burden on his already heavy heart. He
lad pretended not to hear her first call, and
in this lad acted unfairly towards her, and I
III way 10 diminish his own self respect.
Go around 10 the trimming-store, and
get me a sken Of black silk. John.
Not venturing TO lift his eyes TO his mo-
theirs face, John took The change that was
reached to him, and turned quickly aw&y.
lie was gone a good while, 81 long that bis
mother became Slightly impatient at the de-
lay, and, when he appeared, uttered few
reproving words. These hurt him a good
deal, and prevented the revelation he was
about TO make. The fact was, his mind
had been so exercised in relation to the
broken vase that he had partially forgotten
his errand, or rather, the necessity of doing
it promptly. On his way home from the
trimming-store, he sat down on a step, TO
con over suggestion which had come to
mind. Ii was, 10 90 at once TO his mother,
aud reveal the fact that the vase was broken.
leaving it with her to make the dreaded
( disclosure 10 his father, who was of rather
| a hasty tenn er, man who, in too many
eases, acted first and reflected af erwards.
1t was because of this peculiarly in his
| disposition that John WAS so much dis
fre>sed. He knew tn t, in the first emo
lions awakened on receiving intelligence of
the disas'er, lie would not look al all be-
! ond the tpct, or imagine that there might
he any extruuating circumstances. And so
John came in from the trimmihg-Store pre-
pared to make clean breast to his mother;
but the displeasure she manifested in CON
sequence Of his delay repel'ed him. and he
shru with the air aud feeling of a dtlin-
quert, from her presence. Down into the
parlors he went, f, cling wietched in the ex
treme.
o dearl I wish father knew it. Iwould
! tel' linn as soon as he came in, and explain
all about it; would tell hi how sorry
feel. and that he may sell my silver fork
and napkin-ring, ard that | e needn't buy
me tie 90 d watch he promised for birth
| d ~ present; but it wouldn't lie OF any use.
! The m, ment he learns that the vase is bro
/ ken. he will be- angry. and say he don't want
to hear word from me; and most likely
h'il drive me to the oarret. and not let me
c, me down for two or three days. O dear.
dear ! wish | hadn't gone into his roam.
II was wrong, J know; but | wanted a
book, and, when there. | forgot mvself.
wish father wouldn't get so al gry when ]
Il II oil oil oil
this. I'LL never hase any rest until he
knows that broke tie vase; and yet I'm
afraid to say a word about it,
While snch thoughts were passing through
The mind of the unhappy boy, he was
aroused by the sound of lis mothers voice.
who appeared excited about something.
Iusnnctivelv, he assigned the cause; and
he was right. She had disc vcred the
broken vase. Pale and trembling, John
stood at the bott, m of the stairway. and as
he stood thcle, his little sisters cat came
rushing down and out into The yard. heavy
stick striking the last landing an instant at-
ter she had cleared it, The blow had it
reached, would probably have killed her.
How rehuked John fit. Poor pussy had
been discovered in the room. aud, for his
fault. she had come near losing her life.
More and more troubled and perplexed was
he Oh how he yearned to 90 to his mo-
ther and tell the whole truth yet he shrunk
from a thought of the consequences which
would follow when his impulsive father
learned that his cherished vase was broken,
and who had done the deed.
John John ?
Pm here, MOTHER answered John, in
| faint voice.
/ where?
Down here in the passage
Come up to me, John
John crept slowly mp the stairs. What
4 has The cat been doing mother ? said he.
| How his conscieac- smote him for this du-
I plicity. and how his trouble increased with
I ihe thoash that he was widening the gulf
which was already between him and an
( rorah!e confession Of his fault. He had
ever been truthful boy; he loved the
truth; hut. in dread of his fathers anger,
4 he had acted fal>ehnod. To recede in
volvcd, now. double ~equences. ltwouId
Expose his dupl city-to him most painful
and noriifying-a> well as meet the dread
( ed anger Of his father. All. if that father
/ l. ot a hard, harsh, deliberately cruel and
unjust man-could have looked into the
poor boys heart at this moment, he would
not only have been atfected with the tender
est pity tor him. hut been appalled, at the
danger to which his own want of seit-eon-
troll was exposing his son.
what has the cat been doing. motherF
repeated John. Worse and worse lie
was widening the aplf still further.
i sShe has been into vour fathers rom.
and Knocked down and brken his beauiiinl
vase. He'll be drradfully angry about IT..
1t came Instantly to the lip OF John to
say. II wasn't the eat, mother; broke the
vase But the visaae of his angry father
was too palpable before him. and he could
not utter the words and 50 he Stood be-id'-
his mother, gazing upon tie fragments %
the vase. in a kind of stupid d smay. 1t
was in his thought TO screen himself by
saying harsh things of the cat, bat he