The River Falls journal. (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1857-1861, 1859-05-18


dismay. 1t was in bis thought to screer
himself by saying harsh things of tAe ca
but be checked their utterance. To dc
SO seemed dastardly as well as wicked.
An hour went by-how full of suffer
ing and then, after long and a paa-
fal struggle with himself, John came te
where his mother sat sewing, in the nur-
sery, and, sitting down on aiew chair be.
side her, leaned bis arms spon her lap
and looked up, with. sad, fearful eyes, in
to her face. II
why, John, what ais your said bis
mother, in surprise.
i broke the vase, mother
How mournful were the poor boys
tones!
! You, John?'
He said not q word more, but hid his
face on his mothers lap and cried bitter
ly.
How came you to do it, John 2 asked
his mother, after he had grown calmer.
1t was all an accident, indeed it was; ;
but, oh what will father say 2
Sic will be grieved and angry. You
should not have gone to bis ROOM
1 went for q book, and intended to
have come right out, but something in
terested me, and | forgot myself Oh,
what shall DOE
'You must tell your father about it as
soon rs he comes hene.'
But he'll not forgive me. He thought
SO mu b of the va g; it was SO beautiful
But he needn't give me the gold watch
for q birth day present. Couldn't be buy
another vase for the money that would
cost? | don't care anything about the
watch. Oh, I'd rather never have a watch
or anything else, than that he should be
angry with me; and he gets SO anerr and and
SAYS such dreadful things to me when I'm
IN fault, and it seems as if l am always
doing wrong. Won't you tell him about
the vase, mother? | wish you would
Tel him didn't do it on purpose, that |
am SO sorry, that I'll try never again in
my life TO do anything to offend him.
That mother saw dee er into her boys
| heart than she had ever seen before. 4
have been tempted to conceal f. he said.
Fla. hers anger seemed so Or satful to me,
that / thought | could not beaIit.'
Nothing is So hard to bear, by son, as
| the burden of troubled conscience, said
the mother. oh, never forgetthis'
You'll speak to father about it, won't
you? John asked, entreatingly
Perhaps I had better do So
Tell him how sorry am, flat it WAS
all an accident, that he needn't buy me
the watch
The mothers heart was deeply touched
at the distress eff her boy, ana shefeitit to
be her duty to stand lovingly between him
and The quick anger Of an impulsiye, yet
not cruel-minded, father.
Evening came, and with it the fathers
dreaded return. AS soon as the mother
was alone with him, she said, .your agate
vase is broken
sWhatr His face grew instantly Grim
| son. Broken? Who did its'
John
John? Where is hep
The father was already on his feet, re-
solved under theblnd impulse Of the mo-
ment, to punish his sen with extreme Sc
verify. He had asked no explanati ons;
everything against the poor boy was taken
for granted.
st was an accident said the mother.
But what business had ne to touch the
vaser as angrily responded.
| He was getting a book from the shelf,
when it fell from bis hand upon the vase.
That's bis story.
HE'S truthful boy urged the moth
er.
Hes meddlesome fellow, always in
terfering with matters in which he has no
concern. I'll teach him a lessen that
he'll not soon forget Aud he moved
towards the door; but the mother laid
her hand upon his arm.
/ He has been punished enough already,
sain she.
who punished him? You!
If you had seen him as I have seen
him. yoa would feel pity instead Of wrath
Don't speak harsh wordto him. He is
nearly SEX now, from dread Of meeting
your anger. He says you needn't buy
him the gold watch for birthday pres
ent, but keep the money for new vase
He was strongly tempted to conceal his
fault, and he might easily have done SO
for found the cat in your room, ant
thought that she had done the mischief
Did he know that you thought SOP
The fathers voice was much softened.