The weekly Ottumwa courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1857-1872, 1859-02-24
The Lent Paper.

band.
! surely, wife, cannot tell; it was brouyt
from the Office, think"
j "Yes, James brought it home on Saturda
evening; but neighbor N and his viii
being here, he laid it on the parlor table"
! "oh, " has got the paper, l remen
Der now of lending it to him."
II am very sorry for that; think you d
very wrong, husband, in lending the paper
before wa have read them. He who takes
paper and pays for it, is certainly entitled t
the first perusal of it.
| - know it, wife, but neighbor N dom
take paper, and can't refuse when he ask
! to borrow ours"
Don't " take paper ?" inquired
Mrs, c. with surprise,
! ono" ..
"Why not? he is, as he says, alw ,ys yer,
fond of reading" ~ ..
Yes, but he seems to think himself una
BILE to take one"
| Unable He is certainly as able as W,
are. He pays much larger tax, and is al
most always Dragging of his superior cattl,
, and"
Hush, wife! 1t is wrong to speak Of on,
neighbors' faults behind their bachs. lie
promised to return the paper to-day"
81 hope he WILL 1t contains an excellent
article whidh desire very much to read"
Mrs. C was an excellent lady, and
probably possessed as libaIal feelings as he,
peace-loving husband; but she could not be-
lieve it 10 be their duty to furnish free pa.
per to their more wealthy and covetous
neighbors.
N had formerly taken a paper, but
thinking it too expensive, to tue no small dis
comiiture of his wife and little ones, he had
ordered its discontinuance. lie however, low
cd to read dearly, and had, for year o,
more, been in the habit Of sending little Joe
on the disagreeabl. errand of borrowing old
papers from his neighbors.
Mrs. C waited patiently through the
day, expecting to see little Joe coming with
the paper, but the day passed, As likewise
did the evening, and no paper came.
The next morning, alter breakfast, she
was heard to say
"Well, john, the paper has not been re
turned YETI
SAh inflaaA I .r,,ay,, mi. ..l,l,,, L.,
either forgotten his promise or is absent from
home" replied c..
IL think" she continued. 1--WE had better
send James after it,"
Would it not bc best, wife, to wait unit
afternoon? N may return it before tina
time"
"As you think best" was the reply.
They waited until nearly dark, but no pa
per made its Appearance. James, smar
lad of ten years, was now instructed to pro
cecd to neighbor ", and get the paper
! lie soon arrived and made known his errand
He was very politely informed that it wa.
lent to R, the blacksmith, who lived hal
mi.e further on. James, unwilling to re
turn home without it, notwithstanding tn,
lateness of the hour, continued on to tn,
blacksmth's.
1t was quite dark when he arrived, but h,
/ soon made his business known, and was in
formed by Mrs. R that little sis had go
hold of the paper and tore it up"
'I'll take the fragments" said James, wht
was for having nothing lost.
1.-The fragments. Jimr' exclaimed Mrs
R, "Old Donk, the pedler, came alons
here, to-day, and sold 'em with the rags
James, somewhat dispirited by his unsuc
cessful mission, and not being very courage
Gus in the dark, silently beat hasty rctrea
for home, where in due season he arrived
and reported the result of his errand.
"Ah," composedly remarked Mr. c.
II suppose X. asked neighbor ~ to lent
him the paper, and he did not like to den,
him. We cannot, think, accuse either O
doing intentional wrong; and one paper,
continued he, "is oflittle value"
You may argue Ms case as you please,
replied Mrs. c., ''but be assured of on
thing"
"What is that?" askee Mr. C. with eviden
fear.
Nothing, only neighbor n will not lon
be at the in.onvenienc, of troubling pecpl
for old papers"
!, In about three weeks after this converse
ton, N. was inform ID by the postmaster tina
he had paper in tie Office. He was hight
pleased at this announcement, but could nc
think who was so very kind as to send hi,
papr. After mary conjectures, however
he came to the conclusion that it was frol
some friend whom he had assisted in forme
years.
, One year had passed: the paper continue
to come, and N. was still ignorant fro,
whence it came; but one day mt 'haulin,
he informed his neighbors Of his good 70
tune, and expressed some fears that he woul
soon have to do without paper.
"No you W mt" said James C. in lo,,
one of voice, "for mother sent on wo dollar
for you last week"
'Well done. Jim |" shouted dozen voice
twhile = 81 nultaneous roar of laughter IA