Muscatine weekly journal. [volume] (Muscatine, Iowa) 185?-1890, 1860-03-16

smile, and fairly went to sleep while she
said SO. So | got down . book of trav
els, and forgot all about myself for .
couple Of hours. Then looked up,
and as saw little Jimmy sleeping 50
soundly and pleasantly in his crib,
where he had Kicked himself out to the
top of the bed clothes and baby, too,
doing quietly With her thumb in her
mouth !; and Lucy reposing so refresh- ]
ingly, with half smile on her parted
lips-the fire now burning brightly,
and the rain beating against the win
dows, I was glad I did not speak cross
to Lucy, and leave her sick and alone
with deranged kitchen, q dull FIRE, q
fretful child, and . nursing baby
What brute / should have been if !
had done it ?" ..a.. .,s
eyes, of COURSE" said Tom, rath-
er slowly, for he was just then impress:
ed with the idea that he, with all his
good temper, had done it, at time
not very remote. But he regained his
composure by saying-"Well, 60 on,
Dick, this is as interesting as prize
tale" ..a Go 80
81 have little more to say" con-
tinued Dick. 81, have considered the
matter great deal, and the more I
considered upon it, the more often L
think I WON'T When old Scoldem is
insolent to me, when any one jostles
me insultingly, when tradesman or .
fellow craftsman treats me rudely, my
first impulse is to repay him in kind ;
but when I consider that it will do me
no good to do so, and how much better
it will be not to do it, II think won't.
When I am annoyed by shortcomings
at home, and am tempted to find fault,
I ask myself if Lucy is not q good-tem-
pered, Industrious woman, agood moth
er and loving wife, and if don't real
ly think she has meant to do as we'll as
she could under the circumstances, and
then the sharp expression never forms
on my lips, because-'l think WON'T
So when the children are too noisy, OF
one of them is fretful, / think that
noise is oft preferable to constrained
silence, and that it is better to take the
little feverish u,chin on ones lap, and
take his little hand in yours, smooth
down his hair, and tell him about Gull
liver and the Lilliputians, than to cuff
his ears and send him outraged and
crying to bed. I am glad that | often
think I WON'T feel that I have
triumphed when I can say-1 thought
1 wouldn't."
'sDick," said Tom, "can you give
me a scrap of paper"
His friend examined his wallet anc
produced a piece.
"Here," said he, els the back of &
letter, dropped to-day in the city Pos
Office. 1t is addressed to me, and has &
post-mark on it, too, but as it is mark
ed paid l hope that won't hurt it."
GAN the better for leaving you
name land date on it, Dick, !" said Tom
who proceeded to the desk, wrote some
thing very carefully on the paper, fold
ed it, and put it away in his pocket
book.
The two friends grew old together il
their native city. They both became
prosperous in their calling and were
noted for their kindness to their work
men and servants, for their amenity tx
the community at large, and for theil
domestic happiness. They were dis
tinguished by civil honors, and made
the repositories of responsible trusts
They remained fast and intimate
friends, and it was source Of happi
ness to them that their children inter
married. Thomas died first. In hi
last will he made singular provision
"Nem. direct that certain seal
ed package, bearing his name, shall b.
delivered to my true and lifelong
friend, Richard FELTON,. 1t is
gift which he made to me in early life
it has been to me source Of success
and of domestic happiness. I return
it to him now: he does not need it, ant
will be glad to receive it,
The mysterious package was produc
ed and opened. 1t contained only
crumpled, worn, and somewhat soilet
scrap Of paper apparently a piece Of
post-marked letter, which read as fol
lows:
"July LIST, 1906"
RICHARD FELTON,,
Carclxt0n.
| ct THOUGHT / WouLpN'To