The Richmond palladium., 1865-08-03
gnttrtsting STORY.
LESSON FOR THE TIMES.

Aunt Matilda please give me pin,'
said bright looking but shabbily dress
ed little fellow, opening the door of Mrs.
Lanes kitchen.
Just see here he added, pointing to
a large rent on the knee of his trowsers,
me and Will Brown were playing tag
and | fell down and tore this
WHY did mt you go home and get your
mother to mend it JohnnyT said Mrs.
Lane. as she did her best to bring together
! the severed parts.
oh, cause mother amt to home
| she's gone to the Society for Clothing
/ Destitute Children
Destitute Children" calculated Mrs
Lane, as she surveyed her nephew from
head to foot If you don't come under
/ that class then never a child did Why,
nv dear, You are all rags and tatters.
Il know it aunt. responded the boy
moodilv; but it amt my fault Mother
saws she has no time to mend my clothes,
and if she did they would be just rs bad
the next dav so what's the use? Father
said last night that looked like little
he then, and he almost wished l was,
for then mother would think was worth
looking after while
Have YOU had any supper Johnny,
You LOOK hungry
No said the boy casting a longing
look at the generous piece of pie that his
aunt was cutting. mother left some cold
victuals on the table for father ana me,
but
w ell, interrupted the good woman,
placing the pie upon plate, and adding
to it n couple of doughnuts she was fry
ing and a slice of cheese, you just take
this, and mind you don't leave bit of
! it
John lost no time in obeying his aunts
peremptorv, but by no means unpleas-
ant Injunction. and the contents of the
| plate rapidly disappeared before the en-
ergetic assault
| 4 wish mother stayed at home just as
you do. aunt he said as he opened the
door, casting a longing look back upon
the cheerful. cosy looking kitchen.
Il declare exclaimed Mrs. Lane. as,
taking up the rolling pin she resumed
her labors, If itisn't a shame for Nancy
to neglect him l am actually ashamed
| of him,-and his mother an active mem
Der of half dozen charitable societies.
! As for brother John, he's clean discour-
| aged, and don't wonder ut it. / don't
/ believe he comes home to 4 warm supper
once aweek It's my belief that it's
.
comfort of her own family, then if she
! has time to do for others. we'll and good
! Charity ought to begin at home, II 1t
don't stay there.
! There's Aunt Nancy now. just coming
| into the gate, said her daughter Betsey.
as. looking up from the apples she was
/ pairing, she CHANGED to glance out at the
/ window.
Indignant as she was. it was not in
/ good natured Mrs. Lanes heart TO re
/ fuse kindly greeting to her sister-in-
/ law, who was evidently too fall OF her
own concerns to have noticed any lack
OF cordialitv had there been any
How do YOU do. sister Lane, how do
YOU do. Betsey. she said. seating herself
in the first chair she came to, as If quite
exhausted. though her keen black eyes
looked as bright and sharp as ever. Al
ways cooking, i do declare. All, how
it makes my heart ache to see You spend
ing so much precious time IN caring for
the poor perishing body.
Folks can't live without eating, re
snonded Mrs Lane alittle tartIv, aS this
remark called to mind what she consld-
cred her sisters remiSSuess in the care
! of her family .Leastways | haynt yet
!, found ont the ether ~ay of living.
You always did make nice doughnuts,
Matilda. said Mrs. Shaw, very compoS-
edly helping herself TO one.
These are light as honey comb, she
added. as she broke itopen and proceed
ed 10 dispose of it with evident satisfac-
ton Il don't know when l have made
any kind of pastry. Professor Spare,
who lectured here last winter, said that
they were very unhealthy, entirely de
stroying what he called the digestive
apparatus.
Yes. know returned Mrs. Lane.
drylv. husband invited him home 10 tea
one day, and couldn't perceive that he
had any particular objections to my cakes
and pies Indeed. | remember thinking
) that If that was his ordinary way Of eat
ing shouldn't like to be the one 10 cook
. | Tor him Aud lat fnlks say what they