Cedar Falls gazette. [volume] (Cedar Falls, Iowa) 1860-1895, 1866-09-07
aMiseellanu.


TWO RULES, AND HOW THEY WORKED.
"Here are two rules for you Fred"
said Giles Warner, looking up from
the paper he was reading, and address,
ing younger brother who was sitting
by the stove playing with his favorite
dog.
"Well, what are they? Let us have
them" said Fred, suspending his sports
with his dog.
"The first is, never get vexed
with anything you can help. The Sec
ond is, never get vexed with anything
you can't help"
"Are not those rules as applicable to
you rs to me?' inquired Fred archly.
"No doubt of that" replied Giles
good humoredly; "but then it is'so
much easier to hand over piece of
good advice to another, than to keep it
for ones own personal use. 1t is kind
of generosity that don't require any
self denial" "
Fred laughed.
"But what say you to these rules p
How would 1t work If we adopt them %
continued Giles.
III think they take pretty wide and
clean sweep. They don't leave a fellow
any chance whatever to get vexed,"
said Fred #&
"That might be an objection to them
if any one was wiser, better, or happier
for getting vexcd. l think they arc
sensible rules. 1t is foolish to vex our
selves about what cannot be heIped.
and 1t is useless to vex ourselves about
what can be helped. Let us assist each
other to remember and obey these two
simple rules. What say you:" contin-
ued Giles.
"Pll agree to it," said Fred, who was
usually ready to agree to anything his
brother proposed, if il was only propos-
ed good humorcdly.
That's too bad!" exclaimed Fred the
next morning, while making prepara-
tions for school.
"What is the matter now ?" inquired
Giles.
II have broken my shocstring, and It
is vexatious; ] am in such hurry, !"
replied Fred.
NO we shan't. We shall only have
to walk little faster. Besides, If Won
Keep cool you will find the string and
put 1t in much sooner than if you be-
come vexed and worried" said Giles.
That is true" answered Fred, as he
started for the string quite restored to
good humor.
Several opportunities occurred dur
ing the day for putting the newly adopt.
ed rules into practice. The best was
this: In the evening Giles broke the
blade of his knife while whiting q
hard piece of wood
1T can't be helped, so you must not
get vexcd about it," said Fred.
i ut might have been helped, but l
can do better than to fret about 1t. l
can learn lesson of care for the future
which may some day save knife more
valuable than this. The rules work
well. Let's try them tomorrow" said
Giles.
The next morning Fred devoted an
hour before school to writing a compo-
sition. After he had written half a
dozen lines, his mother called him to
do something for her. During his abb
sence, his sister Lucy made use of his
pen and ink to write her name in a
school book. In doing so, she careless
ly let fall a drop of ink upon the page
he was writing. Fred returned while
she was busily employed in doing what
she could to repair the mischief.
"You have made n great blot on my
composition" he exclaimed, looking
over her shoulder.
~ am very sorry. did not mean to
do it," said Lucy.
Fred was SO vexed that he would
have answ e | his SIS er very roughly
if Giles had not interposed.
"Take care Fred; you know the
thing is done and can't be helped"
Fred tried hard to suppress his vcxa-
ton.
~ know 1t was an accident" he said
pleasantly, after a brief struggle with
himself.
Lucy left the room, and Fred sat
down again to his composition. After
moment he looked up and said:
"No great harm done after all; two
or three alterations were much needed,
and if write it over again can make
them"
$50 much for a cool head and not
getting vexed. Our rule works WE'LL"
said Giles laughing.
At night Fred tore his pants while
climbing over the fcEce. "That's too
bad" he said.
"It can't be helped; they can be
mended,s said Giles.
''The way TO help it is what troubles
me. don't like to ask mother, she
has so much to do" said Fred.
Giles proposed that he should get ov-
er his difficulty by asking Lucy to do
the job for him, as his mother had
taught her to mend very neatly.
Fred was not at first disposed to adopt
this measure. lie knew that Lucy dis
liked mending very much, and he was
afraid she would be cross II asked to
do it; but at last he decided to run the
risk OF that. They found Lucy busily |
employed with q piece of embroidery,
and quite absorbed in the work. Fred
looked significantly at Giles when he
saw how his sister was employed; but
he concluded that he had gone too far
to retreat, and must make bold push.
II wish to ask great favor of you,
Lucy, but I fear have come In the
wrong time," said Fred.
"What is it?"
II am almost afraid to tell Won It |