The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1869-07-25
JUVENILE cDLUMN.
NEEDS CROSS DAY.
BY EpEN K. RExFoRD.

Ned was good boy In the main, but he
had some faults, In common with MI other
boys. And one OF his worst faults was
his uneven temper. Some days no would
be real good-natured and pleasant, and
some days he would be cross and sour. OF
course such temper wasn't pleasant to
those Ned associated with, aad if it was
pot pleasant for them, bow very unpleasant
1t must have been to Ned! However, no
one was TO blame but himself.
Ned got up one morning In one Of his
'scross its.n .asA az 49, g &aR- -
az know Ned's cross to-day, just by his
looks, !" whispered Susie TO her little brother
John. HJust see how he pouts ~ .t,e
Ned heard her, as Susie meant he should,
and answered back Grossly, thas "she
needn't trouble herself about him., a very
polite way, you see, Of telling her to mind
her business.
susie laughed, and Ned was angry in a
"If you could look ut your own face, Miss
Sakg, like enough you'd see something TO
find fault with. 'Tain't very pretty, any
way" and Ned planted his feet ON her dolls
new dress, that was lying on the floor.
that would rouse her indignation it was to
be called "Suky." They had an old COW
once that bore that name, and Ned asserted,
when he wanted to torment his sister, that
she lad been named after the cow.
81 do just think you're real mean, Ned
Allen" declared Susie. s'Just get your
dirty feet off that dress this minute, or I'll
tell mother how you act, see if don't !"
Ned thought it best to be little prudent,
SO he gave the article in question a con-
temptuous toss with his foot in Susie's
direction, and went off.
Susie smothered her indignation, when
he was gone, and proceeded to dress her
doll. She had not completed that i'm
portrait duty when she heard q scamperiBg
in the hall and a furious scratching at the
Il Sha TO, = ,Nsntn nf
some mischief on Ned,s part. AS she
opened the door in ran her white kitten
dressed up in one of her old aprons, with q
handkerchief on her head for a night-cap.
"The ugly feIlow!" said Susie, as she
united poor kitty's garments. "He'H get
punished before night, I'll bet"
That afternoon two of Ned's playmates
came to see him. He was not in the house
when they arrived, so Susie had TO receive
them. And while they were waiting for
Ned to make his appearance, she entertained
them with recital of his shortcomings
and wrong doings.
Hes just as cross as bear" asserted
Susie, land 1 know he'll quarrel about
something before you go away"
just then Ned came in, and presently
they adjourned to the garden.
"Let's play pull away" proposed one
of Ned's visitors. There's one for each
side, and one for the centre, aud Susie can
look on"
Bue that didn't suit Ned. He wanted to
play something else. The fact is, he wanted
To be contrary.
To keep peace, hia visitors granted his
desire, and played the pIays he vented
"- little while they got
tired of that, and wanted to choose some
game of their own liking.
Ned consented very uDgraciously, and so
. new play was commenced; but he felt too
cross and contrary to take part In 1t with
any interest, and went through it in duh
way which made it very unpleasant.
"Play Queen Dido's dead,'n suggested
Susie. al can play in that, and Ned likes
it best of any"
"No, don't, =" said Ned, snappishly, "and
1 won't play it, either"
"Let's play something without him,
them" said Susie; she's SO cross he won't do
anything to please us, or himself either"
| ''Is that any of yOitr business, Miss
! Suky IN asked Ned with q peculiar scorn-
full infection ON the Suky.
''My name amt Saky," responded Susie,
and If / was in yonr place, I'd be ashamed
to act SO before my visitors. Pm ashamed
| been scornfal, Susie's was much more so.
'sPd be ashamed, if was a girl, to be
out here playing with boys {" retOrted Ned,
"Folks'll call you a toin-boy.n
al amt tom-b6y," said Susie, "yoa
know it, tool / do hope you'll get
,
it bad enough" And with this parting shot,
Susie retreated into the house.
Ned's visitors did not stay long after
that. They could do nothing to suit him,
and he would do nothing himself If they
proposed anything he was sure to find fault
| with it. He was q sort of "deg in the
manger." He was determined to not enjoy
anything himself, and didn't want them to
So after trying to get him out of his 'crOss-
streak" and failing to do it, they left fol-
home in disgust.
Ned did get punished as Susie had hoped
His father had told lim not to. open the
gate of the yard, where the poultry was
kept, as the hens would do great deal o.
damage If they got into the garden. But
Ned's ugly temper urged him ony and he
opened the gate just q little, to take n peel
into the yard, when he could just a. wei
. have seen through the slats,- the frs
he knew, out ran half dozen old hens, ana
made for the garden as fast as their leg
, would carry them. When his father came
homo he found the beet-bed all scratched
| Sha rNtnl raR