Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1871-04-19

Little Tom Waters borrowed it this after.
noon to draw his sister over to Mr. Browns.
Where are my nine-pins? They arn't in
the closet"
Bessie has company in the parlor and |
gave her permission to play with them"
Well, where are my skates suppose
somebody wanted them, too, and I'm to be
cheated out Of all my play" said Philip in
very il-natured tone.
Your Father took them to the shop this
morning to have them mended for your Satur- |
day holiday" replied his mother, taking out
the gingersnaps she had just made from the
large pan, and disregarding her sons petu-
lance. But Pills temper was reused and
even his fathers thoughtiulness failed to mol.
lify him.
Il don't care. | wish people would leave
my things alone" exclaimed the cross boy.
Philip !" said his mother reproachfully.
"Well, d. What's the use of having
things if one can't get the good Of them ?"
Mrs. Ames had observed for some time
Philips growing selfshness, and the unrea.
sonabIeness which always goes hand in hand
with it had panied her frequently of late.
She had hoped it was only the consequence ofl
too great indulgence during bis sickness two
months before and fault which she could
easily check, but her efforts thus far had been
unavailing She paused moment after he
had spoken, aud glanced at his handsome face
at that instant seeming positively ugly by rea-
son OF the sulkiness which overspread it,
Then she said cheerly; Well, my son, there
is no reason why you should not have your own
things all to yourself if you so choose. Of
course if you are to have the entire enjoy
ment, you will also take the entire care of
them
q" | guess I'd be glad enough to, answered
Philip, little surprised by his mothers mat
ter-oi-fact way Of taking his remarks.
Then | will resign all care of your prop.
erty for the future, or at least as long as you
wish said Mrs Ames, in quite a business
like tone, and going to the parlor she substi-
tuted a book Of engravings for the nine.p pins,
and brought the box to Philip. Presently
Tom Waters also brought the sled expressing
his gratitude for the favor in a very earnest
manner.
Philip was quite elated by his new author
ity, and played nine-pins on the sitting-room
carpet for at least ten minutes. Then he saw
to him. aud coasted until tea time. He came
in tired and hungry to find his nine.pins scat
tered from one end Of the room to the other,
as he had left them.
Pick 'em up, Bess, won't you? I'm
hungry as bear"
q" Bessie wanted to, - remarked Mrs. Ames,
d" but | told her they were yours, and you
preferred to take care Of them"
Phil made no answer, but crept under the
table and chairs to gather them up, while the
family sat down to tea.
I" broke my sled, father" said Phiip after
bunting the edge of his hunger with deic-
ious biscuit, and left it at the shop for YOU
to bring home with my skates
His father looked up with an expression of
great surprise and answered
"Thats very awkward for you, Phil. Your
skates are here and are not mended. brought
them home for you to attend to yourself.
However, you can have your sled mended all
the same, | suppose"
4" But the money" faltered Phil, horri-
BILE suspicion creeping over him. Z" How shall
pay for it,
" That's your lookout, of course. The
sled is yours, you know" responded Mr..
Ames with the utmost cooless.
Poor Phil A choking sensation began
to seriously interfere with the progress of that
second biscuit but he had saved few shil-
lings for missionary money, and the thought
Of this as furnishing way out Of his dilem-
ma restored his wonted serenity As for the
skates, they must remain unmended
That night, when Philip was undressing,
he did what boys are wont to do, wrenched
one or two buttons from his clothes, and call
ing down to his mother, carelessly informed
her Of the fact, and threw his suit down the
stairs for her to mend The door opened im-
mediately, and her pleasant voice called up
TO him
" Here, Philip, have put thread and
needles and buttons on the stairs They are
your clothes, you know, and am not to mend
them, of course"
Phil pretended not to hear But Mrs.
Ames waited, and finally asked
A" Do you hear, Philip ?"
" les, maam," answered the poor boy, re-
pressing great sob. The door closed, and
Philip, feeling as solitary and deserted as if
he were a hundred miles away from the dear
home, dropped his head between his hands
and cried bitterly. After while he crept
softly down stairs, aud bringing up his new
and unwelcome possessions began his task
1t is needless to tell how many times the
needles broke and the thread knotted, before
the work was ended, and how sore his fingers
were with useless stabs, and how the buttons
burst of the the next morning because he had
sewed them on with single thread, and how he
pinned his clothes and was pricked by the
pins cruelty all the next day
He could not skate that Saturday on ac-
count Of his boken skates, and when he went
for his sled, he discovered that he had not
enough money to pay for it, and when he en-.
tered his room at night, il was in the same
disorder in which he had left it in the morn.
ing. Philip was completely humbed by his
miserable day, and by the prospect Of always
wearing clothes which were pinned together,
and Of sleeping, night after night, in tumbed
bed Worse than all he had seemed the
whole day to be an outcast from that helpful
unselfsh household.
His mother had also endured the punish.
ment as long as she was able to bear il, and
with an aching heart went softly up to her
sons room. AS she opened the door, she saw
Phil with his head on the table sobbing like
a homesick boy. In moment her faithful
arms were about him.
" Is my darling tired of his seIGshness ?"
she asked.
Observation-Disclosures me
back" sobbed Philip.
DO you see that we need others to make
as comfortable and happy, and that we ought
TO give as well as take 7"
"Oh yes-I-do," answered Philip with
great energy.
" Then his mother smoothed the tumbled
bed and made the disordered room tidy and
beautiful, as mothers know SO well how to do,
and Blil's lesson WINS nayar fnronttao