Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1872-12-26
CHAPTER RI.

For many day past little Polly had
been saying anxiously;
cob, mother! | hope i shall be well
enough to go ont with Arthur on fathers
birthday. Even If it SHOWS, / may 90,
mayn't [? A bit of snow wouldn't hurt,
ii get deal better; and OH | 90 so
want to help buy fathers book"
Now you'd better not say any more
about it till the day comes,' Arthur said
one evening; "for if you keep on so about
it, know you'll let the cat ont of the
bag before father, and that would Just
spoil everything, And seven.and- six.
pence is too much to pay after having
| our plan spoilt. Hi seven-and.sixpence,
motherH' he added with happy laugh,
isn't it q lot to give for book never
spent so much money in my life before.
| do hope, when we 20 out on Christmas
Eve to buy it, that we shan't meet any
pickpockets."
"You mustn't trust it in your pocket,
Arthur you must carry it tight in your
hand" said little Susie, with a wise nod
of her curly head.
"Theres a knowing Susie" cried
Arthur. "N0w thatt Just what III do,
Seven-andsixpence for q present for
the father! 1t may be asked how they
could get such sum for such a purpose;
and the answer is that it was the fruit of
| self-denial and filial affection. Father
first teetotal birthday" that was coming,
had been talked Of many times during
the past year, and the children had re-
solved that he should have some little
present in remembrance. So they saved
by every half,penny they could get, Ar
thur frequently earning a few pence by
running errands for persons in the neigh
borhood And when Polly fell i'll, and
kind friends dropped in to see her, she
had pence given her to buy eggs or or
angcs, or cakes with them to tempt her
poor appetite But not penny would
she spend on herself. She remembered
the want and misery of the time before
her father signed the pledge; and she
thought he had been such DEAR good
father, ever since last Christmas, that she
could not possibly do too much for him
Besides, the present they had set their
hearts upon getting was so expensive for
them, that it was urgent that they should
save every penny that came into their
hands.
At first they were very undecided about
what to get. They frequently sat down
in solemn conclaye over the question,
but could not come to decision. Arthur
voted that they should get at least five
shillings for the present, and that 1t was
too large a sum to be lightly spent.
Should it be something TO wear, to eat,
or to useY
They decided that it must not be any
thing to wepr or to eat, because they
would like il to be kept for years, in re-
membrance of the important occasion,
at should be something to remind iather,
on every Christmas TO come, what nap,
nv day his first teetotal birthday was,
SAID Mrs. Cosnett.
One day the question was decided all OF
a sudden. Arthur came bounding in from
school, with his face glowing like June
rose, though his jacket was powdered
with snow.
"Oh, mother he exclaimed, I've
seen something that would be exactly the
thing for fathers present lou know
Robinson's old book shop? Well, l was
looking in, and ! saw such grand Bible
It isn't new, but it looks as good as II 1T
had never been used, and 1t mas such
lovely pictures. 1t is real family Bible,
beauty! And | went in to 10 TX al II,
and ask the price Guess what IT was.
oIr was more than five shillings 1t isn't
much good to know the price" sad MIS-
Cosnett.
"Well it was nine, mother, and wien !
heard that, | could have cried, | felt so
sorry. | said to Mr.. Robinson that we
should not be able to have it, as 1t was
too much; and he asked me lots Of ques-
tions about who it was for and all that,
and at last he said we should have it for
seyen.aud sixpence, and he would keep 1t
for MS until brought decided answer.
Now you see there is half crown OF
mine, eighteen pence Of Polly's, six
pence of Willie's, and six pence OF
Susie s--fve shillings. How could we
manage to get the other half crown DO
you think you could afford to help,
mother ?"
Mrs. Cosnett thought Of small sum
Of money which she had put by, sixpence
at time to buy herself a pair OF boots,
which che needed very much. :,
Just think" Arthur went on plead
ing, chow nice this book would be;
something TO be always using, and some
thing 10 last all our lives.
"And something to be real blessing TO
us alb the mother added And while
she spoke she resolved to wait for her
boots, and add half crown If her money
to the children's precious store.
eyes you shall have half crown from
me. " she said There could be nothing
better for fathers teetotal birthday than
that" >,
SO Arthur called next day to tell the old
bookseller that they would come and buy
the book on Christmas Eve And when
the day came, Polly prevailed upon her
mother to let her 60 on the happy errand
with tile others she was sure she was
well enough, and she didn't care how