American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1873-07-26
LIZZIE'S SATURDAY.

1t is Saturday afternoon. Lizzie had
been looking forward to this day, and
planning how it should be spent, all the
week. In the morning she would clean
up her room nicely as her mother required
her to do every Saturday, and then She
could have the whole afternoon to read
IAN Old-fashioned Girl" All her school
mates had read it and thought it 80
good" She had been nearly wild to read
it for long time, but had never had the
book until her twelfth birthday, when she
received it as present from her mother.
Her birthday was on Monday, so she had
TO delay five days before she could begin
that opening chapter which looked SO in
teresting. Lizzie was attending school,
and her lessons must be learned, or she
would lose her place at the head of her
classes which she had kept the whole
term.
But time passes even for an impatient
little schoolgirl, and it is Saturday after
noon; that anxiously-awaitcd and long
coming day is come, and more than half
gone. Lizzie is coiled up in the corner of
the sofa in the sitting-roOm reading her
book But what is the matter? She is
very much interested in Polly, her trials
and pleasures; nevertheless she is not en-
joying her book half so much as she
thought she should. She fidgcts uncasily,
wondering why it is; but only for mo-
ment She reads on: "Polly is at home
now, doing her duties and amusing her
brother Willie" Lizzie thinks what a
good girl Polly is, and her eyes again
leave the page. She has Il brother Willie.
What about hims Has she always been
so kind to him as Polly was to her broth
er? She fears not Only that morning
Willie had come to her and said, plead
ingly:
sPlease, Sister Lizzie, won't you read
to me awhile out of my new book? | can
not understand it so well when L read it
myself"
And she had said impatiently, "Oh,
Willie, l can't bear to read those books OF
Du Chaillu's; they just tell about snakes
besides, l don't want to be bothered.''
"Well," said Willie, "read to me out
of that book; maybe l should like that"
And she had answered, $50 away and
amuse yourself; l do not wish to read
aloud"
Lizzie remembered her mother had said
to her not long before: Always do as
you would be done by, my daughter"
Certainly she had failed that time. But
self whispered, willie need not have dis
turbed me when l was reading; it was not
kind; and he knows do not like those
books Then said the good angel who
is always with us trying to lead us to do
right, Why did you not read to him the
book you are reading, as he wished?"
Lizzie sighed. and thought, There is no
use in trying to excuse myself, it was just
selfishness that kept me from reading to
Willie, and now my day is spoiled; there
is no use, l cannot enjoy my book now"
Her mother, who was sewing by the
window, noticed her troubled face, and
asked:
Don't you like your book, Lizzie?"
"Yes, mother, but all the week | was
thinking I should have such a nice time
reading, and now do not enjoy it at ALL
There must be something wrong, them"
answered her mother; you say you like
your book, and you have done nothing
since early morning but read"
Il know mother, and that's just it. A
while ago Willie wished me TO read to
him, and | was real cross, and told him 10
90 away | didn't want to read aloud. |
Now think if had been more obliging
should not have felt unhappy as l did |
when | read how kind Polly was to her
brorhcr."
undoubtedly that is true, my daugh-
ter Selfish actions always bring their re-
rd-unhappinesS-to the docr. But we |
must look II little further back than this |
you say all the week you have
been looking forward to this day, think |
ing to have such Il pleasant time reading.
In that you were wrong; your plans were
all for yourself alone. You did not think |
whether any one else would need your
care or attention; you sought your own
pleasure, and if you did not find it you |
need not be surprised, for true pleasure is
found only when we are seeking To make |
others happy or comfortable"
But mother, am | never to have any |
time for myself, to do as please"
you should always please to do right. |
You, as all others, must have some time |
for recreation and amusement, but i'll |
your amusement you should try if you |
could not enlist some one else, and in all |
your occupations aim to be of some use |
to others, directly or indirectly. You will |
probably not understand clearly what | |
mean, but as you grow older you will see |
my meaning more and more fully. To |
day, if you had read awhile TO Willie,
when he wished YOU, worked an hour at |
that crochet | wished you to finish, and |
had done various other little things that |
would have come to you, you would still |
have had time to read a while, and all |
would have felt better for your day. |
Don't you think sou
YES, ma am" said Lizzie, thoughtful |
w. And she resolved thereafter to think |
less of herself and more of others; and |
Willie very seldom asked anything of
Sister Lizzie that was not donc.-Netc Je- |
,usalem Messenger.