Northern Ohio journal. [volume] (Painesville, Ohio) 1872-1896, 1873-11-01
CHILDREN's COLUMN.
The Tenth Commandment


ssJust guess what Susan Sharpley has
got in her barn!" said Bella Stevens,
tanning herself with her pink gingham
sunbonnet, and running into the house
all in fluster.
"Why, pigeons, Lsuppose; or-deary
me, let me think-I don't bolieve L can
guess" .l.... s. ..s. .-...,..
ssPigeons! Now, Julie Stevens. you
don't guess a bit right, l knew you
could never guess-why it's too real, live
kittens. I don't believe anybody ever
had such ones before-cute little pink
noses and white feet and eyes-oh, just
blue''-and she famed and famed away
with her sunbonnet, and walked up and
down in the greatest fiuster; sitting
here and there and everywhere, and not
being quiet a minute. ....t-
esKittens! two Of them? L don't be-
lieve she wants SO many; maybe she
will give us one, and we can get Jamie
to fix it in the coach for a horse, and all
the dolls can go riding, and Minnie can
hold it in her arms.''
ssShej just won't give anybody one, and
pretty nearly cried about it, and L said
.'Susan Shaley, you are just as mean as
ever you can be. Oh, | wish could get
one: What in the world does Susan
Shaley want with two, and here are you
and / with: none. mean to go right
straight to her mamma and beg her for
it while Susan is at her graudmamma,s,
for | never, never shall be happy again
until get it''-and she nodded her lit
tie head with all the earnestness in the
world, and famed with her sunbonnet,
and stamped her foot ON the floor, and
altogether was not very good or mild
looking little girl, and it was fortunate
she did not always appear to such dis
advantage for in, such case she would
not have been loved very much but
this morning something was wrong with
her somewhere, as it was very easy to
see. "a. tes t4i'4ifa +
"Maybe some other kitten would do, I"
suggested Julia.
"No, l won't have none but Susan
Shaley's, and | just mean to have it,
now will have; you see if don't Ju-
lia Stevens"
"But," said Julia, 81 have been think
ing about what mamma told us yester-
day; don't you know she said to wish
for other peoples things was coveting
and breaking the tenth commandment,
and .Ial 7f-4.a -.-l.-.. i
eyes, but then / don't believe she
meant cats and such things; it would be
such fun to see kitty's little white feet
playing with strings, and to see her roll
ing all about the floor, and she has just
no nails at all to scratch with because
she is so little-I am going to tease some
body till get her."
"Yes, but about the commandment; !;
most know mamma would say you
ought not to try to get Susan's kitty
against her will ard make her cry.''
81 cannot help it, l must have her, and
Susan won't mind it much after it is
over. She has rabbit and three dolls
and don't need her half as much as do,
because you see, / only have Eliza Jane
-and hOr nose is Droken--and Josephine
with not bit of anything alive to play
with.''
''But if it is wrong to get it?''
'Of course, Julia Stevens, you know l
would not get if thought it was wrong.
The commandment don't mean cats, and
| mamma never in the world, thought of
| them, either"
| 'sWell, l want little kitty, but do
| not want il SO very much as to covet Su-
san Shaley's. .a.... .+,
Bella looked serious, and seemed to be
thinking a great deal as she said, "I'm
sure it is no harm only to want the kit
ty. and get some one to give her to me.
To be sure Susan will cry. but then I'll
cry if don't get her. The command
| ment don't say scrap of a word about
kittens or cats--it says. 'Thou shalt not
covet thy neighbor's house., nor his
| maid, nor his OK, or his ass--'
| SNOr anything that is his" chimed
in soft little voice from up in the cor
ner of the shop window, where five-year
old Minnie was nestled, hard at work
making odd figures intended to form a
sample.
'sSure enough!' exclaimed Bella
holding her sunbonnet suddenly still
and standing with her finger pressed tG
/ her lip for an instant, and then reaching
up into the shop window to give Minnie
a kiss. "Sure enough; I'll not go te
Susan Shaley's; mi try very hard no
to wish; l see, anything that is his
l means cats io