Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1873-07-16
LIZZIE'S SATURDAY.

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
can Old-fashioned Girl" All her school
mates had read it and thought it $50
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 d 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
terest'ng. 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 20
But time passes even for an impatient
little schoolgirl, and it is Saturday after
noon; that anXiously awaited 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 fidgets uneasily,
wondering why it is; but only for a mo-
ment She reads on: polly is at home
now, doing her duties and amusing her
good girl Polly is, and her eyes again
no lo hoo hro4
What about him? Has she always been
er? She fears not. Only that morning
Willie had come to her and said, plead
ingly:
please, Sister Lizzie, won't you read
to me awhile out of my new book? I can
not understand it SO we'll when I read it
myself"
And she had said impatiently, cob
Willie, can't bear to read those books of
Du Chaillu's; they just tell about snakes
and animals, and such ugly things; and
besides, don't want to be bothered"
WE'LL" said Willie, "read to me out
of that book; maybe l should like that"
And she had answered, eco away and
amuse yourself; l do not wish to read
aloudn
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 [ 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, 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?"
: les, mother, but all the week was
thinking / should have such nice time
reading, and now l do not enjoy it at all y
There must be something wrong, then"
answered her mother; you say you like
your book, and you have done nothing
since early morning but read"
know, mother, and that's Just it. A
while ago Willie wished me to read to
him, and was real cross, and told him to
go away. didn't want to read aloud.
Now l think if had been more obliginc
| should not have felt unhappy as I did
when l read how kind Polly was to her
brorher."
Undoubtedly that is true, my daugh-
ter. Selflsh actions always bring their re-
| ard-unhapplness-to the doer. But we
must look little further back than this
morning; you say all the week you have
been looking forward to this day, think
ing to have such pleasant time reading.
Ia Z, tnaI 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 Won
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 anv
time for myself, to do as | please?"
"4ou should always please to do right.
You, as all others, must have some time
for recreation and amusement but in
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 T
mean, but as you grow older you will see
nv meaning more and more fully To
day, if you had read awhile to Willie
when he wished you, worked an honr Of
that crochet wished you to finish and
had done various other little thinos that
would have come to you, YOU WonId stiiI
have had time to read while and al
would nave felt better for your dav
Don't you think sop
eyes a'am," said Lizzie. tbouobtf,1-
ly. And she resolved thereafter to think