The Lake County star. [volume] (Chase, Mich.) 1873-current, 1874-07-23
FOR THE YOUNG FOLKS.
TaSi's Rnirace PIE.

year, devised means of preaching cheer
full gospel, sending his son to college, and
adopting Tad from the almshouse.
One day when he went to visit the
almshouse he saw little wOe-begone
figure summing itself on the doorstep.
"What are you doing there, my son"
he asked.
ops thinking, sir" said Tad.
And what about, may / askY'
"About--about--a lot of things, SIR"
Couldn't you tell me what thingsY
Were you thinking of anything you'd
like to have nowY
eyes, sir; about heap of 'em."
Couldn't you just mention one or
twop
eyes. was thinking of that little
chap as went by just now, when was
peeking out at the gate, a holding on to
his dads hand. And stole out after EN-,
and seed 'em 60 up to big house yonder,
and lady as poorly as anything come to
the door, and kissed the little chap on
both of his cheeks, and pulled off his
mittens, and rubbed his hands Nobody
rubs my hands," he broke off,
Are they cold, my lad?''
81 dunno. Feel of 'cm. They're used
TO 1T, reckon"
So when Mr.. Beach went home he led
Tad along by the hand, just as the for
tunate little boys father had done.
YOU'RE going to be my boy, now"
said Mr.. Beach.
..r %Bs I~ questioned Tad "That's
"But do you know what my boy is ex-
pected to DOR ,
Live on gingerbread and doughnutsr'
guessed Tad.
"Well, not exactly. He's to weed the
garden, and pick over potatoes, and bring
the water, and run to the store; he's to
eat what's set before him; he's to wear
warm, clean clothes, and to have best
suit for Sunday; he's to 60 to meeting all
day, and learn the catechism, and say his
prayers every night; and he's to keep
his tongue from telling fibs, and his hands
from taking what does not belong to him.
He's to 90 to school weekdays, and to
hang up his stocking on Christmas eve.
That's good deal for small boy. Do
you think you can do it all"
81 can try" said he; and so the bar
gain was made. Asf
And Tad kept his word. In the sum-
mer he was out of bed with the sun, and
sometimes before He weeded the straw
berries in the fresh morning, and heard
the birds setting in everyday affairs to
music. Then he went into breakfast,
where the sunlight was capering over the
white cloth, and making the bread look
as if it was buttered, and frolicking
among the teaspoons and shining upon
the flowers on the old-fashioned china till
they looked as if they had just bloomed
out under its influence. After that he
kissed little Becky, who seemed Just a
little bundle of smiles and dimples----and
went off to the district school, and felt
as big as castle when he got to the head
of his classes. Sundays he put on his
best suit, with buttons so bright that you
could see your face in them, and looked
in the glass and said to himself, "WhO
would guess, now, that you'd ever seen
the inside of AN ,alnshouse ~ and, indeed
he might have forgotten that he had, il
the boys at school had not sometimes en-
tertained themselves with unseemly
illusions to it when he spelled above
them. ,i--
~ wonder if they'll ever forget tip he
was thinking one day so hard that he
thought out loud. .r.au.
"Forget whatT asked Mr.. Beach.
"That 1 came from the---the---from
down there, you know" answered Tad.
" 1t isn't any matter whether they for.
get it or not, if you do right"
"But hopei shall never go back"
81 hope you never will. 1t will be
your own fault if you do"
"What makes the folks evergo there p
asked Tad.
"Idleness and wickedness drive then
there" answered Mr.. Beach, half intent
on his next Sundays sermon.
After this, Tad didn't let the gras:
grow under his feet, 1 can assure you.
He was just turning over new leaf
when behold one of Mrs. Beachs con
vention mince pies was walking w
through the cellar window, as it were thu
renowned pie in which four-and-twenty
blackbirds were once baked, and there
fore about to take wings and fly away
Mr.. Beach quietly picked it up, put it OF
the table, which was already spread TO
tea, and resumed his book. BY and BY
Tad sneaked up from the cellar on tn,
same GRAND. Mr.. Beach looked up. Tao
qnailed and wished the pr" was in TIT
oven.
"There's your pie, Tad;' said he; egg
and eat it," He returned to his book.
Nothing more. No reproaches, NJ
scolding. Tad sat down before it ant
took bite. 1t wasn't half as nice as hi
had imagined. 1t stuck in his throat
when he began to wonder what Mr.. Beacl
thought of him. The others drew up t.
the tea-table. Nobody had any pie but
himself. He pushed it aside and tool
his bread and milk. But the next morn
ingat breakfast the pie reappeared befor,
his place, and at the next meal, and a
the next for week or more. But Tao
couldn't eat more than a mouthful a
time, u He had lost all relish for pie
bushel of them wouldn't have tempted
him.
We have never had a pie last 81
long," said Mrs. Beach, one morning, a
she placed it on the table again.
NO." said her husband that pie i
going to last Tad his lifetime"
"Tad wicked; steal mammals good pie
Naughty Tad. Go to the bad place, Tao
will" lisped little Becky, with her bah,
frown. TrnSA
Tad's heart gave o great plunge in hi
bosom, and sank 1nsellead. The " bat
place." no doubt, meant the almshouse
What he dreaded had come to pass The,
we're going to send him back Mr. Beacl
was put out with him, and no wonder
He had not kept his part of the agreement
which had been to keep himself from
picking and stealing, as well as to bus.
himself about the chores. They woult
send him lsoht to thst Dungeon ofahouse
where the, shadowswerelying in wait al
day; where the porfdge was burned AM
the fire was scant, where he should be on
at the elbows and out at the knees. III
should sit in the poor-pews henceforth
and bid goodbye to his reader and hi
geography, and to all the little ambi
tons. Yes, the bargain was broken
and he might as well go without waiting
to be sent of. So, after he had done vi
the chores, he went to his room AMI
donned his bravery once more, an,
dropped a tear on the beautiful brigh