Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1874-01-22

"Ho, did 1? l didn't mean to-" said
Dick, good-naturedly, making h is
out into the path again, and running pei
carnation by his clumsiness, as he did
so.
Didn't mean to-" was Hatty's passion
ate reply. well, why don't you look
about you, then, and take some pains
You've spoiled my pansies, just as much
as if you did mean top
We'll, If had meant to, I'd have been
a bad boy" said Dick, stoutly, "but ]
didn't mean to, so l amt to blame"
Il don't know about that" answered
Hatty, driven to consider the question
more seriously than she ever had before.
| 'lf carelessness makes you break and
| hurt things just as much as If you had
meant to break and hurt them, then
| don't know but carelessness is about as
bad as ugliness."
Well" said Dick, willing to end the
argument, III buy you some new pan
sizes. Now, let's go look at the chickens
and ducks
Hatty was quite ready to go, so they
ran around behind the house, where the
| mOtherly old hens were clucking to their
pretty broods, and the ducks were teach
ing their ducklings to swim in the pond.
There are my bantams," said Hatty,
proudly, "and over there are Gracie's
golden seebrights. Why, Dick! what are
you trying to do?"
Thought I'd see if 1 couldn't catch
that chicken, and did" answered Dick,
in triumph.
"1sn't it pretty and soft" said Hatty.
Now let it go again. The old hen is
calling it."
Don't you suppose they could swim
as well as ducks" said Dick, disregard
ing her, If they were only made to. |
am going to put this one in the water and
see"
40 Dick, don't, oon'tr' screamed Hat
ty, as he ran down to the edge of the
pond, you'll drown it, the poor little
thing will drown!"
Il won't either, promise you WON'T"
said Dick. "I'll only just dip it in little
to try it. There! I told you / wouldn't,
and | believe it would have swum if / had
only let go, but l didn'tdare to, you made
such fuss. Now Pm going to put it in
again, and let go''
so, Dick, Dick, it will diel" cried
Hatty, sobbing on the bank. "Take it
right out this minute, you wicked, bad
boy. 1t doesn't swim, its sinking Poor
little weeny, dOwny thingi"
1t didn't swim, and Dick pulled it out,
bat this time it did not gasp nor peep in
his hand. The poor little chick was
dead
81 didn't mean to kill it," said Dick,
penitently, looking very much ashamed
of his work.
Didn't mean to !" exclaimed Hatty, be-
tween her sobs. "Dick Burns, you are
just as bad as a murderer. You thought
of things that would kill it, and you did
things that would kill it, and you knew,
for [ kept telling you, and now when it is
killed, you say you didn't mean tot"
"Well, I'm real sorry it's dead" said
Dick, looking ruefully upon the little,
cold, wet heap of down. ~ say, Hatty,
you won't ever catch me playing such a
trick again"
Hatty felt that this sounded much bet
ter than his saying he hadn't meant to
but it couldn't bring the poor chicken
back to life, so she sorrowfully proposed
that they should go and bury it. This
they did with all due solemnity.
There were no more misadventures that
day; but, after Dick went home at night,
as Hatty sat by herself thinking things
over, she made up her mind that she
never again would consider herself free
from blame when she had done e
naughty thing, because she did not mean
to do it.
at will be my fault, somehow" she
said to herself, "and 1 will just say that I
am very sorry indeed, and then will try
not to do the same thing another time"
And Hatty kept her resolution
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