Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1874-02-19

she did wish boys could be more care
iul. But she wiped away her tears,
got her ball, and the two went out in
the field.
I've brought my ball, too said
Dick; lets see il We can keep them |
both going at once.'
1t was great fun; the two balls went
flying to and fro through the air, the |
children laughed, and Hatty threw !
her sOn-bOnnet off, to get it out of the |
way, so she could throw faster. But
every now and then they missed, and
one or the other of the balls would lily
across the field, 50 they bad to run after
it.
There now, Dick. what a throw
You've sent my Ldll away over Into
the Hover gar;ien cried batty, on one
oi these occasions.
Never mind, I'll get itv said Dick,
Ennning over to the garden gate, dnd
going in. Hatty followed slowly, bur
got there in time to see MIN make a
dash across her flower bed after the
ball, which lay under a rose bush. She
saw something else, too, that filled her
with dismay.
There, Dick Burns p she exclaimed,
angrily, you've trodden down my
prettiest pansies, with your great feet.
You've crushed them all into the
groundl'
'Ho, didI didn't mean to- said
Dick, good-naturedly, making his way
out into the path again, and running a
pet carnation by his clumsiness, as he
did so.
Didn't mean top was Hatty's pas
sionate reply. well, why don't you
look about you, then, and take some
pains? You've spoiled my pansies,
lust as much as if you did mean to!
well, if 1 had meant to, I'd have
been bad boy,' said Dick, stoutly,
but ! didn't mean to, so / amt to
Iblame.' -tAd As 5,Ea-ilatl- -.
Il don't know about that answered
Hatty, driven to consider the question
more seriously than she ever had be-
fore. If 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 earelessness Is
labOut as bad as ugliness.'
well, said Dick willing to end the
argument, '1'll buy you some new pan
Isles. Now, let's 60 look at the chick
ems and ducks
Hatty was quite ready to 60, so they
ran around behind the house, where
the motherly old hens were cluckins
to their pretty broods, and the duck:
were teaching their ducklings to swim
/ in the pond.
There are my bantams,' said Hatty
proudly, and over there are Oracle:
golden seebrights. Why Dick! wha
are you trying to do.' &
Thought Pd see if I couldn't catcf
that chicken, and l did, answered
Dick in triumph. ..- !. -. .r-...
Isn't it pretty and SOFT said Hatty
q Now let it go again. The old hen j
calling it, ..so
, Don't you suppose they could swim
: as well as ducks?' said Dick, disre
: garding her, 'if they were only mad'
/: to. / am going to put this one in tn
q water and see.'
% Dick. don't, don'tp screamed
e Hatty, as he ran. down to the edge o
r the pond, you'll drown it, the poo
little thing will drownp
t Il won't either, 1 promise you
d WON'T said Dick, 'Pll only just dip i
in little to try it. There! i told yul
i wouldn't and believe it would hav
It Iswum if 1 had only let go, but didn'
\ dare to, you made such a fuss. Nov
| am going to put it in again, and lie
y go. 50
% Dick, Dick; it will diep erie,
S Hatty, sobbing on the bank. Take
i right out this minute, you wicked, ba
boy. 1t doesn't swim, it's sinking
e Poor little weeny, downy thing!
t 1t didn't swim, and Dick pulled
) out, but this time it did not gasp no
peep in his hand. The poor little chic
> was dead. -...5'l, .....-.
Il didn't mean to kill it, said Dick
It penitently, looking very much ashame'
n OF his work.
4 .Didn, mean top exclaimed Hatty
d between her sObs. 'Dick Burns, yo
J. are just as bad as a murderer. Yo
!. thought of things that would like il
V and you knew, for L kept telling you
; and now when it is killed, you say yO
: didn't mean TOP
e well, Pm real sorry it's dead,' SAT-
Dick, looking ruefully upon the little
, cold, wet heap of down. Il say, Hatty
J: you won't'ever catch me playing sue
i a trick again.
Hatty felt that this sounded mucl
|, better than his saying he hadn't mean
h to; but it couldn't bring the poor chick
l. en- back to life, so she sorrowtully pro
: posed that they should go and bury il
e This they did with all due solemnity
0 There were no more misadventure
that day; but, after Dick went home a
/ night, as Hatty sat by herself thinking
things over, she made up her mint
r that she never again would conside
0 herself free from blame when she hat
done naughty thing, because she die
4 not mean to do it.
i 1t will be my fault, somehow sh'
said to herself, 'and I will just sa.
e that l am sorry indeed, and then
e win try not to do the same thing an
( other time.'
a. And Hatty kept her resolution
ISchOolday Magazine.