The Canton mail. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 18??-1882, 1875-04-24

her cheeks that her mother declared sh
looked as if she had never been i'll at al
And what radiant faces they all had, an
what sparkling eyesi
Mrs. Cosnett folded away their walk
ing clothes, and they stood around tn
bright fire warming their hands, whel
their father made his appearance; littl
Susie, the youngest of the four, begal
clapping her hands as her father cam
in, and said, mysteriously, "Ah, dadda
you don't know somefin' I"
Arthur pulled at her frock to stop he
tongue.
"Don't pull SO, Arthur" she said il
an injured tone, I isn't going to tel
himr"
This only made matters worse in Ar
thurs opinion his face colored, and b.
proposed that Susie 60 to bed if she die
not keep quiet.
"Yon mustn't say anything 'cept what
you're told" said Polly.
At which Susie opened her eyes wide,
and said, ''Oh, OIL can't talk about tes
and all that by myself ?"
eyes: but not about anything else, u
said Polly, feeling very anxious about
their secret.
'WeII, /" said Susie, latter tea We shall
talk 'bout-now, member, shan't tell
what about"
Mr.. Cosnett burst out laughing, and
very considerably began talking about
something that he thought would divert
Susie's eager mind from the secret which
they all wanted to keep little while
longer.
The little ones sat down to the fire
with father while Mrs. Cosnett got the
tea, and meanwhile Arthur was busy in
another room. He had carried the
Bible away unnoticed by the others,
and was there inscribing within the
the cover words that they had decided
upon during the day. When that was
done, Mrs. Oosnett brought beautiful
that she had worked in her
young days, and put it between the
leaves. Then they left it there, and
went away to tea.
I must not dwell upon that happy tea
time. You may imagine all about the
cozy brightness of the room, the chatter
Of the children, and their enjoyment of
their fathers teetotal birthday.
As soon as the meal was over and all
cleared away, Susie said, joyfully:
"Now Arthur's got to go and fetch
somefin'."
And, lest the secret should suddenly
burst the bounds of her rosy lips,
Arthur went and fetched the present.
He brought it in with flushed face,
md placed it on the table in front of
his father.
"There now, dadda," cried Susie /;
10 we've bought that for You with our
very own money, and I put sixpence to
4. -.
"Did you, pussy" said her father,
laughing. Then he opened the beauti-
lul book and read:
"TO DEAR FATHER,
FROM
arthur, Polly, Mary, Willie and Susie
Oosnett, in Thankful Remembrance
of His First Temperance
Birthday, Christmas, 1865"
He read the words over more than
once, till at last they looked all blurred
to him, and bright drop fell just be-
ow the inscription.
Children" he said presently, in
rather unsteady voice, "you are very
good to remember father SO. 1 can't
Tell how much good your present has
done me, how great q blessing it may
yet be to me and toRn Of us. Come, I
must kiss you all around for it, not for
getting Susie, who has put the noble
sum of sixpence toward buying dadda
this beautiful book"
He got up and kissed each of them.
Polly's thin face was glowing with joy.
"You must kiss mother, too" she
said, " for she put good bit toward it,
lather."
eyes, I'll kiss mother, too," he said,
nerrily, Though till within the last
PEAR, 1 must confess, I'd almost forgot
en- how to. There, good lass" he ad-
led, after kissing away a tear that was
,olling down her face. "And now let
Is Just look at two or three familiar old
exits in this book, and then we will all
ook at the splendid pictures together"
He turaed over the leaves and read,
!. When I said My foot slippeth, Thy
mercy, O Lord, held me up" He
urned the leaves over again and read,
g Look thou not upon the wine when it
s red, when he giveth his color in the
sup, when it moveth itself Alright. At
he last it biteth like q serpent and
,tingeth like an adder" And, "Wine
8 . mocker, strong drink is raging. and
Thosoever is deceived thereby is not
vise." He turned again and read,
:. God is faithful, who will not suffer
Tou to be tempted above that ye are
lble ; but will with the temptation also
make a way to escape, that ye may be
.ble to bear it" Once more he turned
he leaves and read, "He that over
,ometh, the same shall be clothed in
White raiment and will not blot out
lis name out of the book of life, but 1
will confess his name before my Father
and before His angels" "Be theu
aithful unto death, and will give thee
/ crown of life."
John closed the book and said, "Ah,
where could we find such inspiring
words of counsel and comfort? They
,ut new vigor into me. Never, never
Is long as live shall forget this, my
irst teetotal birthday, and I do pray
hat every Christmas We may yet be
,pared to see may find us all more pre-
,ious to each other than ever. You
nave made this happy Christmas in
Iced to me, wife and children, and 1
hall see how much I can do henceforth
% make Christmas and all time happy
o you"
Father" said Arthur, presently,
70 there is one text you ought to have
spoken for US just now. think we've
got it quite deep hewn into our hearts,
;hough."
"What is il, Arthur"
"This, father: 1t is more blessed
% give than to receive"
"Ah, that's beautiful text to have
n your hearts and to practice in your
ives, my lad-a text for Christmas and
Ill times, for you and everybody else.
f the world is to be made bright and
happy as our little world at home here
Is to night"
SELF GUIDANCE 1t is the assertion
Of scientific paper that self guidance
s the first condition of reasonable,
being. Children should
learn at school how to study alone-to
discover for themselves what they wish
to know. In giving them no initia-
ton, in denying them their free will,
10 l.