The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1875-05-23
MOTHERS MISTAKE.
A TRUE STORY

TRUE STORY. >
g. rha,e were four of us-Sarah, Peter,
Ehen and nyself. Our father nad pRrchas- |
al a farm in Northern New 4ork, where
himself and two rousipg boys OF nine and
eleven might find from the e0 tsmn
t tat;er Of village life: Our mother. for
Ia'ioe aars an Invalid, was the light of
hnros and as the country was rough, and
the low neighbors as rough and uncultiva-
ted as The land they titled, it required no
iittle ingenuity to furnish society and |
amusement for the uneasy troop that
gathered around the maternal chair. Now
It was story Of her home in dear old Cat
skiil-of DR.. Porter, her pastor thereof
hunts after chestnuts and blackberries up
the mountain's side-Of the copperhead
snake that bit her elder brother-and of
the young boy that was drowned while
skating on the Hudson. Again she taught
us games, invented puzzles and riodles,
and when her health would permit, she
hunted with us for berries and wild flowers.
Then, we had dog, q cat, few geese,
hens aud turkeys, the cows, and such other
mats and companions as four lively children
could coax from the fields and woods
about US.
der brother astonished all hands by the
capture of q beautiful red squirrel, with
the brightest of eyes and the bushiest of
tails, and although the gentle boy received
more than enc sabre cut from the cunning
little rodent he held him tight until the
prisoner was safely deposited in his own
chamber with strict injunctions that no
person should enter that room without per-
mission, that the window should never be
raised above mathematical inch. and that
all cats should be forever excluded until
suitable abode could be provided for the
little captive. How cautiously we crept
through the door with q handful of nuts or
corn for our active piece of property But,
as the promised cage was not immediately
forthcoming. some one grew careless by
inattention otherwise, and one day the
squirrel was missing, much to the disgust
of his lawful proprietor, and the disappoint-
ment of one, at least, of his numerous ad
mirers. The whole affair would doubtless
have been forgotten, had not a chain of
circumstances exhumed the little fellow
For our mothers caprieious appetite, the
old fashioned 'loaf sugar" was always on
the table, while palmer quality rendered
our tea or coffee sufficiently palatable,
though a generous lump of the former
occasionally found its way to our fingers:
to the "china closet" at the end of the
chamber hall, where it remained in state
until wanted again. But alas for human
calculation One day it was found empty
and again, and again, the mysterious theft
was committed, and our dear mother re-
faithfully set before us the sins of false
hood and theft, adding:
20 You know, children, how trif1ing tc
me is the loss of little sugar but it never
acent Dithout hands, and one of you mus
be the guilty party one of you knows
which, and will for the present leave the
subject"
Butthough the subject was left, the sugar
wss not; and the empty dish, from time Il
time, attested to a new burglary upon thu
"china closet" Tears and remonstrance
from our mother were of no avail, and thu
criminal was not detected, while the sai
verdict of "thiet" was felt, If not rendered
after q final investigation.
al will not again permit you to den.
the crime," our mother said. "Be SUR
your ain will And yon out"
do not now recOllect where the "cbin;
sugar bowl" was afterward removed, bu
the matter was for time passed over, ant
things assumed their usual routine in door
and out. August, September and Octobe
went by, and chill November winds wer
piercing our lighter clothing. Wrappers
socks, mittens and hannels were all folded
away in the "big cherry chest" in pas
sage way to the back chambers. Dea
mother was overhauliHg the store-the din
ner was smoking upon the table-and W
only awaited her coming, when littl
shrek from overhead brought all parsie
to their feet.
"Mother has found a mouse, 1 guess,
remarked father and five valiant person
started to the rescue.
ga mouae OF something jumped out {
the chest" quavered mother, "apd sha
expect to find things terribly gnawed up
they are so mischievous."
Search now commenced in good earnes
Things were slowly unpacked, when
shout from the rear drew attention in tha
direction.
"It's-it's-why it's the squirrel," chime
in chorus of voices. And sure enough
there sat that veritable squirrel chatterin
and watching, with marked interest, tn
motions of the assembled group, as we in
vaded the secrets of his late residence.
Blankets all right" "Wrappers ditto.
But what is this Z" "Corn Beechnuts
sugar J! All my missing sugarW
There, mother" shouted four voices i
one breath. "You said--'Ihdt sugar nSve
vent without kandsr What say you now
But We were all too busy hunting th