The morning star and Catholic messenger., 1875-09-26
ming Sfar and Catholic Messenger.
JUVENILE COLUMN.
GOAT AND WAGON, AND HOW WE Go7
THEM.

II GOAT AND WAGON, AND HOW WE GOT
THEM.
Nc brother and had been "saving up"
meney. and had nearly enough to buy
|oat, wagon, and harness that we had set
hearts upon having. The "saving up"
h been going on quite a long time, for
only received twenty-five cents on
urday nights, and that on the condition
n we had been punctual at school, per-
h in our lessons, and had not 6isobeyed
Il parents during the whole week.
ElI of this we did not succeed in doing
ery week. Occasionally we missed our
|sons. or were late at school, and some
hes we were not as good at home as we
bnla have been; and then We did not get
L nav. But since we had made up our |
|nds to buy the goat and wagon, we had
|ue our very best, and had not once
|ssed our usual Saturday night reward.
Father said he did not hire US to be good;
|expected US to do all that he asked OF
without pay it was our duty and II
loved oar father and mother, we would
fail to please them. He gave rs the
bney as an encouragement to DO Iight
b am sure it was very great en-
hragement.
we had counted the money great many
lea. and at last we lacked but fifty cents
Ethe REQUIRED amount; one week more,
La re would have the coveted treasure.
Il IN one week! How determined we were
"a to mies a lesson, or to disobey our
rents in any way.
About the middle of the week we con-
hded to build stable for our goat and
sqon, so as to have iG all ready by Satur-
|y, when the goat was to come home (for
Eher, at our urgent request, had promised
advance us the money one day earlier
|ap usual). The stable was to be made
some old boards that we had found lying
|out the place we had a hammer of our
En, and some nails, and We began the
brk in earnest.
1--WE got along pretty we'll, but soon found
lat We must have saw. Without think
|g moment, we went to fathers tool box,
|ok out his saw, and again went to work.
|All at once, just as 1 was laboriously
|ther tough board, / stopped, aud, in
|ry despondent voice, called out, "Joe,
b can't get the goat this week, for We
I've disobeyed father: he told us never to
Ike any of his tools without his permis-
bn."
Joe suddenly dropped the board he was
hitting in place, and came and looked at
10 saw.
Il could not help laughing when saw the
Epression of herror and disappoint tment
b his face, but he said he did not see any
ling to laugh at.
What was to be done3 In the first
lace we concluded to wipe off the saw and
put it back in the box. Then
|e held q consultation: should we tell
|ther any thing about it, or wait until he
liked us, and then own that we took it
ithout thinking, and with no intention of
|isobeying himf l am sorry to say that
|e made up our minds to wait until asked !;
was certainly great temptation, for the
hot fot thor xuorTl2 NJ nuocfi0n
|s until long after we had the goat.
So we borrowed another saw, and finish
ID our stable; but we did not work with
be same happy feeling that we had before,
br it was little on our conscience that we
lad made up our minds to say nothing
bout using fathers saw. We felt still
bore guilty when father came home, and
lid not meet him quite as usual-not that
70 thought he suspected US, for he had
Fopped to look at our stable, and praised
Jar work !; he had even taken up the saw
e had borrowed, and asked US where we
|ad gotten it. Still, we were afraid he
Fould discover that we had used his saw,
Ind then we should be obliged to confess
ar fault. However, nothing was said
bout it that night, and we congratulated
|urselves that we had escaped detection.
Another day passed, and still nothing
Fas said about the saw and this was the
|ay father was TO give US the money, anu
he next day we were to buy the goat.
But we had not escaped as easily as we
hought, for while we were seated at the
able at supper, father said, "Boys, if
ad not seen you using another saw when
on were building your stable, should
blink you had been using mine, for some
ne has had it, and has been cutting some
bling with nails in it, and the saw is almost
hined; l must ask james, the farm hand,
he has had it,"
My brother and glanced at each other,
nd if father had looked at us, am sure
|e must have discovered by our faces that
9 were guilty. We were very glad when
upper was finished and then we had au-
ther consultation as to whether it would
be right for us to take the money, now
hther knew that some one had used the
aw and although at first we had made up
UT minds to own that we had used it, il
uestioned, we now concluded to do some
hing much worse-say nothing, even
|hough an Innocent person was blamed for
What we had done.
During the evening father, after praising
Pc for having been so studiOus aud obedi-
ent' gave us our weekly allowance. His
|Vords OF praise were anything but pleasant
OF us to hear, but we took the money; and
Eery early we said we were tired, and
would go to bed.
We went to our room, but not to sleep