The morning star and Catholic messenger., 1877-03-04
ILL TRY AND I CAN'T.

y
the cellar. and get few sticks of wood" ="
! said Mrs. Grey to her little girl.
In an instant Maggie's face was covered
with wrinkles, and twisting herself, che re-
piled:
rats and reaches"
"Well, never mind, Willie will go for the
wood" said the mother /; and the little boy
addressed ran cheerfully for the required
&rticle, while his sister went on with her
pisy; Nn;o on .+,,;.s nonu aooa,. n,u
for school to- morrow 2" was the next ques-
tion that Mrs. Grey asked of the child.
"a "Oh, mother, can't it is SO hard )" said
Maggie.
50 "fi can't again, Maggie; suppose should
! lse that word on all occasions, what do you
think would be the result 2"
81 do not know, l am sure but can't
4 help it,"
"Your brother William never says 1
can't if require him to perform diff
cult task. He says, Mother, will try"
nae 1 can't" replied Maggie, aud her
other turned away, without saying any
more.
q 1t mattered not what Maggie was told to
do, her reply would be, ~ can't" She
had become SO accustomed to the phrase
q that she scarcely ever uttered sentence
that did not contain it,"
Her parents and teachers had tried every
variety of argument to break her of the
ugly habit, but it was in vain. 81 can't {"
was the burden of her hourly cry nothing
else was ever heard from morn till night,
and Maggie was becoming disagreeable to
herself and every one else.
Willie, won't you bring home some
apples from Mr.. Browns orchards You
are going over there to play with the boys,"
eaid Maggie, one Saturday afternoon.
"Oh, L can't be bothered with apples,
Maggie" said Willie, with roguish twin
kle in his eye.
Maggie saw this, and waited anxiously
for his return, fully expecting that he would
bring the desired fruit, but he returned
without them.
The school was two miles from their
dwelling, and Mr., Grey would never allow
Maggie to 60 unless she was accompanied
by Willie.
One bright morning, Maggie was pre-
pairing for school,, and could find moth
ing to put on, and no one could come to
assist her. Her mother passed through the
room, and she exclaimed:
"Oh, mother, do come and help me to
find my cape"
"I cant, Maggie you will have to hunt
"But, mother, have, and 1 can't fnd it,"
"Then wear something else, can't look
for it,"and Mrs. Grey left the room.
This was something very strange, for
that kind mother was always ready to assist
dressing her In the morning. Maggie
81 could not understand it, and went down
stairs in search of her, just as Willie was
starting for school.
"oh Willie don't go; wait for me-"
she cried.
"I can't wait, Maggie why ain't you
readyf"
81 can't find any of my things; mother,
you might come and help me-" and Maggie
began to cry.
For a moment Mrs. Grey stood irresolute,
and then replied:
81 am busy reading, Maggie, and can't
etop."
Willie went to school, and Maggie cried
all morning on account of her disappcint-
ment.
In the evening Willie went to see his
uncle, and Maggie was reading a little
book that. he had brought from the lib
rary, when the baby cried, and Mrs. Grey
said:
"Maggie, ruu, and bring the baby here"
al can't, want to finish this book"
Mrs. Grey Quieted the baby, and after
putting him to sleep, she started out for a
walk. Maggie wished to accompany her,
but she replied:
az can't take you, can't be bothered
with children"
For week everything that Maggie ask
ed her mother TO do, she answered,
can't" until at length one evening, the lit
tie girl came to her side, and with tears in
her bright eyes, said:
"Mother, if you will be like what you
always were, will never say 4 can't any
more"
80 The mother turned, and clasping her
in her arms, talked long and earnestly TO
her of the folly and wickedness of her
course and ever afterwards, if the words
"I can't " were spoken by her, the remem
brance of that week of trial hushed the
word but half uttered and in learning to
go cheerfulIy, and say to everything al can
try," Maggie became q comfort and q plea
sure to all around her.
Little children, if there are any of you
who, like Maggie, have formed the habit of
saying"I can't" like her, break yourselves
of it now, for it will never prosper. The
little boy or girl who would learn great or
good things, must not turn away at the
first difficulty, and say that they cannot
do it; nothing can be performed without
labor and many times trying. Remember
the story of Robert Bruce, the great Scot
tish King, who was taught the leeson of
patience and perseverance by the simple
means of a spider engaged in weaving its