The Toledo chronicle. [volume] (Toledo, Tama County, Iowa) 1873-1924, 1878-04-04
DUTY AND PLEASURE.

/ DUTY AND PLEASURE.
"DUTY first and pleasure afterward,' y
wrote Amy Leslie in her copy-book
one fine morning
j Line after line she penned, making
many mistake, for her thoughts were
far away. At last her mother, who was
sitting near her, said, '.Amy, this is
the third time you have spelt pleasure
without 'p,' and left out the If in
afterward. Put down your pen and
tell me what you are thinking about.
for am sure it is not of your copy"
II was only thinking" replied she.
show glad should be if my copy said
Pleasure first-duty afterward.' It's
very hard always to have the nasty
things first. ! wish l could have one
whole week with no duties at all! How
Ishould enjoy myselfr'
Mrs. Leslie remained silent for mo-
ment; then she said, while quiet
smile played round her lips, swell,
Amy, for once you shall have what
you want. For whole week you may
amuse yourself; no duties, mind, my
| child-none at all"
"There is no chance of my wanting
any, assure you, mamma" said Amy,
joyfully; 81 shall be SO happy, you'll
seer'
Every well, them said Mrs Leslie;
"you may begin tomorrow. To-day
shall expect you to do as usual.''
Amy said no more; she finished her
copy, learned her lessons, then went to
the nursery to take charge of her little
brother, while the nurse was busy with
other work. Afterward, there were
socks to mend, and an errand to run,
and buttons to sew on to baby's shoe,
and letter to write. And so the day
passed, and the next morning dawned
on our pleasure-loving little friend.
"No dutiesr' she said to herself, as
she woke at seven, which was her usual
time for rising; "No duties; so l can
lie in bed as long as please" And she
turned over, and as she could not sleep,
began making plans for the day and
thinking what delightful time she
should have. About half-past nine she
came downstairs, to find her breakfast
on the table; milk, toast and egg, all as
cold as possible. ''Wbat a wretched
breakfast" grumbled Amy, as she took
her seat.
"Well, DEAR replied Mrs. Leslie,
''your breakfast was ready at the usual
time, and of course is cold now.''
Amy said no more. She ate with only
half her usual appetite, and finishing in
ana ana left the room. As she went up
stairs to fetch her hat, baby, in the
nursery, stretched his arms for her to
take him; she dashed past and left the
little fellow crying with disappoint-
ment. She went down again, fairy
book in one hand and box of choco-
late-drops in the other. 4
The sweets had been present, but
hitherto hc- mother had only allowed
her to have just one or two daily; now,
however, she might do as she liked, and
at present her idea of perfect bliss was
the combined charms of chocolate drops
and fairy stories.
For about two hours she sat in the
garden; then she grew tired, and lit
tie sick from eating too much choco-
late, and was returning to the house,
when her pet kitten ran out to meet
her. For short time she amused her.
self by playing with it, dressing tup
in her pocket-handkerchief and carry
ing it like baby; but Miss Pussy
wearied of this, and at last jumped out
of her new dress and her mistress
arms, leaving scratch as a keepsake
behind her.
Altogether the morning was hardly
successful one, nor was the afternoon
much better. After dinner, one of Amy's
little sisters tore her frock, and was rum
ming to Amy to ask her to mend it; but
Mr.. Leslie said:
"Don't go to your sister, my child,
come to me;'' and little Jessie, wonder
ing, let her mother darn the rent. Amy
felt very uncomfortable, for she knew
that Mrs. Leslie's eyes were not strong,
and were probably aching with the eff
fort of such fine work, but she shrank
from offering her services, and made
her escape from the room as soon as
she could.
In the evening she was about to draw
her chair to the fire and read the news
paper to Mr.. Leslie, duty of which
she had always felt rather proud; but
her father gravely took the paper out
of her hand, saying quickly, "No,
Amy, this is duty; remember you are
to amuse yourself and do nothing else."
Amy's eyes filed with tears, and she
ran upstairs to her own room. She had
no heart to read the fairy-book or to
make clothes for her doll, or to play
with her kitten, or even to eat the rest
of her chocolate drops.
81 shall never be able to bear anoth-
er day of this" she said to herself: II
thought it would be SO delightful to
have no duties, but somehow my play
does not seem half SO good as it was"
But the next day brought no real
pleasure or comfort. Listlessly Amy
wandered about, having no zest for
any of her former amusements, and
feeling thoroughly unhappy, She be-
gan to long for the very duties which
had seemed so irksome to her; she
could hardly keep from tears when she
saw the others busy over lessons, or
her mother doing work which had
formerly been hers. sd 3
At last her misery ended in q fit of
crying, aad, shutting herself up in her
own room, she gave way to it. Sob
followed sob 50 quickly that she never
heard her door open, until her moth
er's arms were round her, and her hot,
aching head was pillowed on her moth
er's shoulder. Not q word passed be-
tween them for a few minutes; then
Amy sobbed out, "Oh, mother, moth
er! the copy was quite right. Duty
first and pleasure afterward,' for with
out duty there is no pleasure at all. -
/ Child Companion.
How ! Boy Casght . Fish with His
Nose.