Daily Republican., 1879-01-17
THE BEST THING A BOY
CAN HAVE.
By MARY GRACE iIALpISE.


last day I'm going to work for Mr..
Brlnap. He's the crossest, hatefulest
man that ever lived Just BECAUSE
Mrs Barry lifted her eyes from the
cap that was lying at her feet, to the
flushed and heated fac" Of the speaker.
THAT will do, my son. 1t You have
concluded not to work any more Tor
Mr.. Belnap pick up your cap and put
it where it belongs"
That low, even tone and quiet man
M. had visible effect upon Arthur.
Picking up his cap he hung it upon Its
nail back Of the door.
Full Of his real or imaginary wrongs
he commenced again though in u more
suhdued tone and manner.
"4oU see, mother
Before you say anything further get
Inc pitcher OF cool water; and while
you ar" az the pump dash some of II
over your face, head aud neck; you
don, know how uuch better it will
make you feel.
Mr. Barry lad trained her children
to prompt and unqurstioning obedience,
thereby saving herself and them a
great deal of trouble; and without a
thought of doing otherwise. Arthur
took the pitcher and went to the pump,
out Of which, in spite of its plug, the
sparkling water dripped all the day
long.
Holding his head unde: the cool,
refreshing stream for some minutes he
gave the brown curls shake that sen.
the drops flying in every direction.
Then filling the pitcher he went in.
1t was 4 maxim Of Mrs. Barry's shat
il sae wanted her children to be gentle
and polite she must be gentle and po-
lite with them: so she took the lass Of
water from Arthur'S hand with Just as
pleasant = thank you as If he had been
sO.nr other woman'S boy.
Then she drew forward a chair, which
mute invitation Arthur accepted.
Now want 70 tell YOU about it,
mother, and I'm sure you won't blame
me at all. was little bit late this
morning, and old Pelknap-"
"Who p
"That's what the boys call him moth
err"
"l'm very sorry. hope that my
son. who has been better taught, will
set them better example. | suppose
they don't speak Of him in that way
when he is where he can hear them ~
'Uh, no they wouldn't dare to -
"And vet they are SO mean and cow
ardlv rs to cali him SO behind his
back. "
Now Arthur had thought this Won
derfulv smart in will Guernsey and
John Dill, who We're in the habit of
speaking OF their employer, among
themselves, as "Old Belnap," or "the
old man;" but he was 4 manly little
fellow, despising anything mean or
cowardly, and his mothers words gave
quite another complexion to it,
"Well, Nj. Belnap, then. He is as
cross as i bear, just because ] was a
little bit late, he said that boys who
wanted to work for him must be pune
tual. And then, when case Of goods
came. and he couldn't find the ham
mer, he charged me with mislaying it.
And when said hadn't touched it,
he said he knew bstt-r. And there it
was, all the time, right under the desk,
where he had put it himself
at is a great misfortune to be so for
getful."
"But he needn't have been so cross
about it,"
at is n greater misfortune to have a
hasty temper. Perhaps he was never
taught to control it when boy.'
II dent care think it's real mean
for Mr. Belnap to treat me so. Don t
you, mother 7"
~ think you have not told things ex.
astly as they were.'
"Why, mother ~
"Not Intentionally, my son should
be very sorry to believe such thing of
you rs that. But there are various
ways by which people form the habit Of
speaking untruthfully, and one of
these is by exaggerating. Don't you
remember my showing you an instru-
ment. looking through one end Of
which made everything seem twice ~
large, and through the other. they look
ed so small that you could scarcely see
them at all Now, we have just such
an instrument as that in our own
minds. We look though the large end