The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1880-07-07
Ghildren's Column.
The Broken Goblet.
BY MARY ]. POTTER.

Charlie, what are you doing?" Char
lie look where you gol" Charlie take
careP These are EXPLANATIONS which
are often heard in our house. The boy
who receives these frequent warnings is
as kind-hearted as any other boy in the
world. He does not mean to give trouble
to either mother, or Peggy, or myself,
but almost every day he calls upon one
of us to mend his torn clothing, or to find
some lost toy, or to sympathize with him
In some misfortune. The truth is, that
he is very careless. Yesterday he came
home from school wearing the cap of one
of his schoolmates. He had put it on
without looking to see whether it was
his own or not. Mother made him go and
exchange it, and he had lonely walk
of three miles which one would have
thought would have been good lesson
to him. But no. On his way back he
looked, as usual, at every thing besides
his own path, and the consequence was
that he fell into mud-puddle and was
be-daubed from head to foot. After put
ting on clean suit, he wanted to play on
his violin. But he had first to have long
search for the bow, and another for his
rosin, and another for his book. When
he was finally ready to begin to play,
supper was on the table.
This is a fair specimen of his afternoons.
A great part of his time is passed in re-
pairing the effects of accidents, or rather
the result of his carelessness. We try to
be patient with him and to help him to
do better. But although he seems often
to be sorry for his fault, he has not yet
made any successful effort to overcome it.
Peggy who sits next him at the table,
often has to pay dearly for his bad habit
One day last week she had a new dress
entirely ruined by the upsetting of
plate which Charlie was passing. This
morning he lifted a goblet of water with
his left hand, and instead of carrying it
to his own mouth dropped it into Peggy's
lap. The goblet rolled down to the floor
and struck against the fender and of
course it was broken into several pieces.
Peggy had to leave the table in order to
change her costume, and Charlie was
sent up stairs behind her to repent of his
awkward manners. About an hour after
ward, upon re7entering the breakfast
room, I found him sitting like Marius
among the ruins Fragments of the COB
let were scattered about him, and he was
gravely trying to fit together some of the
shattered glass. He was pretending to
whistle, but it was the mournfulest kind
of Yankee Doodle, that issued from his
puckered lips. |
Nell" said he, I'm the most unfor-
tunate fellow in town. I'm always get
ting into trouble, and then every body
says its my own fault. Now, I would
rather have broken anything of my own
than this goblet of mothers You see, it
belongs to a new, set. She bought it,only
yesterday. Now, she feels badly about
it; and father is offended because / dis
obeyed him; and Peggy says that I
spoiled her wrapper; and the other boys
are going to spend the day at Uncle Viii
Hams, and I have to stay at home. 1
think it's too bad, they all make such
fuss about a thing that fellow didn't
mean to do" Iag
was sorry for my little brother, al
though knew that he deserved to be
punished for fault that he would not
overcome. g Charlie" said I, suppose
we make visit to the glass-house and
try to match this goblet heard mother
say that there were no more like it in the
store, but perhaps we can have one made"
This plan suited Charlie. He jumped to
his feet, brushed offa couple of tears with
the back of his hand and started to find
his cap. He went in such hurry that
he stumbled upstairs. But he is accus-
toned to falling and to picking himself
up again. so he thought nothing of that
mishap I am acquainted with the own
er Of the glass-house, and it happened
that only few days ago he invited me
to visit his works. When we reached
there, we were so fortunate as to find him
at the door. He politely invited us to
enter, and then was kind enough to take
us through the establishment
He began by showing us great heaps
Of sea-sand, Of soda and Of lime. These,
he said, were the principal materials for
making bottles and tumblers which are
the chief products of his factory. He
told US that these substances are ground,
mixed together and sifted, and then
mingled with a quantity of broken
glass. After that they are put into the
melting-pots; which are first raised to a
white heat in the immense furnace.
Charlie ventured near enough to one of
the pots to look into the melted mass
that it contained, but was content with
ctandipc, off from tbo boo+ Ill -