The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 18??-1882, 1882-03-03

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IL possible that you yearn for liberty in
order that You may adopt Bill, Simp
sons vicesp Smoking, drinking, late
hours, do you aspire to thesep l tOnd-
ly hoped your tastes were in different
direction
And so they are, father, replied Ned.
Il am sorry you heard my nonsense;
l didn't more than half mean what
said
And yet your words were in some
measure the expression of ruthless
feeling which has seemed to influence
your actions very decidedly of late.
You scOrn all rules, and rebel at the
slightest restraint. Your lessons are
poorly learned, and you seem to have
lost your high aims, and to spend most
OF your time in planning how you may
best evade the demands made upon you.
If you could do just as you chose. what
would be your first mover ~
Ned grew red in the face, hesitated,
stammered; and, pitying his confusion,
his father said kindly, BE perfectly
frank and say just what you think. 1
simply wish to understand your feel
ings.'
Then Ned burst forth hotly, Il
wouldn't get up to breakfast. unless L
chose, and I would 60 to school or not,
just as happened to feel. wouldn't
do anything unless wanted to, and no
one should order me round Vs.
Heigh-hop said his father, you
would walk on your head. if possible,
were any one 80 arbitrary as to suggest
that you walk on your feet. And to
what would all this leadP But, no
matter, l think it will be an excellent
idea to try and see. Tomorrow please
begin ON this new order Of life. Make
yourself perfectly comfortable, and as
sumo no duty unless it will be posi-
tive pleasure to you. will speak to
Mr.. Lambert, so that he may under
stand if you fail to appear at school.
And now / will go and explain matters
to your mother ~ -t I
Poor Ned looked greatly. disturbed,
ank did not seem at all. to relish his
newly acquired freedom. 'Humphp he
said, as Mr. Brown disappeared. Il
should think father was crazy. What
does he meanY --,.
Meant said Carrie, who secretly en-
joyed her brothers dilemma, 'just what
he says. You have sung the praises of
freedom until am weary of thesound;
now you are as free as any bird Of the
air., Just enjoy yourself -......rr..
Unwilling to confess himself at fault,
Ned. lay awake half the night concoct-
ing plans for the next day. For one
thing, heAwould lie abeJ until nine
O'Clock, that would show them that
he was in earnest-and them he'd go
fishing. There would be no chopping
wood, or wedding the garden, or porting
over tiresome lessons. He would fancy.
himself of on a vacation, and wouldn't
it be glorious! q - p - I
He was late in walking, and it was
after nine when he came down stairs.
The girls were at school, his mother in
the sewing-roOm, and Bridget equally
busy in the kitchen. There was no
one to bid him pleasant "good-mOrn-
ing" and he felt uncomfortable and
out-of-sorts. Seating himself at the
table he shouted, "Come,
Bridget, bring on your breakfast"
But Bridget replied GROSSLY, You may
jist come and help yerself, Master Ned,
yer plates in the oven. Pretty gOings
onp With muttered Plague take it,
Ned made dive at the oven, burning
his fingers and not materially calming
his perturbed spirits. He ate his break
fast in very unenviable frame of
mind.
The next step was to secure bait and
start for the fish-pond. But first he
stepped into the sewing-room, ostensi-
bly, TO find his hat,-which he knew
was in the entry-but really, for the
sake of word with his mother. He
didn't feel happy, and he longed to tell
her all about it. Mrs. Brown greeted
her boy in her usual pleasant manner,
secretly commiserating his forlOrn APP
pearance; but she made no attempt at
conversation, and Ned went out to dig
worms, feeling. more. ;wretched. than
ever. The sun was high when he
reached the pond, and the fish proved
perverseand refused to- bite! J, At length
disgusted, lie. returned home to, find an-
other solitary ymeal before hims& Sis'sss
When at six o'clock he gathered with
the family around the pleasant tea-table,
his eyes fell before his fathers kind
but questioning glance. What an un-
lucky day it had been, and how very
uncomfortable he felt! He inwardly
resolved to renounce his new privileges,
which he now cordially hated as the
source of all his misery. He followed
his father to his favorite seat in the
arbOr. ~
I'll chop the wood, father; indeed,
I'd really like to do. it, as he, saw his
fathers look of dissent. i've been
roaming round all day, and I'm tired of
doing nothing.
We'll, if you wish to chop theswood,
of course, you may. / do not require
you to do it. just consult your own
wishes in everything rejoined Mr..
Brown. as he turned to his newspaper.
%, father cried poor Ned I've
tried this long enough. I-see' how fool
ish and selfish / have been. I'd agreat
deal rather please you and mother. and
I'll never say another word about being
'bossed.' Do forgive me and let me go
on in the old way.
Mr.. Brown put down his paper and
motioned Ned to a seat beside him. 4
think, Ned he said, that you have not
given this experiment fair trial.
prefer that you should simply suit your.
| self until YOU are fully convinced that
this is a more excellent way
%, father, I'm already convinced,
exclaimed Ned. L was more than hall