Weekly Chillicothe crisis. (Chillicothe, Livingston Co., Mo.) 1878-19??, 1882-06-01
The Correction Box.

49, OS'' SSh'S' oSN'
Ada Neyl, in 81. Nicholas for June.
Yesterday morning a missionary
man came to our Sunday school, anC
told us all about the little heather
They don't have to be dressed up, MOI
learn the catechism, nor sew patch
work, nor behave, nor do anything dis
agreeable And they don't know the
value of money; they'd a great dea
rather have bright button than &
gold dollar.
In the afternoon, when we were
ready for church, mother gave us each
Il five cent piece. "That's to put in
the correction box" says she. "Tht
missionary is going to preach, and yOul
father and | want you to give him
something for the heathen."
On the way to church, Johnny said
at isn't the least use to send five
centses to the heather. They'd rather
have bright button than a gold dol
lar, and of course they wouldn't care
about Gve cents. And there's no
candy in heathenland, so what do they
want of money, anyhow?'
Then l said: "If l only had my
button.string, we could each give a
button, and spend the five centses for
candy, and so we'd be pleased all
round" Johnny said that was a good
idea; and "theres a button loose on
my jacket this minute; and if | can
twist off another before the correction
box comes round, I'll give it to you,
Kitty"
thought it was a lovely plan, for
Johnny's buttons are just beauties.
heard mother tell sister En- that they
cost two dollars dozen. They look
like gold. But when we got to church,
they made me go into the pew first,
and father put Johnny beside him next
the door, SOS we couldn't talk
The missionary talked a long time,
and then they sang "Greenland's Icy
Mountains" and then they went round
with the correction boxes. Father
takes one of them, and they're on long
sticks like a corn-pOpper, and deep,
3o't other folks can't see what you put
in. had to drop in my five cents,
and then mother and En- put in their
money, and last of all Johnny put in
his button. He held his hand close to
the box when he did it, and then he
looked at me behind the others, and
nodded, so I'd know he had his five
cents all safe.
This morning we bought five lovely
squares of taffy. We didn't have time
to eat it before school, aud when we
were going home, Johnny said; "Let
us wait till after dinner, and then give
everybody piece; and then III tell
father what the missionary said, and
may be after this he'll give buttons,
and it'll save him great deal of
money"
So we waited, and after dinner, just
as we took out the candy to divide it,
father pulled something bright out of
his pocket, and rolled it across the table
to mother. She thought it was money,
and said, "Just what | wanted!' But
it wasn't money; it WIS a brass button.
GLOW did you come by thisp' said
she.
81 found it in the correction box, yes
terday afternoon" said father. "Some
little rascal put it in, suppose, and
spent his money for candy, and who
ever he is, he ought to have whole
some lesson. If he was my SON"
And then mother said, "Why, it is
just like Johnny's buttonsl" And sis
ter EN- said, swell, there's one gone
off his Sunday jacket. | noticed it this
morning, and meant to speak about it,"
Everybody looked at us. Father
asked what we had in that paper, and
"John, is this your buttonp" And
what could we say but yes? They
called us unhappy children, and sent
us up stairs.
We've both had a wholesome lesson.
| had one cause they said | put it into
Johnny's head. For two weeks, father
is going to put our pennies away for
the heather, to make us remember.
Johnny says he wishes he was a
heather.