The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1882-09-22
NELLY'S TEMPTATION.

i "A
81 think 1 shall 90 by the Mill road
to school this morning." said Nelly
May to her little brother Fred, as the
two started out from home, one fine
October morning, to walk the mile that
stretched out through pleasant fields be-
tween their tather's house and the
schoOl-room.
ooh! please don't" said Fred, plead
ingly. "That is an ugly, rough road.
But the hickory-nuts grow there, -"
said Nelly. There may be some fallen
by the bridge. 1 shouldn't wonder q
bit if there were,"
II know there AREN'T answered
Fred. John and l came by there
yesterday, and there wasn't one"
"Oh! that was yesterday" said
Nelly. ''There may be lots to-day"
'.And it's ever SO much farther, and
We'll be late at school," persisted Fred,
holding back.
"There is no danger of being late, :"
answered Nelly; land it isn't much
farther. You re lazy; that's all. But
Pm going that way, and you may as
well come along"
II don't want to-" urged little Fred,
beginning to cry, I'm tired, and it is
a long way. Mother said we were to
go straight to school, and not loiter."
~ no is gong to lo.ter, I'd like to
know" snapped Nelly. "You need a
shaking, Fred May. You're just the
LATEST boy l know. Tired! tired'
That's all you can say" continued the
little girl, quite Grossly, and getting
angrier every moment. Il guess 1
walk as many steps as you do and carry
this great heavy lunch-pail and all my
books into the barga n, while you have
only that teenty-toonty baby Reader
and Arithmet I'm not tired, and
neither are you; SO just march along.
I'm going the Mil way, whether YOU
like 1t or not. SOn'
Freddy, who was weakly little fel
low, only seven years old, and not used
to walking, began to cry, as he followed
behind his sturdy ten-year-old sister,
who trudged briskly over the uneven
Mill road, instead of following the
smooth pike, which was not only the
shortest way to school. but also much
the pleasanter walk.
For few minutes Nelly walked very
fast and with firm steps. holding her
head high. and looking straight be ore
her. Presently Freddy's little whimper-
ing cry attracted her attention. She
looked around. The little boy was al
most running, as he triedin vain to keep
up with her.
"What are you crying for, baby?"
she asked, as she waited for Freddy to
come up. You're a great bog, must
say"
81 don't want to 60 this long, rough
way" Freddy said, as he tried to CHOKE
back his sobs, for Nelly's scornful tones.
as she pronounced the words '.baby'
and "boy," stirred the little lad heart.
"You wouldn't want to, either, only you
tn nix may be Nancy Lewis will be at
the bridge. and you'll get some of her
grapes without going to her house,
cause mother said you mustn't 60 to her
house any more"
"You naughty, hateful boy" cried
Nelly, catching Freddy by the arm, and
giving him little shake. ''How dare
you say such thing? You're as mean
and hateful as you can be. l was just
going to offer to carry your books for
you, but now shan't. You may carry
them Yourself. and have great mind
to make you take this d nner-pail too -
Poor Nelly! Her cheeks were red,
and her eyes flashed. while her pretty
mouth parted with all its beauty as the
two rosy lips puckered themselves up in
to very ugly pout.
Freddy said no more, and the two
children walked on in silence for some
moments.
Then voice that seemed to come
from inside her heaving bosom spoke SO
plainly to Nelly.
Freddy is right. and you are wrong"
it said. You know that you are only
walking on this road in the hope OF
meeting Nancy at the bridge, and get
ting some grapes from her without ex-
actly going TO her house for them. Your
mother forbade you to go to Nancy S
house for any more grapes. You think
YOU can still get the grapes by coming
this way, and you do not care'for your
weakly little brother. Perhaps he may
fall i'll from this long trudge. Your
mother told you to be Kind to him, and
to take good care OF him. And YOU
promised to do SO. You promised to
think of your verse, too. And you have
quite forgotten it,
Nelly walked very slowly now. The
pout gradually lett her lips, and her eyes
had serious look. quite different from
the angry glance of few moments be-
lore. She turned to Freddy, who was
toiling along quietly by her side. How
small and weak he looked! She remem-
bered the words of DR.. Gaty. the family
physician. when conserving to her re-
quest for Freddy to 60 to school in the
autumn. "Yes," he mad said. Il
think the walk on the pike will be good
for him on fine days, especially with
such stout, kind sister to hold his
hand, and take good care of him Yes,
think it will be safe to trust him with