The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1882-02-11
THE SLED THAT WAS NOT TONY'S.


"But don't l wish it was my sledP"
Here five-year-old Tony looked at it,
his fat hands jammed into his very small
pockets, his brown eyes, in their won
der and admiration, growing bigger
and bigger, as if either eye could have
taken that sled in and found house room
for it.
1t was gay little affair, but, alas! it
was not Tony's. 1t belonged to Pop
ham Cornish, or, as the boys called him
for short, Pop Corn. Why did his
folks give him a name the boys could
cut up such a caper with? The sled
was named 1.-The Hare" but there were
three hares on it really, gilt one on
each runner, and gilt one on top.
"Myr' said Tony, "Pop Corn
needn't do anything to it. That sled
has got TO 60. Three hares could make
anything go" And Tony began to
think whether he himself would not
make swift racer if stuck all over with
gilt hares.
How Tony did long for that sled!
He longed so ardentIy, l am sorry to
write, that he Clipped off piece from
one of the commandments, as his teach
err would have said. You know there
are ten of them, as every one would say,
If some people did not have short mem
cries.
"And there is one,n said Tony's Sun
day-school teacher, "that is mother of
another
"That is a funny commander" ex-
claimed Tony, " to be mother"
nd - eo;I
"Ohr'
Zone commandment says: Thou
shalt not covet,' then mentioning vari-
Gus things"
"Cubbit?"
"Covet, covet, Tony! That means to
want a thing very badly, to keep want
ing and wishing, and perhaps to feel I'M
pleasantly toward the person having the
coveted thing. That may lead to steal
ing, which is forbidden by another COM
mandment. So the tenth command
ment is mother of the eighth. Don't do
anything to the commandments or take
the least chip from them"
mo-" thought Tony, 81 won't cub
bit"
But Tony kept longing for that sled so
fiercely that he Clipped off dozen
pieces from the tenth commandment |
wonder that Tony did not steal the sled
the first day. What happened, let me
tell you. 1t just makes me SILVER.
Tony was sitting on the edge of his
trundle-bed at night, having said:
NOW lay me-" but all the while he
was thinking about Pop Corn's sled.
4" have a great mind to 60 and take
itr' he said.
By and by he jumped out of bed, stole
| down stairs, and then out of doors. He
hurried into Pop Corn's yard and creep
ing into the shed, there in the moon
light he saw "The Hare" or the three
hares, rather.
CON- exclaimed fat little Tony,
"don't l wish these lovely creatures
would give me ride" and as he said
it, down he dropped upon the sled
plump as a pumpkin. To his surprise
and JOY the sled stirred.
"Oh, goodie, goodie" screamed To.
ny, wouldn't Pop Corn like to have
the hares do this for him! Lazy people
like him that stay in bed can't expect
hares to pull 'em round.'
1t was so still. Nobody was up, moi
even cross old Grandpa Perkins, who
would often say to Tony: What's thi:
little boy making so much noise forp"
AS the sled went along, the three
hares stepped out of their gilt finery
and there they were, harnessed to the
sled, one going ahead and the two 9th
ers following.
"Oh you lovely, sweet, nice, pretty
haresv' shouted Tony. "pn jingle
some bells for you. Jing, jung, jing
Don't you think that is nicep"
The hares turned their big eyes to
ward him, smiling and looking very
queer and wicked. Tony felt bit un
easy.
He was small citizen of Boston AM
much attached to his home; but wha
if those funny hares took it into thei
heads to quit that renowned cityP
The hares went due north, faster, fast
er, leaving all the city streets benin,
them; faster, faster, through villages
across meadows and over rivers.
..Oh dear me-" thought Tony
"where are these creatures going
Stopp' he hawled.
They only turned and winked at him
Faster, faster, fasterl Up through Ne'
Hampshire, over the mountains at
leap, just scraping the top of Noun
Washington-what a mad racel
"You ugly, good-for-nothing things