St. Landry democrat., 1883-06-02

When she got to the great, breezy
kitchen. her dear grandma was '.up to
her ears in flour - as she herself
would have expressed it-making pies.
"Oh!n said she, with CHEEKY laugh,
when Peggy came in, tugging the
heavy basket along in both hands, .'1ny
little help has arrived. I am going
to make turnover for my 'help.
But, Peggy, what is the matter? What
has happenedP Are you unhappy,
dearp /"
"No, ma'am,'' said Peggy, rather
sullenly, "I'm not And then she
blushed. She thought to herself: II
wonder if it shows right in my face,
that Grandma can see something has
happenedp / don't believe / am very
happy, either. / don't feel so glad as I
On the first opportunity she ran up
stairs and hid the ring in her own little
chest. 1t had till in it-just the cum
ningest place to hide any little objecr!
When she tucked it away, she again
almost kissed the beautiful stones they
were so like icicles and sunsets, and
everything pretty and fairy-like she had
ever dreamed of.
She was eleven years old, and had
been quite reader. She knew that
diamonds were very valuable, and had
even read in her ..Child's Philosophy of
Little Things of what they were COM
posed, and how difficult it was to obtain
them. 81 have fortune of my own
now,' she said to herself, as she shut
down the cover of her chest and turned
the key. Il am a rich lady; and if I ever
want to sell my beautiful ring | can buy
ever SO many beautiful things with it
books, and pretty dresses, and even
a necklace like Cora Mays! Hum! /
guess if the girls knew what have got
they would not put on so many airs
over their little gold-heart rings and
coral chains. I should just like to
show nay lovely diamond once!''
Then she began to sing, but in the
| very first line Of the song she stopped.
| She turned little pale. and stood look
ing out Of the hall-window with a
strange sort of stare. Before her
spread the summer scene. The old
windmill swung its great sails about
lazily. Robins and sparrows ehirped
and twittered busily. The old-fash-
ioned garden, with its troop of herbs
| and flowers, its shrubs and bushes, half
clipped, half struggling, sent up a
subtle fragrance, and ever and anon
the little brook could be heard rippling
over the stones by the bridge, where
she had SO many times waded and
had fun > with her little friends.
But Peggy did not notice anything
of this. She was thinking: :" / don't
feel like singing; but I can't, / 'front.',
give up my splendid ring. If / tell of
| it, Grandma viii tell all the neighbors,
| and the owner viii be found and claim
! it. tt is not the owners any more.
They should not have lost it. | found
| it, and now it is mine. I don't care if
/ can't sing. can look at my ring
whenever please Upon this she be-
gan to cry as though her heart would
break, just to prove how happy she
was in doing wrong. But in few
minutes she brushed away her tears,
for she was resolute little girl, and
went down stairs.
"Why, Peggy, you must be sick,
dear. You have been crying, | am
sure,' said her loving grandmother,
Immediately. "Or, are you unhappy?
Come to me, child, and tell me all about
it. Do! l know ! can help my little
girl.'
Grandma said Peggy, pettishly,
.sI have only headache. / have
nothing to tell'' (..That was not
true, !" she added to herself, with the
justice and severity of a judge.) Peg
gy was no ignorant wrong doer. She
knew as well as you and I do, dear
reader, that she was going away from
all the pure and good things which she
had ever been taught. Just then a
neighbor came in. Her name was Mrs.
Smart. She always knew all the news
of the neighborhood Just as soon as it
happened sometimes before!
.sThey'v had a great time up to the
boardin' house," said she. I.
Now, grandma did not like to listen
to the stories which Mrs. Smart was so
apt to tell. She knew that very often
they turned out to be false, and in any
case they were gossip. Every school
girl and school-boy knows what gossip
IS. When you grow up / hope you will
not get to be like Mrs. Smart. If you
do, you will pry and peek
and ask questions. and hint around
until you find some little thing
that you can twist into story
against somebody (never for anybody,
be sure of that!)-and then you will go
from house to house to tell the evil
thing you have imagined, thus doing in
jury to innocent people, and meddling
with matters which do not concern
you.
..Yes,' said Mrs. Smart, They've
had great time up there. One Of the
fine ladies has lost her diamond ring,
It was stolen from her by q chamber
Deer. Z. II az, L1,s sf