Mexico weekly ledger., 1884-12-25
/, THURSDAY, DECEMBER 25. 1884.

As mothers will, Annie Danyers
ave her son the name that sounded
weetest in her ears, her husbands
lame. And SO they went, one
1eorge, the other George, never,
leeding the day that might be com,
ng when their mail would be mixed
md the father would get the sons |
owe letters and the son the fathers
iue bills.
A beautiful picture that group |
made of an evening, as George, with |
deorgie on his knee and Annie by |
ais side, told the story, never forgot
i'm the all-important moral that
makes SO deep an impression on the
young and plastic mind; and then,
when the sprite Of night came and
sprinkled his sand in those little
brown eyes, and made the winks
grow long, and long, and long, the
goodnight Kiss was given, and robed
all in white, the chubby little bundle
of love was tucked away in the trun-
dle-bed, where angels ought always
to stand guard to keep the dreadful
bugaboos away.
But Notwithstanding the moral les
sons taught, human nature was
strong in little George. One day he
stole some jam. An awful thing to
do! but he who hasn't stolen jam has
never been a boy-not a regular boy
and doesn't know how liking good
jam can be when the conditions are
all in it's favor. But that is not all
George did. He slipped off the
shelf and pulled down the jar, and
broke half dozen plates and pitch
ers, and painted himself from chin
to shoes with very red jam. Then
when his mother ran to see how
many times the terrible clatter had
killed her darling, the impudant little
chunk of human nature stood there,
with his daubed fingers spread apart,
and declared, swore, affirmed and de-
posed that he didn't do it; that he
wasn't in that part of the United
States when it was done; that it was
Aunt Sallie's little poodle dog in
Chicago that did it. When George
came home Annie told him the story,
not forgetting to add the charge
of falsehood to that of theft.
Now George was five years old
and something must be done to niI
his tendency to falsehood ia its very
bud. The stealing was bad enough
the lying was terrible. What shoult
be dones The stick! ah, yes, tn.
stick! Spare the rod and spoil th'
child. The child must be spared
though it spoil the rod. So, will
heavy heart, George led his little on,
to the shed, the mother shutting her
self in her bed room to keep out tn
piteous cries. George had neve
struck his child. It was tremen
dous effort that conquered his warn
heart. It was the chi1d's welfare, b,
thought, that urged him to give tn
blows he would rather have taken oi
his own back with multiplied force
When the father and son returned
that pretty face, so wont to be sum,
and CHEEKY, was striped and streaket
with tears, and catchy sobs scenes
to be breaking the little heart, Will
the fathers wet eyes, turned ava
that the culprit might not see tn
levidences of sympathy, told no,
heavily on his heart lay the childis
appeal that rang IN his ears: "Of
don't hit title George!
That was an evening in Georg
Danver's house. The stern reaitie
| of fatherhood had presented then
: selves. His reason had armed itse
with sharp-pointed arguments an
declared bitter war against'his hear
which, though fortified with symp'
thy and love, was all unarmed fc
such a battle.
sI must be firm he said in b
i head, while in his heart he pleade
) for his baby boy.
sNo, I will not kiss you to-nigh
1 do not kiss boys who steal and Ii
I kiss only good boys. When ye
+ are a good boy I will kiss you,
0 said he, as the little white-robed II
l. low came and stood at his knee al
s turned up the round and swoll'
q face to get the goodnight kiss, new
o before withheld from him.
q A fresh food of tears told th
u this was severer punishment tn
% that the rod had inflicted; and t
Is battle in the fathers breast rag
ifiercer than before. Would he yiel
9. Could he hold out against himself
"a could not. would not. No, L
e. If that kiss were the seal of his sou
81 conveyance to perdition, I must hs
+ kissed that baby boy. But l am
TX weakling. George Danvers "
'e srong. Cruel reason prevailed o'
e' tender sympathy.
d. "Please, papa, tiss little tieorgi
"No. naughty boy, no."
g And George was put away
rd stairs, where, after vainly appealil
n ssPlease tum an tiss title Georgi
40 he sobbed himself to sleep.
le. It was late when George Dany
Ut went to sleep, SO late ths.t ger
ne sleep soon drew her misty curt
80 over cold realities, and famed
lfy thaa@ad MIND With r,aaeafa11 drpa,