St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1884-04-19
Ethel'S New Memory.

Ethel's New Memory.
Once on time a friend wrote me
that he had had more children at his
house all summer than he could pos
sibly ..shake stick at" Now, | had
not had so many rs that; for. although
the house was pretty full some days, |
could shake n stick ut them all, II l
wished. And l did it occasionally,
when they We're very noisy indeed;
only, l was in fun. and they all knew
it, and therefore did not stop. At last.
| said one day: '.Do keep quiet, chill
dren. and let me hear myself think.
..Oh. ves,' said Charlie. IF you will
only think aloud and let us hear You.
too"
And his sister Gertie, added: 'Yes.
and please tn nix of the little Ethel that
you used to tell lis stories about.
Little Ethel, indeedna replied l.
"Whv she is seventeen years old. and
being \ H;gh-School senior, will not
thank you for calling her little. How
ever. if you will keep quiet, will let
YOU hear me think aloud about EtLei
Book of Remembrance"
And this is the story told them:
sis hen Ethel was about twelve years
old she used to run into our house very
often, and tell Us about her schoolmates.
But. somehow. she rot to telling the un-
pleasant things which they would not
like to have repea.ed: and we began to
hear who hal missed, who had been
punished, or who had been cross, stupid.
mean and hateful, until | said at last:
/ Suppose vou turn TO the next chapter
and tell me Just rs many good things
! about these boss aai girls.
IL don't remeni1 1er those hall so
well,' she answered. quickly.
| :. III that is the case | replied, .you
! have a very poor memory. and the next
time go to Boston I'll buy you new
one.'
..And day or two after that eonver-
sation bought blank book with red
! covers, on the outside of which | cot
somebody to print in gilt letters: Eth
els Book of Remembrance and this,
together with two bottle of ink, gave
to the young girl. There's your new
memory said I. Fill it up with stories
about Your classmates, ii YOU wish
s.Brt what's the use of two bottles
of inka' oh, want you TO write the
geod things they say or do in rcd ink.
and the other things in blue ink; and
be as careful TO put down all the good
as we'll the bad.
..She promised; and to my surprise,
/ the new book came back in the course
j OF week. with simply these words on
the wrapper: All full That was
harvest concert night; and the book was
put away in my desk, where it lay un-
| touched until the next Christmas eve.
Then opened It. while Ethel was with
me. and found about two-thir,ls of the
pages tiled with red ink items, which
showed how many good things she had
recor.leI-a long list of kind words and
generous deeds, which / read aloud. as
She sat quietly on a cricket by the open
fire. That's the end of the red pas
sares.' sa d /, rs finished, and now for
the blue ones. which will tell me how
stupid and hateful those same children
can ber
".No, no. Don't read those she
cried. i am ashamed to have you see
them. and | wished 1 hadn't written
them down. Give me the book. please,
without reading the rest
$50 han ed it to her with smile.
and watched her great astonishment at
finding one third of the book blank; for
the blue ink, which recorded the un-
pleasant items, had entirely faded out,
and left the pages almost as white as
tEev were when bought the book.
".Why,' she exclaimed, what does
it meana'
".Only that had the ink made ex-
pressly for YOU. 1t is called Fault-find-
er's Ink, and fades out i'm few days.
If YOU must write down all these un-
pleasant items, be very sure and use
this kind of ink: and if you can not get
your bottle filled up again, use water,
and it will answer every purpose
..Soon ater that Christmas Ethel
moved to another town, and / did not
see her until / went West last year.
She showed me the little red book. and
said she really did get new memory
when she received that present. And
think she did. For, when | asked
her about the High-Scl,ool girls, she
tod me how pretty this one was, and
how smart that one. and the third was
J b good, and fourth so obliging, until
QAfnally inquired if they were all per.
feet, and had not single faalt. Tha,
= brought the old times back to her very
strongly. and she blushed q great deal
: rs she replied:
, 1.-The blue ink that you gave ms
faded out so quickly that | did not thinl
, it paid to write the faults down on my
memory at all. So looked for every
, body's best things, and wrote thos,
, only in my new Rpok of Remem
: brance." "'-Rer. X. Metcdif, in Christia,
, Register.