The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1884-03-08
Ethers Book of Remembrance.

AsahNh OWN vi
Once on time a. friend wrote me
that he had had more children at his
house all summer than he could pos
sibly "shake a stick at" Now, | had
not had so many as that; for, although
the house was pretty full some DAYS,
could shake stick at them all, if L
wished. And l did it occasionally,
when they were very noisy indeed;
only, 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, yes" said Charlie, "if you will
only think aloud and let us hear you,
too"
And his sister Gertie, added; eyes,
and please think of the little Ethel that
you used to tell us stories about"
Little Ethel, indeed" replied /.
"Why she is seventeen years old, and
being High-School senior, will not
thank you for calling her little. How
ever, ii you will keep quiet, | will let
you hear me think aloud about Ethers
Book of Remembrance"
And this is the story | told them:
'When Ethel was about twelve years
old she used to run into our house very
often, and tell us about her schoolmates.
But, somehow, she got to telling the I'M
pleasant things which they would not
like to have repeated and we began to
hear who had missed, who had been
punished, orwho had been cross, stupid,
mean and hateful, until / said at last:
Suppose you turn to the next chapter
and tell me just as many good things
about these boys and girls.
go don't remember those half so
WELL she answered, quickly.
d" If that is the case, l replied, you
have a very poor memory. and the next
time go to Boston I'll buy you new
one
''And a day or two after that CONVEX
sation | bought blank book with red
covers, on the outside of which | got
somebody to print in gilt letters Eth
els Book of Remembrance and this,
together with two bottles of ink, gave
to the young girl. There's your new
memory said l. Fill it up with stories
about your classmates, if you wish
But what's the use of two bottles
of ink?' oh, l want you 10 write the
good things they say or do in red 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
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 I'M
touched until the next Christmas eve.
Then ! opened it, while Ethel was with
me, and found about two-thirds of the
pages filed with red ink items, which
showed how many good things she had
recorded long list of kind words and
generous deeds, which | read aloud, as
she sat quietly on cricket by the open
fire. That's the end of the red pas
sages,' said |, as finished, 'and now for
the blue ones, which will tell me how
stupid and hateful those same children
can ben
"'No, mol Don't read those, she
cried. Il am ashamed to have you see
them, and | wished [ hadn't written
them down. Give me the book, please,
without reading the rest
$50 l handed it to her with smile,
and watched her great establishment at
finding one-third of the book blank; for
the blue ink, which recorded the I'M
pleasant items. had entirely faded out,
and left the pages almost as white as
they were when 1 bought the book.
why she exclaimed, what does
it mean?'
"'Only that had the ink made ex-
pressly for you. 1t is called Fault-find-
er's Ink, and fades out in a few days.
If you mist 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 after that Christmas Ethel
moved to another town, and l 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-School girls, she
told me how pretty this one was, and
how smart that one, and the third was
so good, and fourth so obliging, until
finally inquired if they were all per-
feet, and had not single fault. That
brought the old times back to her very
strongly, and she blushed a great deal,
as she replied:
"'The blue ink that you gave me
} faded out so quickly that did not think
it paid to write the faults down on nv
memory at all. So looked for every
body's best things, and wrote those
only in my new Book of Remem-
brance." Rec. Il. MetcaIf in Christian
Register