The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1884-09-20
AGAIN Grandma looked up over he

Again grandma looked up over her
spectacles, but said nothing.
just before bedtime there was cho-
rus of ''ohs!" and ''ahs'' from the table
in the back parlor, where the Norris
children were clustered, preparing their
lessons for the next morning.
"What is the matter out thereP" asked
| their father, whose perusal of the even
ing newspaper had been disturbed by
their cries.
Il upset the ink-bottle, papa, an
swered Minnie. .
Gan over my new atlas, too" grum-
bled Will
1T will not hurt it; it has only gone
on the paper cover; and I'm sure we're
mopping it up as fast as we cam" cried
Minnie. f.
elbow came YOU to be so careless?"
81 don't know, sir. | s'pose one of
my books must have hit it in some way.
l did not mean to do it; I'm sure
couldn't help it, she replied. I'm
very sorry about it.. ........
Well, perhaps you couldn't avoid it.;
but do be more careful! For girl
twelve years old, you certainly get into
a great msny scrapes," said her moth
Ell, quickly; afraid, perhaps, that Mr..
Norris might feel it his duty to scold
Minnie Or to punish her.
Half an hour later Minnie was in her
pretty little bedroom preparing for her
nightly sltmbers, when grandma came
in.
Gas a general rule, Minnie, dear, l
think you are a truthful girl. | was
very glad to hear you own up so
promptly and courageously when you
upset that ink bottle little while ago,
! but was exceedingly sorry to hear you
tell an untruth about it,
IAN untruth, grandma don't re-
member it. What did say?' and Min
ME looked and felt very much puzzled.
The same, also untrue, which you
said when you broke Alice's cup and
saucer when you tore your dress this
morning, and which you have said on
many many other occasons-that you
couldn't help it..
But, grandma, surely that was the
truth l could not help dropping the
cup, nor"
Just think a moment, my dear; it
was not at all necessary for you to
have touched the cup; in fact, it was
not yours, and you should not have
done so; but after touching it you did
not grasp it firmly Suppose, for ex-
ample, you had been sure that it would
have cost you your life if you
| dropped it, could YOU not then have
avoided the calamity?"
Eyes, ma am, suppose So"
- 4
| fancy that YOU were able to avoid
going so near the nail. Where was it?"
Minnie looked the least bit guilty as
she explained that she was trying to
climb up the fence, just for fun, not
even to really get over it, and when
she jumped down the offending nail
did the mischief" ....
"Then you could have helped it?"
eyes, ma'am. | understand now
what you mean, | think And if | had
not been pushing my books on the ia
bic, so as to joggle Alice'S slate, would
not have upset the ink.
EXACTLY so. | am glad that you
comprehend what | mean that in say
ing you couldn't help this, that or the
other, You were not telling the truth.
You should have said: i did not try as
| ought to have done, to avoid unfor-
tunate consequences, to some apparent
ly triIling act. When one does what
one ought not to do, or leaves a plain
duty undone, one is responsible for the
results, and therefore we can 'help it
Oftener than we realize
Next time, grandma, I'll try and
only say: i didn't mean to do it, when
| meet such misfortunes; for | see now
that l wasn't really truthful when l
complained | couldn't help it - Uni
UerSuLiSt.