Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1885-02-06
THE BROKEN BASKET.
How Little vi Wa Tempted to Tell = Lie
...'.-. .N. and Didn't.

How Little vi Was Tempted to Tell . Lilo
and Didn't.
1t was only a fruit-dish of white china,
with gilt bands around it; but little VII
admired il very much, and called it
"mamma's gold basket"
One afternoon Aunt Emily came to-
make a call, and mamma brought in
the basket filled with nice large Florida
oranges. After everybody had eaten
IN orange, and Aunt Emily had gone,
sister Anna set the basket on the kitchen
table, and that was the way the trouble
began.
Little vi went out there oil alone to
play with the cat.
She chased her around and around
the room, till by and by kitty, growing
tired of the sport, jumped into a chair,
and got upon the table.
"Come down! come down." said little
vi. "You must not smell those oranges
with your nose. Come down."
But Kitty did not come; she was try
ing to decide whether the beautiful
young balls were good to eat. Then
vi caught her by the tail and pulled
her backward. She did not do it
roughly, but somehow that gold basket
got in the way-perhaps kitty's paw
touched it, perhaps it was Wis arm;
but, at any rate, the basket was over
turned, and down it fell, broken in
pieces upon the floor.
W; cfoY.taI in c11r,,r;co of tho Iroo5f,1
: ruin, and then she stared at the oranges
"Who did that? How did it fally"
thought she.
But next moment it came over her
that she herself was to blame.
"Why, 1 didn't mean to! That pref
ty, pretty basket! What will mamma
say": Little Wis forehead was full Of
wrinkles, her eyes were full Of tears.
She stood so still that you could almost
have heard the fly on the roller-towel
scrape his wings.
.'Ill 90 tell mamma I did it, and I'm
so sorry. No, I'll her kitty did it; !
guess kitty did do it. Naughty kitty!"
The little girl moved one foot, and
then she stood still again. The clock
licked very loud-you know how loud
a clock does tick sometimes-and tho
fly on the towel gazed at vi, and she
gazed at the fly. 4
..No, I won't tell ann anything;
I won't 90 into the parlor at all; I'll 90
out in the yard, and then mamma will
think kitty broke the basket, for kitty
will be in here all alone"
vi took three steps towards the out
side door, and then she stood still again,
and the clock licked worse than ever:
1t seemed as if that clock was watching
to see vi make IN her mind, and as il
that old fly was watching too.
'.1Ick, tock-if you go and leave the
kitty in here alone it will be the same
as a lie-tick, tock-same as a lie." It
wasn't the clock that said that, but Il
sounded just like the clock.
"WW it be the same as a lie, a truly
lie:?" said the child. And then she
looked at the fly, who nodded his head
and kept nodding it. vi knew he didn't
mean eyes" but it seemed just as if he
meant yes. II will not tell a lie,'' said
vi, turning her back to the outside
door, and putting her foot down hard;
II will not tell a lie" And with that
she ran into the parlor, for if she walked
she was afraid she might not 90 at all.
She ran every step of the way as fast as
she could run, and sobbed out:
80 mamma, it wasn't the kitty, it
was me! But I didn't mean to at all!''
And her mamma kissed her, and said.
she s'knew it was an accident, and she
never had loved her little daughter so
well in her life as when she came and
told the whole truth, like q dear, brave,
good little girl; for the truth is better
than all the gold baskets in the world.
Sophie May, se Ouy Little Ones.