The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1885-11-06


4 uIeIpful Lesson ny which = Habit -
lndeci>ion Was Corr~et~d-
II you once begin. Harry. you must
go every day" said Mrs Baxter. look
ing at her little bos. who stood At the
front door turning his wandering gaze
first up the street. then down III YOU
60 TO school At all. You must 80 regsl
larry: we cant have any more Of this
dong things by halves Remember. Il
is to be Your own choice she contin-
ucd- Il do not care whether YOU 20 Oh
not This term. but DO care 10 have you
know your own mind Harry
swell. guess would rather &c"
answered the boy. a his eye caught .
group q his com panions far down the
street going in the direction Of the
school-house.
A moment moro and he was trudging
along with his slate unler his arm.
looking almost as impoF sant as he felt
But when he reached the border OF the
playg ground. instead OF finding the bows
out having = Jolly time 10. there was
not one TO be seen The school-house
door was shut. and work had evidently
begun
Then did the spirit OF hes:iating again
seize hold of him Should be 20 in At
all. or should he not? II was great
deal pleasanter outdoors in the bright
September sunshine than II could poSsi-
bly, 10 in those closed walls Why
should he deliberately make himself .
prisoner for all the days to come, II
he entered to-day he must 20 regularly.
His mother had said there must BE- no
excuses Five ten minutes he hesi-
tated. then slowly turned away-
Down TO tho brook he went. where
he often had pleasant times: he found =
messy seat and .nrew himself down for
: morning Of pleasure. How still every
thing was The water was lowing
quietly over the stones. and even the
birds were silent Had they all gone
away? They had no work TO do. no
school. no study
Slowly the morning passed He was
no. enjoy ing himself a h. had expected
TO do. and he was yexed 70 think that
he was not Harry had no, yet learned
that true enjoyment Is never found IN
idlcnesS
He wandered through the woods.
found few late. Wild biackberries.
and amused himself OR tried 10 do
so-by throwing stones al one or two
unsuspecting squirrels. Tut al TO no
purpose. Had be hut known the words
Of the wise King. he would doubtless
have said with nun: '.Au Is vanity and
yexaiion Of spirit
He was CAD when noon came and it
was time 10 return home; and there was
quite an ar Of business about him g ne
sailed forth 70 meet the boys and walk
with them down the street
''Why didn't you come to school.
Harry? 1 tell you what. you missed IL!
We've got q splendid teacher. aud he
makes every thing 50 interesting. I'D
rather 60 TO school than play" called
Dan Holmes
IL guess Ill 60 this afternoon" said
Harry. sheepshiy- II didn't get OF
quite In time this morning"
-An right then. Ill cal in for you
after dinner. for YOU want % be there
in time. The new teacher Is awful
particular about THAT and with hop
skip-and- Jump. Dan hurried on
:" You see I'm on time" he called.
putting his head in the dining room
door half m hour later. told Harry
he would have : better time at school.
ard he had better come along be con-
tinued. turning to Mrs Baxter Don't
you think SOP
IBID you not 20 to school this MORN
ing. Harry" his mother asked il sur
prise
Harry blushed in silent shame
Harry understood that be was 60
decide this morning." she went on.
speaking TO Dan "He has decided BY
staying away. and be can not 90 now
In vain did Harry plead. lis moth
or felt that staying home one term
would mot be too dear price 70 pay
for correcting this habit Of indecision.
" III you can only learn to know your
own mind andto work with purpose"
she said. ..it will be worth morcio YOU
than al you could learn from books
these many weeks"
And even 80 Il proved Slowly
enough tho days dragged on The
boys OF his own age were al ~ school,
and even when he met them they
seemed TO have little in common. They
were always talking Of some good time
that he knew nothing about But the
lesson was . helpful one 20 him. for
whenever he was tempted 70 half do .
taing. or 60 turn back after once max
ing up his mind in the right way. he
remembered that September day. and
what he had lost through his indecis-
ion---ztnfh Seekers