The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1885-01-16
THE GOLD BASKET.
How Little vi Was Tempted to Tell Lie
and Didn't.

How Little vi Was Tempted to Tell Lie
and Didn't.
1t was only fruit-dish of white china,
with gilt bands around it; but little vi
admired it very much, and called it
mammals 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
an 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 all 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 chair,
and got upon the table.
'sCome 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.
vi started in surprise at the dreadful
ruin, and then she stared at the oranges
rolling, helter-skelter, under the stove.
"Who did that? How did it fall?"
thought she.
But next moment it came over her
that she herself was to blame.
'Why, [ 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.
''I'll go tell mamma I did it, and I'm
so sorry. No, I'll her kitty did it;
guess kitty did do it, Naughty ki5tyn'
The little girl moved one foot, and
then she stood still again. The clock
licked very loud-you know how loud
clock does tick sonetimes-and the
fly on the towel gazed at vi, and she
gazed at the fly.
''No, won't tell mamma anything
won't go into the parlor at all; I'll &C
out in the yard, and then mamma viii
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 up her mind, and as il
that old fly was watching too.
''7ick, fock-if you go and leave the
kitty in here alone it will be the same
as a lie-tick, toch same as lie. - i
wasn't the clock that said that, but j
sounded just like the clock.
"WIU it be the same as lie, tr@l,
lie?" said the child. And then she
looked at the fly, who nodded his heat
and kept nodding it. vi knew he didn'l
mean eyes but it seemed just as if he
meant yes. II will not tell a lie, y sale
vi, turning her back to the outside
door, and putting her foot down hard
II will not tell lie.'' And with tina
she ran into the parlor, tor if she walked
she was afraid she might not go at all
She ran every step of the way as fast 8
she could run, and sobbed out:
go mamma, it wasn't the kitty, j
was me! But didn't mean to at ALL
And her mamma kissed her, and sale
she "knew it was an accident, and sh'
never had loved her little daughter 81
well in her life as when she came anG
told the whole truth, like dear, brave
good little girl; for the truth is better
than all the gold baskets in the world
Sophie Mag, IN OR Little Ones.