Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1885-08-14
"GoINe TO-"


"GoING TO-"
aervey's Great Failing and Aunt Edlth's
Advice-How to he . Doer.
shall not pretend to tell how many
figures there were across the slate. If
you have yer puzzled over long q
amples, as Hervey was doing over one
which had kept him busy, without re-
suit, for an hour, you may, perhaps,
sympathize with him.
Hervey now frowned at the figures,
over at the goldfish in the globe and up
at the frescoed ceiling over his head.
He gave a weary sigh, drew a long,
idle, discontented breath. Then he
started up and bent over the slate, and
multiplied, and divided, and did all that
the puzzling example required until the
last figure was down as it should be,
and he leaned back with a gay little
whistle and a pleasant face.
Aunt Edith reused up from her bit of
a nap, and looked to see what the boy
va doing. Likely she was thinking,
and signing, saying to herself: .Whist-
ling as usual, instead of working"
but she only closed her eyes again, and
Hervey came and stood beside her, fold
ing his arms in a resolute fashion and
looking-well, not exactly like the
usual Hervey.
"Auntie," he said, glancing rather at
the floor than at Aunt Edith's face,
which now lighted up with a half
waking, loving smile, which belonged
to Aunt Edith herself and to nobody
else--for who had q smile like Aunt
Edith's sweet smile" Auntie, it is
mean and miserable to be an intender."
ga what, dear?" inquired Aunt
Edith, not understanding.
can intender." N n.
"And what is an intender, dear:?" in
quired Aunt Edith again.
"An intender is somebody who means
to do things, but does not do them"
"What kind of things?"
GAIL kinds of right things"
Poor Hervey. How sorry Aunt Edith
was v him every day. He intended
to be early at breakfast; he intended to
say his verse before eating, punctNally
and promptly; he intended to be dill
gent at school, patient with his school
mates, observant Of rules; he intended
TO be studious at study hour, obedient
at all times. No one eyer heard Her
vey refuse to promise to do right, but
Auntie could not help knowing that
Hervey himself was an intender.
Ito do is better than to intend to do,
DEAR" replied Aunt Edith, a little sadly.
"You do not say an intender is mean
and horrid, because you know I am
one."
"You are young, dear you do
seem likely to be an 'intender,' but !
have faith in you to believe you will be
q doer."
"What makes you think SO, Aunt
Edith? l disappoint you every day."
81 think SO because you are not
happy as an intcnder, and because you
can not honorably serve our dear Father
and be anything else than a doer."
"But. Aunt Edith, it is so hard to
keep doing, and Idon't keep on" Her
vey half stamped his foot with the last
words; he was so in earnest.
"No, you do not keep on"
"Then what makes you think / ever
will?"
LIT is impossible to love our Father
and not do His will"
"But- may be I do not love Him"
Hervey's eyes were bent to the floor
and his lips quivered as he added /:
GLOW you believe in me-" straighten-
ing up again and folding his arms
tighter over his breast.
Eyes, 1 believe in you," said Aunt
Edith; '.you will not continue to be an
intender."
II have made you a great many
promises; if 1 could think Of them half
the time I would keep them. Do you
think I will ever get to remember them
better?" .f-5 j.. ...a
"Oh, yes; I am very sure of it."
"Do you know, Aunt Edith, 1 can not
see how you a be sure of anything
about me except that I an a miserable
intender."
Aunt Edith was looking on the floor,
she did not raise her eyes, she seemed
to be deep in thought.
"How do you think I will get out Of
it all?' inquired Hervey, still standing
with his arms crossed and a resolution
showing in the whole boy, which Aunt
Edith had prayed for every day, but
had never seen before.
"Out of what. dear?" she inquired,
with one of her loving smiles which
told, without words, how dear he wa
to her.
'0ut Of all the .intender' business
"You will start by remembering ont
promise better, and after you have
practicea upon that awhile you will re,
member another"
"What else?"
"You will overcome one troublesome
habit, and then you will overcome an.
other, and 30 on until you get to be s
doer."
II would like to be one all at once
"a tree never grew to be a tree in
one night; an '%intender' never grew K
be a doer in day."
"But l can try"
"By all means try to do right every
plinute of every day, but do not be dis
couraged if you only get along slowl,
for awhile"
"And you think 1 can be a 'doer?''
81 never said So" Aunt Edith smiled
at his puzzled face. II said you woull
NOT continue to he an intender.n