The clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1883-1888, 1886-05-26

nTwo palines are loose in the fence, I
See" said MT. Townsend to h;s son one
morning; they are on the east side, and
| wish ron to take the hammer and few
mails and make NIL tight again"
Yes. sir, I'll fasten them on tight as
/ CAM
Il Be snre You do not forget 10 90 it
Just as soon as you have finished your
breakfast, my son, for ii is the garden
fence, and pig could. easily force an
entrance, as the palings hang by one
nail EACH
"I'II remember. and go tor the ham
mer and nails directly, father"
"Well, good-by, all; / must hurry or |
shall miss the train; it is about due
now"
With a hasty Kiss snatehed from
each pair of lips presented 10 him, the
kind father hurried off to the depot; bis
cotton shipped to Mobile must be looked
after. So MISTER Tommie was left to at
tend to the fence lie intended to go
just as soon a. he had swallowed his asst
mouthful of corn meal muffin and syrup,
but Ed Crofts appeared on The scene at
that very moment, shouting over the
eide gate:
Tom, Tom! oh, Tom hurry up and
come out herel / got something to show
yer"
As will be seen from his manner Of
speaking, he was not Young person OF
liberal education, but be had a kind
heart beneath his ragged jacket, not
wiihstandng his lack OF learning. More
over, he never presented himself in Tom
ME Townsend's well regulated home, al
| ways haiIing him from the gate posts
| rommie bounded from his seat the min
ute he heard the familiar shout, shutting
in the remnant Of his muffin with little
regard to tine size Of his mouth. As Ii :
was putting on his cap bis mother called
out 10 him not to forget the broken
fence.
IN be back directly-shau't be gone
a minute, mother dear"
And be meant TO be as good as his
word. TOmmie's intentions were always
right; the trouble with him was what a
little girl once called "a bad forgettity."
Ell. had fine young coon toshow off that
| morning.. An old negro had caught IL
alive for him, and he intended making a
pet of il. Tommie was much excited
over this baby of the woods and its mas
ter's plans for its comfort, and would
have forgotten that there was such a
| thing as school if he had not seen some
of the boys passing with their satchels
on their shoulders. / am not quite sure
he would have noticed them, either, if
| they had not shouted TO him, warning
MN of the lateness of the hour.
Now, there was 10 be pr re at the
close of the term for the boy who had
1 haar, 20 ii IS RI
as they stood at present, Miss Grant,
their young lady teacher, might expect
| to furnish just fifty six prizes, for not a
| boy had earned a tardy mark yet; no,
not even Tommie, with his 'bad for
| gettity." He was not going to get one
this morning, either, if he could help it.
Home he flew as if on wirgS, huddled
his books pell nell (leaving his reader
behind) into his satchel, and, without
waiting to hunt up his mother, was off
again like the wind.
He did not earn a tardy mark, 1t is
| true; but what do you think he saw in
the garden as he entered the gate at
noon? A great pig, roofing up the tur-
nips and everything else it could find.
Alb, those two pailingsi Tommie armed
bimself with a long stick and ran at the
pig as fast as two lively feet could carry
him. They had long chase for it, for
| that porker did not chance npon such a
Thanksgiving dinner often. At last
piggy had to carry his kinky tail else
where, and sorely did he grunt over his
interrupted feast. Tommie, all out OF
breath though he was, hurried for the
hammer aud nails. Alas. all the ham
meriDg in the world could not restore
the sweet turnips his mother priced so
highly, nor replant the other vegetables
which Mr.. Pig had uprooted and de
voured.
Mother did not scold, but she talked
very soberIy to him about his naughty
habit Of forgetting, showing him how
often it led To absolute disobedience, as
it had done to day. She read him the
parable of the father who had two sons,
one always SAYING II will 60, sir" but
told him that God had given him mem
DRY, and would one day ask him how be
had used it.
Tom went to school that afternoon
| with several new ideas in his head. lie.
solving as he Judged along, eating a
bright red apple his loving mother had
| just give him, that he would try to re
member hereafter that it was too mean
for anything to treat his mother so
Yes, and what could he say when God
asked him how he had used his mem.
DRY?
And equally true is this of every one
of us. Your Heavenly Father gives you
not only your memory, but every facul
ty of mind, every power of your body
Are you using them as He would have
yau? your brain with its ability to
think and reason, your eyes, your ears
hands, feet, and most powerful of all
your tongue? One of these days God
will ask you how you have used them
all. Whatwill you say Ruth Argyle
in The Morning Star.