The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1886-08-28
DAISY BUTTONS DEBT.

How 1t Was Incurred, and the Lesson 1t
Taught.
Daisy Dutton was great favorite in
school. She was always ready to help
a friend, whether it was to find an OBJ
scure town, in the heart of Russia, on
the map, which is so certain to hide
the obscure places, to lend her history
to the girl who had left hers at home,
to assist a perplexed student with a
difficult problem or a tangled sentence,
or to straighten out misunderstood
ing; for Daisy was born helper and
peacemaker.
All the older girls paid her the sort
of respect which younger girls enjry re-
ceiving from their seniors. They never
snubbed her, never lowered their tones
or suspended their conversation ct her
approach; they treated her, in fact, as
though she was one of their own set.
The little girls, on the other hand.
adored her. She always had time to
talk to them, to comfort them if they
were in trouble, to tell them a story, or
to be leader in their little plays.
Of the girls about Daisy's own age,
she was their acknowledged queen.
They considered her the prettiest,
sweetest, best girl in the world. Her
teachers shared this opinion; for they
could rely on Daisy's honor, on her
faithfulness and her punctuality. She
never disappointed one of them, and
while not especially brilliant, she did
good work in all her classes.
Perhaps the greatest charm about
Daisy Dutton was her unfailing good
nature. She was perfect sunbeam.
Always happy, pever moping, she car
ried charm in her laughing eyes and
her merry mouth; and, as her father
said, it made you CHEEKY just to hear
her glad good-morning.
For some weeks, at the time my
story begins, change had been OBJ
served in Daisy. She was not like
herself at all Her mother noticed her
heavy eyes and tagging steps, and
thought she must be studying too hard.
The girls could not understand why
she summed their company. and liked
to be alone. Fanny Mott, who was
her most intimate rriend, vainly tried
to discover what secret was weighing
on Daisy's mind.
II should think, Daisy dear, you
would tell MEL she said, coaxingly.
But Daisy only sighed, and turned
away. Poor Daisy! Six weeks ago
she had been the happiest girl in
Thompsonville, without q feathers
weight of care on her heart; and now
that heart was like q stone for heavi-
ness.
Daisy's mother had always given her
a monthly allowance which had been
ample for all her requirements. She
was expected to keep an account of
her expenditures, which her mother
looked over and counted up. saw that
the receipts and expenses balanced,
and then signed with her name. After
this, DR.. Dutton looked at it, and near
ly always dropped into his daughters
hand shining gold-piece as a reward
of merit for having been so good lit
tie woman of business. The only rule
on which DIR. and Mrs. Dutton insisted
was that Daisy should never incur
debt.
But in an evil hour. Daisy set her affec-
tiOns on a certain rosewood desk. 1t
stood in the stationer's window, carved,
polished, satin-lined, filed with dainty
treasures of note-paper, and provided
with every requisite for elegant CORE
spondence. Daisy was very fond of
having beautiful things in the way of
stationery. She was fastidious about
her pens, her paper, her envelopes.
For two years at least she had yearned
for desk, and this one was all that
her heart could wish.
at would be no HARM" thought
Daisy, lust to step in and look at it
more closely. Perhaps it would be
possible to save up for it." Daisy on
the instant began to think what she
could do without, how she might add
to her funds. The rosewood desk she
must have.
When the polite salesman, who knew
DR.. buttons daughter by sight, said
that the price of the desk was Honly ten
dollars" and, observing the sudden
fall of the eager face. remarked that
there was no need to pay for it that
day, any time in the next three months
would do; might he not send it home
for herf Daisy was tempted.
Children, if a temptation be resisted
at once it is easily put to flight But
admit it to your mind, think over it,
excuse to yourself something which
you know to be wrong, and you are
very likely to do that which you will
bitterly regret The only way to be
safe is to resist the very first thought
of evil. When the clerk pressed her
to take the desk then, and to pay. if
she chose, a dollar or two to begin |
with, Daisy said: ''Oh, nor and,
making a trifing purchase, she went
home. But once there the old atlas |
in which she kept her papers, and
which Law IN hor Ian school-0irl fash.