The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1886-06-12
DAISY BUTTONS DEBT.
How 1t Was Incurred, and the Lesson II
Taught,


Taught.
Daisy Dutton was a 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 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 enjoy re-
eeiving from their senNrs. They never
snubbed her, never lowered their tones
or suspended their conversation at 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 a perfect sunbeam.
Always happy, never moping, she car
ried a 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 stunned their company, and liked
to be alone. Fanny Mott, who was
her most intimate friend, vainly tried
to discover what secret was weighing
on Daisy's mind.
Il 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
Thompsonvine, without a feathers
weight of care ON her heart; and now
that heart was like stone for heayi-
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 a shining gold-piece as a reward
of merit for having been SO good lit
tie woman of business. The only rule
on which DR.. and Mrs. Dutton insisted
was that Daisy should never incur a
debt.
But in an evil hour, Daisy set her affec-
tions on, certain rosewood desk. 1t
stood IN the stationer's window, carved,
polished, satin-lined, filled 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.
cit would be no HARM" thought
Daisy, ''just to step in and look at it
moro 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.. Dhtton's daughter by sight, said
that the price of the desk was ''only 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
WOuiu IiOi IISHb no uOO Scllu IL uOluC
for herP Daisy was tempted.
Children, if temptation be resisted
at once it is easily put to fight But
admit it to your mind, think over it,
excuse ito 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 10 to resist the very first thought
of evil. Whenpthe clerk pressed her
to take the desk then, and to pay, il
she chose, a dollar or two to begin
with, Daisy said: "Oh, mol" and,
making a trihingypurchase, she went
home. But once there the old atlas
in which she, kept her papers, and
which lay on her lap, schoolgirl fash
ION, as she. wrote her compositions,
seemed more shabby and inconven-
lent affair than ever. ''Horrid old
thing!" she said to herself 81 do like
TO have the belongings of a lady"
Two or three days later she went to
the bookstore to buy pencil. There,
in full view. stood the desk, prettier, il
seemed to the poor child, than ever.
eel haI a nhanna IN sail that dock this