St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1886-05-22
AN EXPERIMENT.

AN
Tho Agreement Phil Made With Hi
Mother, and How 1t Worked.
..Have got to rake up these leave:
every day." asked Phil, with . whine
in his voice.
Yes, every day.
but what is the use? They keep on
falling, and make just as big litter al
before"
.Your room has to be set in order
every day." said his mother, smiling.
Il wouldn't care much if it wasn't, u
said Phil.
"And your shirts have to be washed
every week. And the dishes you eat of
of have to be washed three times a day.
You keep on eating, you know"
Phil could not forbear smile as he
Slow Y raked away at the leaves. He
might easily have gathered them in ten
minutes, leaving in good order the
little lawn which his mother liked to
see nicely kept, but he usually dawdled
over them for half an hour.
.'Seems to me have to do n great
deal of work for other folks" he went
on, mournfully. al have to pile wood,
and cut kindling. and drive the cow,
and water the flowers things"
do you have more to do for Others
than others do for you?" asked his
mother.
Yes. ma'am; 1 guess so. Any
way, if l could stop doing things for
folks. they might stop doing things for
me-
"Do you really mean that ?''
"Yes, indeed" said Phil, eagerly,
May try it, mamma ~
If you like. You may try it for one
day
Zone day, Oh. want to try if for
week. And if it works well, can l
keep it up?"
Yes"
Remember, then, mamma, nobo-
dy's to ask me to do single thing, and
I'll remember my part. Hurrah!'
Phil dropped the rake over the small
pile of leaves. and rushed away to look
at his fish-line: for he had made up his
mind to go fishing in the afternoon,
and have pleasant time, now that
none of those troublesome chores were
to be thought OF.
Running hastily to the barn he fell
and tore hole in his trousers.
Mammal he cried, picking himself
up and going toward the house. But
he suddenly remembered that mamma
was not to be called upon. He ran up
stairs to change the torn garments.
..Ah! two buttons off my other pants,
and | forgot to tell about it. Never
mind; can sew them on myself. l
often have It's easy enough to sew on
buttons
1t had been when mamma gave him
the needle and thread. But now, as he
took fine needle and coarse thread,
he wondered why it had never seemed
so hard before. 1t took him long
time to thread the needle, and then
every stitch was separate trial. He
tugged away, got hot and flurried and
pricked his finger time and again.
At last, he felt sure the button was
sewed on tight. But as he sprang up
to put on the trousers, he found that
they were sewed to the skirt of the coat
he had on. With tears halfway to his
eyes, IlC tOOh ouI Ills CUT luc
stitches. No one was waiting to see if
his necktie was neatly tied, or to hand
him his books. The school-bell was
ringing, and he rushed away with the
torn trousers on.
But he was late, to his great regret;
for he had begun school with a resolve
not to have one tardy mark during the
year.
The tear in the trousers kept catch
ing in things and tearing larger until
he was very much ashamed of it, and
glad. at length, to hurry home As he
again sewed on the button, he could
not help wondering if mending ones
own clothes were not little harder
than cutting kindling.
Never mind he said to himself.
Nobody will ask me to do any thing
after dinner, and can do just what /
please all day when l get out of
school,
He went to the dinner-table with
boys appetite.
Where's my plate?' he asked, see
ing no place ready for him.
Have yon forgotten our agree
ment?' asked his mother.
"Why, no, mamma. l said nobody
need do any thing for me. l am going
to wash my own dishes when I'm
done.n
but do you expect any one to cook
for you?''
Phil stared at her for a moment, then
gave rather blank look at the roast
beef and the sweet potatoes. But he
was not ready to give up.
Il did forget, that's fact" he said.
with laugh, as he turned and went
out.
But there was little spirit in the
laugh. and mamma looked after him
with sober face.
Il can't see him miss his dinner"
she said.
But his father said: LET him learn
his little lesson well. 1t will not hurt
him.
Phil went out to the orchard and ate
apples. not troubling himself to think
whether anybody had raised them for
him. and rejoicing in the reflection that
when picking time came he would not
have any part of that work to do.
He went fishing, and on his way
home had the satisfaction of sitting on
the fence to watch his brother Ben
drive the COW home. Ben hailed him.
1.-The Pratts have come to tea"
That's jolly! shouted Phil SPRING