The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1886-06-09
A WRITTEN CONTRACT.
How Il Was Made and How Much It Meant
to Dick and HIS Father.

to Dlck and Hts Father.
Little Dick Howell was boy who
often surprised people. They called
him '.lazy Dick" because he loved to
get into sunny corners and think, and
he was not always ready for work such
as little fellows can do. But one day
he said: "Pa, want lot Of money"
"Yes, Dick, I have known other
folks who felt SO. Go. to work and
earn it."
"How p' asked Dick, who really was
In earnest, for he longed for little ex-
press-cart. 90 tai
"Oh! weed the garden" said Mr..
Howell, growing absent-minded, as he
often became. He remembered sud-
denly business letter he must write,
and SO when Dick said "Will you give
me a penny for every big weedP' his
father said "Yes." gr .r.,. .
"Well, that night Dick amazed his
father by presenting him with four
hundred bio sreeds, and eagerly claim
! ing four dollars. Mr.. Howell never
broke his word to o child; he said he
did not think what he was promising,
because he knew there were too many
weeds in his garden for such a bargain;
but he paid the money down, and Dick
had the prettiest cart in town. Not
Elong after his father said: 'Dick, you
and ought to have made written con-
tract about those weeds II we had !
should not have agreed to such terms as
4 I made. A man thinks when he signs
his name. II I had been dishonorable,
too, could have said never agreed to
pay you penny a weed, and you
could not have proved that did. You
must learn to write your name before
do any more business by contract with
YOU. Then we can each sign our
names" And 30 Dicks father went
on to tell him that solemn promises
not to be broken were made in writing,
and men who broke such promises
were men whom nobody could trust.
Dick hated to read, and he could not
write letter, but after that he used te
climb up on the woodshed-roof with
his dear little sister Nellie. She did hel
best to teach him, and the first word hi
ever wrote was "Dick," the next wa!
Howell" Such funny business con
tracts as Dick make that year with hi
father, and such pile of nickels as h,
!, earned! First, five cents for every weel
= that he never forgot to shut door ant
never slammed It; ten cents for being
helpful and starting at once when asket
: to do something; fifteen cents for pick
ing over q barrel of apples, and so OF
!. !. up to O dollar and half in thre
= months. Every time he signed writ
uI ten contract to do what he agreed, o
try his very best to do it, how proud,
! he used to sign ''Dick' with big, ink.
: flourish!
When Dick was twelve years old h
was asked to sign Temperance pledge
= He took it to his father, who talked
J. over with him and proposed that the
= sign it together contract that neithe
;, would break. Dick did not know then
. nor until years after, that his fathe
! was taking too much wine. They signe
{; the pledge Richard Howell, Senior,
!. Richard Howell, Junior" And the
IL Dicks father told him to kneel by hi
knee, and, laying his hand on the boy
. head, he prayed God to help them bot
= = to keep the promise they had made.
81 "You have signed your name a gres
! many times, my boy, but never to
. paper that meant so much as this.
- "Oh! l don't ever want to drinl
:: father. 1t is easy to promise, and
shall never 60 back on my word" sal
d, Dick, gayly.
= Years went by. Dick grew up, an
u many and many time he was temple
u to taste a glass of wine or beer. b
y never yielded, for he had signed h
e name and was on his honor. A fe
- more years and he had seen tue ours
!, of drunkenness, and was so glad ,
!. that boyish pledge-so glad of fatht
Is who made him feel the sacredness of
2 promise. annette g. Noble, in Ten
&c | npr0,zce Runner