Morning journal and courier., 1886-10-07
Phfl's Experiment..
T -


''Have got to rake up these leaves every
day?" asked Phil with whine in his voice.
eyes, every day"
''But what is the use? They keep on
falling, and make just big litter as
before"
''Your room has to be set in order every day."
said his mother, smiling.
81 wouldn't care much if it wasn't" said
Phil.
'tAnd your shirts have to be washed
every week. And the dishes you eat off have
to be washed three times day. You keep
on eating, you know!"
Phil could not forbear smile, as he
slowly 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 nicely kept; but
he usually dawdled over them for half an
hour.
ssSeems to me have to do great deal of
work for other folks" he went on, mourn
fully. 'I have to pile wood, and cut kind
ling. and drive the COW, and water the Aow-
ers-and things"
''Do you have more to do for others than
others do for you?" asked his mother.
eyes, mamma; I guess SO. Anyway, if
could stop doing things for folks, they might
stop doing things for me-"
'tDo you really mean that?"
eyes, indeed" said Phil eagerly. "May
try it mammal"
eff you like. You may try it for one
day
week And, if it works we'll, can I keep it
upa"
Remember, then, mamma, nobody's to
ask me to do single thing, and I'll remem-
Der 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.
"Mamma!' 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
garment.
"Ah! two buttons off my other pants, and
forgot to tell about it. Never mind. can
sew them on myself. 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 a coarse thread, he wondered
why it had never seemed so hard before. It
took him long time to thread the needle,
and then every stitch was a separate trial.
He tugged away, got hot and furried and
pricked his finger time and again.
At last he felt sure the button 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, he took ont his knife
and cut the stitches. No one was waiting
to see if his necktie was neatly tied 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 regret; for he had
begun school with a resolve not to have one
tsrdy mark during the year.
The tear in the trousers kept catching 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 but
| ton, he could not help wondering if mendlng
ones own clothes were not little harder than
| cutting kindling.
"Never mind" he said to himself. "No-
| body will ask me to do anything after dinner;
| and can do just what please all day, when
get out of school"
he went to the dinner table with a boys
appetite.
"Where's my pIate?" he asked, seeing no
place ready for him.
"Have you forgotten our agrsementa" ask
ed his mother.
"Why, no, mamma! said nobody need
| do anything for nae. am going to wash my
| own dishes when I'm done"
"But do you expect anyone to cook for
yeua''
Phil stared at her for moment, then gave