The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1886-06-12

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, no' and,
making a trihing purchase, 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 a more shabby and incouVen-
lent affair than ever "Horrid old
thing!' she said to herself. 81 do like
to have the belongings of lady.
Two or three days later she went to
the bookstore to buy pencil. There,
in full view, stood the desk, prettier, it
seemed to the poor child, than ever.
al had chance to sell that desk this
morning." said the shopman. Mrs.
Lawton hesitated between a set OF
Ruskin and that as a birthday gift for
Miss Floy. If | hadn't felt that the
desk was all but sold to you, Miss
Daisy, would have persuaded her to
buy it,"
Well, Daisy did not mean to DO it
when she entered the store; yet, after
a little talk, she yielded to his argu-
ments, and the coveted article was sent
TO her home. And, alas for the honest
child, hitherto open-hearted as the day,
she stipulated that it should be sent
at twelve o'clock precisely! The clerk
understood, and assented.
AT a quarter past twelve, when Mrs.
button was presiding at the lunch
table, and the doctor, Just fastening the
reins of his horse at his Office door, was
intent in hurrying in to see if any pa
tients were waiting for him, Daisy her
self received mysterious package
from the hands of boy, flew to her
room with it, and hid it in her lowest
bureau drawer. Hid it One false
step leads always to another 1t had
not occurred to Daisy until the pack
age was fairly in her hands, and in her
own room, that she could not show it
proudly to. every body, use it openly,
and have her satisfaction in it shared
by the household.
Never had Daisy needed money as it
came to pass that she did during the
next month. As for saving cent, it
was just impossible. There was Com
mencement coming on, and it brought
additional expense. Then her aunt
Amy sent for her to make visit to her
in Hartford. Her Sunday-schoO class
presented their teacher with a new
Bible Daisy, of course, had to contrib
ute Every thing conspired to drain her
of her funds. The day came when she
had promised to pay five dollars on the
desk. She had not the amount; she
could not muster the courage to 90 to
the store and tell the man so, and beg
him to take back the desk, so she went
a long way round to school rather than
pass the door, This she did for days
after, feeling ashamed to be seen.
Poor Daisy! 1t is long lane that
has no turning. While her mother was.
meditating on the merits of quassia
and qninine as tonics, her father pre-
scribing outdoor exercise, her teachers
marveling at her lost interest in study,
and the girls going overto Bell Anslie
as their queen and leader instead of
Daisy, who was dropping out of every
thing, one day in came DR.. Dutton with
look of surprise on hisface.
"Daisy, my darling" he said, "can
you explain thisP l don't understand
it, Isn't there mistaken" He I'M
folded bill of ten dollars due for the
desk. 1t was dated six weeks before.
Daisy flushed and paled. Then she
did the only thing to do, and the best
thing she could have done. She threw
herself into her fathers arms, and, her
head on his plying breast told the
, whole sad story.
He forgave her, feeling that she had
, been punished sufficiently for her mis-
, take; but he sxacted, very wisely, full
payment for her desk from Daisy her.
self, deducting a certain amount from
= her allowance until he was reimbursed.
, 1t took six months to pay for it; and to
: this day Daisy, who has a horror of
f owing any one penny, never buys a
= thing which she can not at once pay
{ for, and always regards her desk as a
sermon against debt,-Margaret s.
!, SangSter, IN S. S. Times.