The national leader., 1889-02-16

his three bright children.
His habit of putting off little odds
and ends of work that should have re-
ceived his first attention, was perhaps
the strongest fault that could, In just
ice, be cited against him. He was
decidedly thoughtless and slow in
making repairs, where such we're
needed, fact abundantly attested to
by the dilapidatlon noticeable here and
there about home, yard, and the pace
In general.
When his patient. gentle wife called
his MUD to something that she, III her
quicker judgment Of some things,
deemed in need Of his attention at once,
he would say:
Every well; I'll try and get around
to it after WHILE"
But the force OF long course in
procrasttnatlon usually let the sun 60
down again and again without his
having accomplished his task. So it is
with most of us. we plan, we see
duties requiring our immediate atten.
ton, perhaps, we behold opportunities
in the present for words Of kindness
and deeds of love, but. aIasI we say.
''Some o,her day, Tomorrow, likely,
will be as we'll for them" So sunset
comes, the day dies, and we sleep un.
haunted by the thought that the willy
thief of time has slipped many golden
gems from the necklace of our Oppor-
tunlty.
ELI" said Mrs. HaSklns, Que morn
ing, as the children started for school,
''the curblng of the cisteIn is In a bad
condition. 1t is quite unsafe to dip up
water"
every we'll; am going to town in a
few days, and L will get SOme good
stout boar DIS to repair it, he replied.
Mrs. Haskins accompanied him to
town. as the children were at school.
AS they finished trading. she whis-
pered:
"Don't forget the boards for the
curblng."
II must go to the depot for a
package for Neiahbor Smith," he an
swered, ''and as the lumber yard is at
the other end of the town, | cannot
get the boards to-day. III be here in
] day or so again, and can get every
thing 1 need then"
So Nelghbor Smith received his large
package of freight, and the HaskIns
got along with the rotten curbing.
The day Mr.. Haskins took in load
| Of grain he had to make trip to tie
mill for -four, and, as that took him
out OF the vicinity of the lumber
va d, he came home without the
boards again.
His wife sighed, but said nothing
more at that time.
So autumn went, and winter came
with it's SHOWS which covered the
wreckage Of summers lovely, faded
bloom.
| 1t was cold day in December.
! Mr. uaskins had gone to near ship
ping point with drove of hogs. Mrs
HaskinS vas t the bedside of sick
neighbour AS soon as q could she
hurried home, feeling sad, but why
she was unable to tell. AS she neared
home, her two youngest children met
her and asked where Nettie was They
stated that as soon as they returned
from school Nettle had carefully
stirred up the fire, which Mrs. Hasklns
had covered, and while they were
warming themselves she had left the
house and had not come back. AND
! now she had gone nearly half hour,
the little boy said. They believed SHE
had gone to accompany their mother
home from Mrs. Todd's, so had thought
little about the girls absence.
! Mrs. Haskins Was thoroughly
alarmed. She felt satisfied that Nettie
had met with some accident, and she
rushed W Idly toward the house, fear.
she knew not what.
Nettle HasBins was bright, stud.
ious girl of eleven. who gave much
promise of bright womaRhood.
( Nettie being her eldest child, that
| love peculiar to the frst-born made hel
| fears for the child's safety even more
k enly felt than they might otherwise
have been.
Mrs. Haskins' mind quickly went
back to the time of Nettie's recent
hours watching at the bedside or heI
darling child, and how, through many
days and nights or constant watching
aud care, Nettie finally rallied, and
the home was once more made cheerful
by her merry laughter.
! The empty water-bucket by the
oistern, whose rotten board covering
was laid aside, suggested at once to the
half frantic mother the fate of her
eldest child. With wild cry she
fell upon her knees On the icy ground,
and peered down into the cistern.
J Yes, there was the bucket resting on
the surface of the water below, and
what was thatP Something red beside
the bucketl 1t was recognized as
Nettie's school hood. And Nettief
She was down there, drowned!
The anguish that mother felt as the
awful truth dawned upon her is far
beyond the power OF man to pen.
A neighbor, passing by, stopped and
brought up Nettie's poor little body
a shocking sight, with the water drip
ping from every limb, aud the face so
gray and cold. The little brother and
sister drew back appalled, at the sight
of Nettie's form, 80 awfully different
from what 1t had been but a short
time before. when they came back from
school together. she was so bright. and
singing as merrily as snowbird.
Nettie was beyond restoration to this
life; but sympathetic friends did all iD
their power, Tor the mothers sake. r.
-. I'D al