The Houma courier. (Houma, La.) 1878-1939, 1890-04-19
rHE 6EN MULE IN A SAND
' BANK.

ndL 5 dill IEOm LlLLl6 RIO.
TAe .e6EN MULE IN A SAND
BANK.
1t was Saturday morning. The children
were having a glorious time in the sand
bank back of Mr.. Stones house.
"Let's play we are g. psies and have an
encampmsnt," said Jack Stone, proceeding
to take off his shoes and stockings as the
first step towards enjoyment.
I'm going to dig a great big hole in the
grou ID, big enough to get into and play
It's house" said MolIie Can5dell, enc
geticA.y throwing the soft, white sand
out With a fiat pi q of wood.
"irj am ! :" saiG Lille Mason.
SOou all ware working buslIy at their
burro vs., M0llio mad the ''srart" of the
others and { silly kept it as she discarded
the sti < So scooped out the loose sand
with b h hands,
600 70 careful, Mollie," said Tommy
Grossly Pm right back of you and it isn't
any fl. to have a lot of sand thrown in
your ( )"
81 d IT do i'll" said MolIie positively.
"I'n We. y c. reful not to throw the sand
past tina, sto le there that Just divides our
grou I'D. 1t must have been Harry. He
is us ing stick. You can't tell how far
dirt vii y ii you use. a stick to throw it
Wv Vine OF, ay, there you go again
Right in my face NCan't you be careful?"
spoke up Jimmy in increasing irritation
at WASH me Tommy answered Mol
lie qQicklyN
Eyes 1t was, I saw the dirt fly from your
dug out"
But l know it wasn't me, " sAid Mollie
again, Il hadn't been digging for a minute
or two when you spoke"
Il don't suppose you did it on purpose"
continued Tommy o~bstinalelg, but there's
no reason why you should be 50 careless
and forgetful. Now I thing every time
when | throw the sand out if l DIDN'T
"WelI, if you thought that time, don't
thank you, Tommy Brick, for | guess
YOU We put my eyes out !" ssid Lille Ma
son, holding her apron over her faca.
ut wasn't me-" said Tommy, indig-
nantly, I'm very particular low | throw
the DIRT out. No one can say Pm careless"
Thera was q few minutes silence, then
Tommy heard LiL.is CATO Harry Snow In
al und6TJUne
LIlDh ItL1b+y oilGh E4O"0 d1SaS ACp-
able. If he'd had any sense he'd known
that dirt hit him from your side and not
from Mollie's. And he'd ind out too that
he can make mistakes as well as the rest
Of u.s."
HE thinks he is as infaIIibIe as the
Pope" remarked Ned White. land |
shouldn't wonder if ne was" he added
sarcastically.
Tommy flushed argriIy when he heard
these unpleasant remarke; and started for
home without even a goodbye.
"Oh, TomAFs a pretty good boy, joined
in Mollie, trybg to defend him, The
only trouble Nth him nowadays is that he
thinks he'slsdgood."
"Well, q d !ou see what he wrote in my
autograph &lblm ?" asked Lille.
Moo, I bat wasit
He wroE ! this, Be sure your sin will
fed you on sd tlen signed his name.
Teacher a~tf he couldn't find a
more appropriate verse to write, and he
said, Oh, l wrote that b cause it was so
appropriate. Thought she'd think of it
ard quit biting her nails"
Did YOU ?" asked the others in breath
less interest.
81 don't bite my nails very much nova
days., El6 ans IeFeQ
While they we're thus talking, the OBJ
ject of their discuss n was walking rap
toward kona, of angry Thoughts
20, Tommy, m glad We met YOU"
said a bright, cherry voice.
AS Tommy locked quickly up his sober
face frightened in spite of itself.
81 didn't know you were feeling well
enough to be out to-day, Naneen," he said
fastening forward to take Aunt
Nellie's place at pushing the little car
"What a lovely time they are having at
sandbank !" said Nsneen, signing. go
Tommy, perhaps | may never be like other
girls and boys again. The doctor said
this morning that | must be patient for a
long, long time"
you needn't wish you could play i n
the sandbank as long as the boys and girls
that live around here play there p
.tVVhyP askfd NSneen, in deep sur
-TFRez4-sF e whether anybody but
themselves his q good time" answered
bitterly, ''and they throw great
handfuIs Of sand in your eyes-and-and
call you disagreeable if you try to help
hem overcome their faults"
"It's too bad ~ said Naneen, with SYM
oathy. 'sYou are the most politest and
zindestp boy about telling faults, too, and
you see them SO quickly, too" she added
nnocently.
Tell me all about It" she said.
ooh, We were digging holes in the sand
,or hous IS, and / wss doing my best, and
Nollie + led both my eyes and ears chock
'ull of md, and then said she didn't, and
hey ali made cross remarks about me,
md said l was the one that hrowed the
said the boy excitedly.
"As if you would throw sand at your
jelf |" exclaimed Naneen. "Well, l dare
5ay they were hot and tired digging in the
lot sun, and hardly knew what they did
" said. They'll remember how good you
we're about it and be ashamed when they
hink 1t over. l shouldn't wonder if they
ieDt after you to come back"
TOmmy's face was pretty red by this
"They don't mean to be unkind, I'm
ure, and we knox they don't when we
top to thinkTtover. Don't you remem-
er how good Mollie and Lille and Harry
nd the rest WeIe to you last winter when
broke your wrist. l heard you say
here wasn't a day but some one of them
anne to see you and brought something
ice to you, OF played games or read to
ou."
There was b few moments silence.
'ommy had been trying "to put himself
other peoples places" as he knew little
ianeen would have done. Looking back