Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1890-02-13

| ASANADSA NY P@io' 49,
dropped the rake over the small pile Of
leaves and rushed away to look at his
fish line, tor he had made up his mind
to go fishing in the afternoon and have
a pleasant time, now that none Of these
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 l forgot to tell about it. Never
mind | can sew them on myself. of.
ten 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 neelle and coarse thread, he
wondered why it had never seemed SO
hard before. 1t took him long time
to thread the needle, and chen every
stitch was separate trial. He tugged
away, got hot aud durried, and prlcked
his finger time and again.
At last he felt sure the button was
sewed on tight, but, as he sprang up to
put on the trousers, he found that they
| We're sewed to the skirt of the coat he
had on. With tears half way to his
eyes he took out his knife and cut the
stitches. No one was waiting to see ii
necktc Was neatly tied or to hand him
his books. The school bell WAS ring
ing and he rushed away with the torn
trousers on.
But he was late, to his great regret ;
for he had begun school with Il resolve
not to have one tardy mark during the
year.
The tear in the trouzers kept catch
ing 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 button he could not
help wondering If mending ones own
clothes were not Il little harder than
cutting kindhng.
Never mind, he said to hlmsef.--
Nobody will ask me to do any ything af-
ter dinner, and | can do just what
please all day when get out of school. :
He went to the dinner table with Il
boys appetite.
Where my plate? he asked, seeing
no place ready for him.
Have you forgotten our agreement ::
asked his mother.
why, no, mamma. | said nobody
need do anything for me. | am going
to wash my own dishes when | m done.
But do you expect any one to cook
for you:'
Phil stared at her for a moment, then
gave rather bland look at the roast
beef and sweet potatoes. But he was
not ready to give up.
i did forget that's a fact he sad, ,
with laugh, and mamma looked after
him with sober face
4 can Sc. him miss his dinner, she
said.
But his father said "Let him learn
his lesson WE'LL 1t will not hurt HIM.
Phil went out to the orchard and ate
apples not troubling himself to think
whether any yboly had raised them for
him, and rejoicing IN the reflection that
when picking time came, he would not
have any part of the work to do,
He went fishing, and on his way
home mad the satisfaction of sitting on
the fence to watch his brother Ben
drive the COW home. Ben hailed him
The Pratt's have come to tea
That's jolly! shouted Phil, spring
ing from the fence and running home,
leaving Ben to plod along with the
cow
He hurried to his room. The bed
was not made, and everything he had
touched that day lay where he had left
it, which did not trouble him.
Hello, no water! !! he exclaimed
as his empty pitcher flew up
in his hand. But, bethinking himself,
he ran for his own water.
Now Tor a clean collar?' But his
face fell AS he saw none in his drawer.
1t was plain that they had not come up
from the wash. and he would not ask
tor one. What did he want of collar
anyway, when no one would expect to
ee him at the tea table
He crept out to the barn, found cup
and managed to get Il good drink OF
milk from the COW, then ate more ap-