St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1891-05-30
lacks Temptatlon.

One al the warm beautiful days of last
October. when Nature wore her most gor-
geous coioring, and every one in the
country WAS longing to be out of-doors
and enjoy the wOudlou5 beauties Of our
beautiful world to the utmost, Jack, with
a number of other boys and girls, was Sit
ting in a little country school-house The
country sounds, the twiitaring of birds,
the babbling brook, even the hummlng OF
the bees in the clover near, could Do heard
coming through the open windows,
making the roou seem still smaller, and
more stuffy in contrast to the freedom and
vastness OF the world outside.
Jack YVES usually fond of school and
study, but to-day he did so long to be out
in the warm sunshine fishing, bunting,
scattering apples, anything but staying
where he YVES and trying to study. a
knock at the cutter door, murmer of
voices as the teacher went TO open 1T, then
a the kind teacher came direct to Jack,
and bending over him said, Your uncle
wants you to ride with him to c., and
am glad you are going, my good boy looks
tired and pale this afternoon" Jack gave
him q grateful look, and 'Thank you,
sir" seized his hat and WAS gone.
b 80 Uncle Ed, how good Of you to stop
for me-" said Jack, as he clembereC up on
tba Gigh seat beside his kind uncle. "And
On, as you are going to the cider mill too.
What splendid apples you have III the
wagon. Oh, am not GLAD to get out OF
thai hot school room" -..
"Well, ing boy, lam glad to have you
on Won q ve FIRST rate company, and the
wav is long. and you can hold the horses
when we oct 20 the cider mill"
The road wound over hill and valley,
+ba mountains in thu distance looked blue
and far off, and very 'ovely Jack thought;
the lumb,r WAGON was so fine, and the
seat 81 high thai little Jack felt very grand
and grown up, and very happy: and
"cbattered like maybe" Uncle Sd said
with iovlal laugh. But, on Gear IL was
SO dusty. Jack did not third OF II at hrst.
But the sun beat down hot, he "us5 kept
getting worse and worse rs Shey neareo
the big town to which they were gong
and the little boy got so thirsty, SO very
thirsty, he became quiet at last, ana MS
uncle wanted TO know the cause aW
ca thirsty, uncle, this dust gets in my
thr oat SO. Can't I get out at some house
and ret a drink of water?'
Rnt Uncle Ed was in hurry, and said
+bev w,,re almost at the mill, and Jack
shonld h ave all the S weet cider to drink
he wanted, Jacks uncle was what is
ktarmed regular drinker, seldom drank
FOO nuch tn et is to be intoxicated, but
Gr.nk when b. tslt like it, and cider when
raw and old he imbibed in large quant1-
ties. Jack wa 20 thirsty, when his uncle
told him he could have all the cider he
could drink, he clapped his ~hanos WIN
d.lioht. for he liked cider almost as well
&c his uncle did. JUST, IS he reached the
c;der-mi]l he remembered he had signed
the nledsg o short time before. His kind
uncle brought him out,a foamlng glass OF
the delicious beverage he so much loved.
s1h how he did want it, his throat was
4parched and dry, and felt full Of dust.
uWhy don't you take it yopngsterT"
said his uncle. 81 thought you were
thirsty. 81 can't drink it l promised |
would not Oh dear /. am 50 thirsty -
And the poor little Teller fairly Weps.
rNow Jack don't be foolish. / have
drank cider all my life, aud you nave no
need to be better than your uncle. Take
it like man, and let me hear no more
But Jack had from his soul sent up
Wv for help to Him who hears our 1alnlest
~ syers. and he, while still longing for 1t,
ram,v ined firm. please don't be angry,
nncla but I can't. / promised never TO
toucb IT,, and l can't tell lie, His uncle
Sof. bi,. without another word, except
biddino h I'M in gruff voice to hold the
horses Fin Ne came back. Poor Jack sat
and sat lon,e time it seemed to him, he
@ A-ns 60 thirsty. and beaides, he loved his
w." desrlv ano feared he had displeased
him. He fit, however, that he had done
-ight and tried to b,s brave and not mind,
hit som chow the tears would Keep coming.
In what was really very short time MS
nncle appeared, aud in a voice no longer
arnff said. "Well, my boy, are you ready
for cider yeti" ny u,,
Jacks dry throat was ready enough
Int he hsd courage enough to saJ, NO.
nncle." Then his uncle handed him nr a
GLASS of delicious cold spring water, aud
looking into his woe-begone, tear-staiped.
face. said, '.Don't feel SO bad my boy, lam
-.,ot angry. don't believe as you do, but
|xou NAV be right and / wrong. But do
iksow / admire pluck when | see 1t, and l
like YOU q great deal better than ever
did before, because you would not tell nor
act a lie, and I believe YOU will grow up
brave good man."
Oh how good that water did taste, ana
now happy Jack felt. How delightful the
drive was home. in the cool OF the AFTER
noon; after the applies had sH been iett x. 70
he ground, and Jack had seen the mill
working, Uncle Ed was SO kind. and every
thing was SO beautiful and his heart so
l;ohf' Then when bedtime came, ana ne
rS.1o5 ~ soy his evening prayer sc