Savannah courier. (Savannah, Tenn.) 1885-1979, 1892-09-08
NOT STOPPING TO THINK.
II Caused One Boy Many Heartaches al
ThrOnph Life.

IL Caused One Boy Many Heartaches all
Through Life.
Joe was not bad boy at heart; he
was only thoughtless. This fault in
his character had caused his parents
considerable trouble and frequently
had he been reproved for his failing,
but without beneficient results. Joes
sister Jessie, was his opposite in this
respect. A fall in childhood had in
jured her spine and the helplessness
consequent upon the affection rendered
the child's gentle temper still more mild.
Joe loved his quiet, sweet little sis
ter. In his happy, boyish heart there
lurked a feeling which would have made
him do anything to obtain whatever
Jessie might ask him for But, as I
have said Joe was thoughtless Many
a hasty word which he had used in an
swering his sister had caused her large,
brown eyes to fill with tears. Then
Joe's heart would be filled with re-
morse; he would kiss Jessie, be for
given and forget all about his offense
The home of the brother and sister
was in one of New Yorls's pretty sub
urbs. Country fife had made Joe a
rugged, freckled-faced, sturdy boy OF
eleven years, while the smell of the
fields and gentle sunshine had prolonged
the life of his sister, which skillful
physicians had, for four years, said
would last a few months at the most
to thirteen years. So much had theii
quiet existence, far from the rush, noise
and hustle of the city, done for the
about the garden in front of the cot
tage, and tend the roses and other
flowers which her father had planted
there for her
One afternoon Joe, having learned
his lessons for the following day, wa!
standing on the veranda watching his
sister taking up ripped seem in his
coat, the result of a rough frolic during
luncheon hour at school, when some o.
his companions hailed him from acros.
the road
Come on, joe" they cried, '1et''
| play footballr'
Hurry up, jessie" said Joe to hi
sister.
Eyes, dear, one moment" she replied
gently.
"Oh! You are so slow" retorted tn,
boy.
Then icing called again by his friends
he seized the coat and, pulling it out o
his sister S hands, ran out into the roat
to play. The jerk startled Jessie, ant
she almost fell off her chair but savet
herself by grasping the veranda rail
In so doing, however, she wrenched he
back and had to be carried into tn
house and laid in her bed Joe kney
nothing of this, and continued his game
The following day Jessie died. TIL
life which the perfume of the fields an,
flowers had kept in her frail little bod
went out so easily and quietly that tn
watchers fancied that she had onl
sunk into a refreshing sleep. Twlc
before her eyes closed upon the scene
of this earth she whispered Joe, dea
joe"
They laid her in a little white cof1i
in the front parlor, and on the caske
lid they placed wreath of flowers
plucked from the bushes she had love
to care for In her hands, which wer
crossed on her breast she held bunc
of violets. Then Joe was led in I
see his sister. He was quiet and yer
pale His lips trembled and hot tear
filled his eyes and soon rolled down hi
cheeks. So after sob shook his fran
rs he looked on all that was mortal O
her he had loved so well. When h
was taken from the room by his mothe
he sank into her arms and moaned:
ooh, If had only stopped to think!
Joe is a man now. He is a respecte
citizen Of the village and has childre
of his own. Yet often and often, as h
looks at the two little curly heads a
they lie in peaceful slumber upon thei
cots in the nursery, does his memor
go back along the years which hav
passed and he sees another head, sti
dear to him, and he signs; ooh, if ha
only stopped to thinkr-C. A, Lacl
haussee, in Christian Enquirer.