South Branch intelligencer. [volume] (Romney, Va. [W. Va.]) 1830-1896, 1892-08-05
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES
FRIDAY. AUGUST 5. 1899.
BORROW G..


$50 you want another of the old
man Is stories about when be was a
lad, do you 20 said Uncle Amos, as
the boys collected around him one
summer afternoon. 'itis pretty hard
to make me confess-my evil doings.
after all these years." he added,
with merry twinkle OF the eve.
"but il telling yon how l got into a
hole will teach you how to keep ont
o. one, perhaps the time will be we'll
spent"
Il was about eleven years old, :"
he began, as the boys drew closer.
when my father made up his mind
to give me an allowance of twenty
i've cents week, with the proviso
that | was to receive no more from
anyone. Il WISH he said, 'to thus
teach you the value of money, and
know no better way to do so.
''Not long after this agreement
was entered into, travelling men
agerie came to our village, and all
the schoolboys were wild about it..
My friend, Harry Ashton, came to
me the day after it arrived and beg
ged me to 60 with him to see the
animals.
81 wish l could" / said, sor-
rowfully, 'but | spent my allowance
the day | got it for wooden gun. ,
cit is only fifteen cents for boys
to go in replied Harry, won t
your father give it to you p
No; he says that | must keep
within my allowance each week
and when bought toe gun he said /,
THAT was not wise, Amos, to spend
all your money on one thing, you
will probably want something else
badly before the week is out
my father gives me a dollar a
week, said Harry, 5oastfully, and
if spend it go to him for more
and get it, too
Il do not / answered. 1T is
the principle of the thing, you
know. Father says that | mus:
confine my wants to my means
well, it is just too bad said
Harry, suppose lend you the price
of admi:tance 2 he added, after a
pause.
'Fath r would not like me to
borrow | replied.
Nonsense | have plenty of
money. Come with me. We will
have such a good time together,
and your father will never know
The temptation was great, and,
against my better Judgment. | yield
ed. The meLagerie was indeed an
interesting place, but the stings
that my conscience gave me kept
me from enjoying it as / should
otherwise have done. When | re-
Turned home my little sister met
me with bright face. Father Is
going to take us to zee the wild
beasts tonight, Amos sine cried.
VIII it not be delightful p
MY heart was filed with shame
and remorse. Whilst / had been
disobeying him, my good father had
been planning pleasure for me.
dared not confess, however, SO
went again to the show with hea-
Wy heart and burdened conscience,
thus adding deception to my guilt.
When [ received my next allowance,
the first thing did VAS to carry the
fifteen cents to Harry. / found
him standing among a crowd of ex-
cited boys. ooh, come, Amos
they shouted, you are the very
fellow we want, we are going on a
fishing party to the Black Creek.
Won't You join us /? The omnibus
fare is ten cents, and dinner will
be twenty-five. 1t will be splendid
fun. We are coming home by
moonlight
But | have only twenty-five
cents, / answered, and fifteen of
those / owe to Harry,
Never mInd,' cried Harry, You
can pay me your next allowance,
will lend you the omnibus fare, and
that will just make it,
Again / listened to the temptcr
and yielded, and having obtained
permission from my father to 20
fishing, without explaining further,
I soon started off with the others in
great glee.
Before the day was over I had
increased my debt to Harry c9usid-
erably. First, ] broke my fishiug-
pole, and bad TO replace it. Then
the boys all had ice-cream after din
ner, which was extra, and then we
finished of with a lemonade. He
was so good natured about lending
me the money. and insisted so that
! should do az The rest did, that
found myself easily persuaded.
'As the days went on / got deep
or and deeper in debt to Harry. /
had numbed my conscience, and it
was so easy, when / wanted any
thing, to say, Lend me q little
more, Harry for his answer always
was, Certainly, Amos, you know
| can get all the money I want
Things went on this way for
ABOUT a month, and then Harry and
] had an awful quarrel on the play
ground. We we're playing ball, and
suddenly he accused me of cheat
ing. / was very angry, and there
II ~