Savannah courier. (Savannah, Tenn.) 1885-1979, 1892-11-03
A SEVERE LESSON.
Grandpa's Lesson of Why He Lost fieas'
mt Holiday.

ant Holiday.
Grandpa Davis sat in his easy chair
before the fire apparently much alb
sorbed in his newspaper. close OBJ
server, though, might have noticed that
his attention was not wholly given to
reports of the stock market or of the
weather. Quite frequently he glanced
over his spectacles to the corner where
his grandson James was engaged in ar
ranging books on set of shelves.
James seemed not to hurry his work
at all. He carefully took down the
books from their places, avoiding any
rough handling of their binding, wiped
each one thoroughly with cloth, and
put them all back in order
Every well done, James" said grand
pa, when the task was accomplished
II am glad to see You so careful and
methodical with your work. You have
got through so quickly that there is
time for short story before dinner"
If there was anything that James
liked particularly, it was to hear grand
pas stories of his own boyhood. Ac-
cordingly he speedily established him.
self near the armchair near the fire.
"When was boy said grandpa,
81 was always in a hurry. 1t was very
hard for me to take time to do anything
thoroughly. wanted to hasten with
whatever might be doing in order to
get at the next thing. 1t was very,
very poor plan.
81 knew that it was, and so did my
parents. Indeed, they often talked to
me about this failing, and sometimes
called me back to finish the thing that
! had been doing and had left incom-
plete Finally had severe lesson,
which went far toward helping me to
overcome my careless habit.
at was in the winter, and the sleigh
ing was unusually good. 1t had been
arranged that all the boys in our dis
trict school should have ride together
A large sleigh, with horses and driver
had been engaged. We were to go ten
miles or more on Saturday afternoon
to the house of my Uncle Nathaniel
who had kindly invited us to supper
He had given me special invitation to
stay over Sabbath, promising to take
me home early Monday morning.
''Of course, | was delighted with the
prospect talked of it for week be-
| forehand, and when Saturday morning
came, | could think of nothing else
| Still there were certain things that it
was my duty to attend to, and | knew
perfectly well that ! should not be al
lowed to leave home without having
done them. So went through the form
of attending to them, but not being
really interested in them, | did all in u
half-hearted, negligent way.
Set your mind on your work, my
boy was my fathers repeated injunc-
ton. TRY to think of what you are
doing, James, my mother as many
times said Yet had to be called so
often to finish what had left half
done, that was not through with my
tasks when the bell rang for dinner.
"I'm sorry, James, said father, but
you'll have to fill the wood-closet be-
fore you can go. You know that's
regular part of your Saturdays work
"'Yes, sir, I replied, trying to hurry
with my dinner as with everything
else.
"Eat more slowly, James, said my
mother, otherwise your food will do
you no good
SO tried to restrain my impa thence,
and to eat more deliberately. Yet it
did seem to me that that particular
meal was unnecessarily long. At
length it was concluded, and then was
at liberty to Gil the wood-closet, as |
should have done in the morning
1t was small closet off the
kitchen. The rule was, that it
should be kept full of wood,
regularly piled up. ! fastened to the
woodshed filed my wheelbarrow, and
was soon throwing the wood heller
SHELTER into the closet. I had succeeded
in getting through about half of my
job in this improper way. when my
father came along.
"'What's all this, James? What sort
of pile are you making in that closetf
You'll have to take the wood ont and
put it back in an orderly manner OF
course, didn't like that decision, but ]
had to submit to it, nevertheless.
"The time ] might have spent in fin
ishing my task properly, | had to spend
in undoing what had been begun. ]
had the entry filled with loose hear
of wood, when suddenly | heard the
Jingle of sleigh-bells and the hurrahs OF
my schoolmates.
$50, mother. can't go!'' exclaimed,
rushing into the sitting-room. I'm moi
through with my work. and big boy
, though I was, my eyes were filled with
. tears
. "'How sorry am, said my mother
y gently. She knew, as well as did,
| that there would be no appeal from ia.
theirs decision, and she knew. better
:, than did, how wrong it would be tc
. allow me to go, leaving my work hah
:. done.
q "'Shall | excuse you to the boys?
IS she asked.
d "'Yes, if you please, tearfully re
d piled.
g Sadly / returned to my task, bu
v thai time did itwell. Indeed, thinl
e I've tried to do my work thorough,
!. ever since. am glad you don't neet
p such lesson, James. There's the din
ner-bell now Christian Inteliigencer
If The wicked flee when no man pur
s sueth, but they make better time wher
is somebody is pursuing.-C. Ii, Park
n hurst