Republican news item. [volume] (Laport, Pa.) 1896-19??, 1898-03-31
EG,bildreDs Column


then she should be able to see how
the time went, and that would help
her to work; but she felt very helpless
over it all.
She had to find all the capitals of
Europe, and mark them upon her map,
and learn their names by heart. There
was Athens, which would not he
found. II the geography book had
not stated SO decidedly that it was in
Greece, Milly would have felt quite
sure that it must be in some other
country. She supposed, however, that
the man who wrote the geography
book was right; after coming to which
opinion she looked at the clock and
| sighed. Five minutes past four, and
she had to work till five!
| She fell to hunting once more for
Athens. It seemed to her very long
time that she had been wandering
over that corner of Europe known as
Greece, when she again glanced at the
clock. Seven minutes past four.
Only seven minutes past four! And
had thought at least ten minutes
must have passed
She began her search for Athens
once more. At last she found it, aud
then she looked at the clock anew.
Three minutes more had passed, that
was all. Milly stamped her foot
angrily. cit is too horrid!" she said
aloud, as if speaking to the bronze
man who held up the clock. ''The
time will never go!''
She glanced listlessly at her lesson
| hook Cha ooul1 mot ramap, har ba
names of those stupid capitals at all.
They went ont of her head as quickly
as she found them on the map. Why
did countries want capitalist. Only to
make another horrid hard lesson for
little boys and girls. That was all;
she was sure of it.
Milly drummed her fingers on the
table for a few moments after settling
this point and gazed wearily at the
clock. Then she took resolve.
She would be wise, good girl. She
would read tine names of the capitals
ten times over without stopping, and
never look at the clock once until she
had done. Depend upon it, when she
had finished her task, ever SO much
time would have passed.
| one oHce-CWlce-lUllC
-faster-faster- ster-did she read
over the names of those capitals
which always managed to escape her.
BY the time that she was going over
them for the tenth time her speed was
almost equal to that of an express
train.
Then she looked at the clock again.
She did so with delightful feeling of
hope. More than hope; she felt sure
that the hands must have moved on a
long way She looked and looked
again, and then she sat and stared at
it with grief and anger.
o bad untrustworthy clCck-its
hands had barely moved on five
minutes
Barely five minutes! Impossible!
1t must have stopped. Yes, that was
the reason it showed so little progress.
There was but little doubt
Milly crossed the room, and putting
her ear close to the clock, she listened
hopefully. Alas! Alas! 1t had been
wrongfully accused. 1t was doing its
duty faithfully. cll-tick-tick-it
was going as fast as it's works and
time would allow it to.
The hour would never pass-never
--never-never! N1illy sat on the
hearth-rug and burst into tears. It
was just at that moment that her
mother came into the library.
''Why. Milly, child, what is wrong?"
she asked, raising her from the floor
and kissing her.
''The time won't co. she sobbed,
"and I am so tired of doing lessons!''
"Whese have yop been working?"
said her mother con, Il see," she
added. as she glanced at soks on
the table. 81 see," she repeated, then
added, "Now want you to be very
rude"
every rude!" Milly said with sur.
prise. "Why, you are always very
angry when I am rude
eyes, but I want you to be SO now,"
her mother said, smiling. "You know
have often told YOU that it is not
! polite to turn your back upon any onel
but wish you to do so now wish
| you to turn your back uron this
bronze gentleman who holds the clock.
I think that you will work much
better and the time will go much
| faster
So Milly did as her mother wished,
and she was quite surprised when tea
| time came and the hour was over.
''it really was very. very fu ny,
mother" she said. ''The time went
so slowly at first, and so quickly afterI
1t must have been because when L be-
gan I had my face TO the clock and