Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1901-08-02
The Spoiled Picture.

have a family picture taken. All the
family relations were to gather in the
front yard at grandma and grandpa's
home at 4 o'clock on a certain day,
and the artist was going to take their
pictures all together.
Kitty Lloyd was very much delight
ed, and asked her mother a great
many questions about it.
Am | to be in it, mammal"
Yes, dsar-all the family"
"And Baby Ruth, too?"
Eyes, all the children and grand
children"
"Oh, mamma, can't have my dog
Sandy in it, too? l think, if you have
Baby Ruth, ought to have Sandy"
We'll, you ask papa tonight"
When Kitty's papa came home that
night the first thing he heard when his
little girl came to meet him was:
"Oh, papa, may | have Sandy in the
picture with me? Mammals going to
have Baby Ruth
I'm afraid you'll spoil the picture"
responded Mr.. Lloyd; "and Sandy is
worse yet You see, we shall all have
to keep very still to have our pictures
taken, and | am afraid neither you
nor Sandy can do that"
'Oh, yes, we can," assured Kittie.
'Tll teach Sandy"
Every day after that Kitty gave San
dy some lessons in standing still. The
appointed day came at last; and Mr..
Lloyd got out the big carriage and
took them all over to grandpa's, where
there was large gathering of aunts,
uneles, ard cousins. who were to be
I in the picture. Sandy was allowed to
go along, aud Kittie was delighted.
At last the artist came in newly
painted wagon, with d big, long word
on the outside, Which Kittie, after a
good deal of spelling learned was
photographs" 1t was very interesting
to watch the artist take out his cam
era and set it up on n little frame and
peep through it with a little black
cloth over his head. When his machine
was ready he called the people to-
gether on the front porch; and with
grandma and grandpa in the centre,
the tall ones in the back and the short
ones in the front, the people were ar
ranged and made ready for the picture.
Kittie had a place in the very front
Of the picture, with Sandy by her side,
who was to sit up on his hind legs.
Nov, Kittie," said mamma, you
must keep perfectly still and not move,
CT you will spoil the picture. When
the artist says Ready you must not
even wink he's through"
Kittie stood up very straight and
looked just where the artist had told
her to look.
"All ready?" said the artist. "Now."
Kittie looked around awfully quick
to see if Sandy was sitting up all
right, and just then the artist took
the picture.
"Why, mamma, is it over?" asked
Kittie, as they all began to move
around and talk.
Eyes, Kittie," answered mamma,
'it's all over now, and you can run
about and play"
The next day the proof of the picture
was brought to Mr.. Lloyd, and he
showed it to Kittie. There was grand
ma and grandpa, sitting up in the CEN
ire, looking as calm and placid as ever.
There was mamma and Baby Ruth as
plain as could be, and Sandy sitting
up as straight as dog could; but in
the place where Kittie's face ought to
be there was the back of curly head
ana blur.
you moved" said papa, "and you
spoiled the picture"
Kittie burst into tears.
81 only looked around to see If San
dy was quiet" she sobbed. "and then
it was all over. didn't think the man
would be so quick"
When the picture was shown to the
other relatives they decided that it
was so good of grandma and grandpa
that it must be kept. So in a short
time after Mr. Lloyd brought home the
picture, all finished anS framed, and
hung it up in the parlor. Kittie cried
bitterly and begged him not to hang
it up, but papa said he must. Then
mamma took her little girl into the
parlor and talked to her.
THE picture is spoiled, dear, be-
cause you did not do as | told you at
once. | told you to keep perfectly
still when the man said All ready
but you wanted to look around first
and see what Sandy was doing. Now
I want you to come and look at the
spoiled picture very often, and always
remember that it got spoiled because
you did lot obey promptly"
Kittie tried hard to remember the
lesson, and when she forgot to mind
promptly, her mamma would often
say:
ing your picture now" And then Kit
tie would smile into her mothers face
and hasten to do as she was told
! Sunday School Times