The Intermountain Catholic. (Salt Lake City [Utah] ;) 1899-1920, 1903-06-06
TED's MAY BASKET.

Ted was a dear little boy with a
really kind heart, but his love of fun
sometimes made him thoughtless of
other peoples feelings. Mamma had
tried hard to help him overcome that
fault. and he felt that he was improv-
ing very fast, till April FOOLS day had
come and spoilt it all, for in the face
Of its temptations his good resolutions
melted away. He didn't feel so badly
afterward about anything else as
about the prank he had played on old
Granny Gray, who lived alone and
was deaf and cross, and hated boys SO
much that it was really not much
wonder they enjoyed teasing her.
Ted had thought it would be the
crowning joke Of the day to set on her
doorstep basket filed with bundles
done up to look like groceries, and let
her fGd out that the sugar was sand,
the beans horse corn" and the -four
nothing but dust.
So he and one or two other boys
had carried out the plan, and when
Granny came grumbling to the door
little later they had called april Fool"
rom their hiding place, loud enough
Tor even her deaf ears to hear. They
mad laughed till the tears ran at her
anger but somehow the fun seemed
10 die out of it when Ted was alone,
and he didn't get his courage up to
tell mamma about it for nearly
month When he did, the tears came
again, but not from laughter this time,
ana mamma hadn't the heart to scold
MN after he said, penitently: 1T was
me meanest thing 1 ever did in my
whole life, cause I knew she was
OLD and poor, and-can't you help me
70 think Of something to do about it?"
Mamma thought minute, then she
sad: Why not make amends for that
basket by taking her another? May
LAY Is almost here, you know"
Perhaps not one Of the ordinary
And but maybe you could think of
y-e She would like; suppose you sit
mere and try?"
Ieds greatest treasures were three
Les1on hens, whose smooth, white
Eggs ne sold to mamma at the highest
market price. adding each bright
guafler to the slowly growing hoard
winch was to pay for a bicycle-if he
ever got enough.
IL Was queer that the very first thing
y pop into his head after he sat down
" follow mammals advice was the
IOuglt Of those eggsi He had ten
Sa'ea already and there'd be a dozen
tuesday (Which was May Day)
ne hadn't meant to give them away
Iere had been so few lately that
L e Iund" had grown very slowly; he
t sau lett as if he could hardly wait for
aa. next quarter; but if it was right
/" 10 IT, he might as well give up first
= -ast' He had just reached that
I'M When mamma spoke, and if
sou q believe it the very first thing
M suggested was-eggs. They
Trained 1t out together, and Ted went
,Dea with light heart to dream Of
NAY basket on wheels drawn by two
Leghorn hens
Wv "a 1 May Day morning was come,
~ nu Ieu.s peace offering was ready, l
~ sure it was unlike any other May
uaeAeI IN all the town. First, its size
mo ,tS several times larger than those
N No. for spring beauties and
VIII, movers. Second, its contents,
~ s'.n mamma thought were very nice
VI d little boy to plan.
vo Instead esa Of being lined with moss, it
c ~Ss hled with crisp young water
l ovos' Ted knew that Granny Gray
n 'e 81 II dearly, and because it grew
Il %, -aI away she couldn't go to gather
io;r.y more, as she used to before her
T a5 We're SO stiff and rheumatic,
N NM spent the whole time after school
~T ou"y hunting and filing his basket
" ' ~ see it was a little scarce so ear
en- ao lop OF this spicy mass lay a doz-
in ass as white as pearls, and right
rer we middle glass jar of mammals
yioi,. jest peaches with a wreath of
Was s'ts around it. Tied to the handle
note Tied had spent most Of