The Caucasian. (Clinton, N.C.) 188?-1913, 1911-10-19
THE PINK STRING.

Peter" said his mother, Il want
you to do a little errand for me-"
Eyes, mother, tell me quick, for
it's most school time"
You will be sure and not forget?"
''Oh, mother, Jack Rays been tell
ing me that whenever he has an er-
rand to do his mother ties a string
round his finger. That keeps him
in mind every time he looks at it
that he has something to do. Did
you ever hear OF any one doing
that?"
Yes, many a time. So you would
like a string?"
Eyes, here's the string bag, and
here's nice piece Of pink string"
his finger, mother told him what she
wanted him to do.
And, Peter" she added, "be sure
to speak very politely when you ask
it."
Eyes, I'll remember"
II know you always mean to be
polite, dear, but you sometimes for
get, as all little boys do. Good-by."
She kissed him, and he hurried
away, soon joining some other boys
on the way to school.
What's that on your finger?" ask
ed one of them.
"Oh, that's because l have an er-
rand to do SO as to make me think
of It,"
But as he gazed at it, what was
the errand, anyhow? In his interest
in watching the string tied on, he
had only half listened to what his
mother had been saying, and now
the most he could remember of it
was that he was to be very, very po-
lite.
81 can do that, anyway-to every
body. And, perhaps, if 1 do it all
the time, shall get to thinking of
the Grand oh, please excuse me,
1 didn't mean to-"
In his hard thinking he had run
against a big girl as he was turning
into the school yard.
Peter" said she, you're such a
polite little fellow that it's easy to
excuse YOU
- "A good thing to say of a boy"
said one of the teachers, who was
passing in. Keep it up, Peter
Good manners are a great help to
a boy in going through life"
eff they'll only help me to re-
member that Grand" said Peter to
himself.
He did remember the politeness.
He stood up to give girl his seat
on crowded recitation, bench. He
said his best please" and thank
you" when he went to the teachers
desk to ask about an example, all
the while thinking:
'If I'm very polite, p'rhaps I shall
think of the Grand"
At the close of school the teacher
said: who will carry a book with
its marked lesson around to Johnny
Parks house? He is sick and could
not come to school today"
81 WILL" said Peter, rising in his
seat as he spoke.
THANK you, Peter. I might have
known you are Just that kind of a
boy"
He had to go several blocks out of
his way to do it. No remembrance
Of his errand came into his head as
he left the book at the door, with a
polite inquiry about Johnny, and he
walked on slowly, doing his best
thinking"
He passed a yard in which were
many beautiful flowers. A lady was
inside whom Peter had sometimes
seen talking with his mother, so he
raised his hat to her, with a very
polite little bow. She smiled at him,
and then said:
ST wonder If couldn't get you
to do something for mel"
"Of course. ma'am," said Peter,
again taking off his hat. ST shall be
very glad to do it,
81 am cutting some flowers to send
to sick woman" went on the lady.
MRS. Hale told me about her.
ooh, that was it," Peter flung
up his hat and capered about for
Joy.
''That was what?" asked the lady.
with smile.