Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1912-02-10

reported her very often for it; and
at last, at the end of the term, she
was obliged to write, in her report OF
Ellen's conduct, that she would prob
ably have taken the first premium in
arithmetic, but, as that lesson was the
first recited in the afternoon, and Ellen
was never there till it was half
through. the premium must be given to
lone who was more punctual, through
less perfect, and in Sunday school she
was often reported by her teacher for
not being in time, and once or twice
was spoken to by the superintendent,
for disturbing the school by coming in
during prayer time.
Now all these reproofs gave Ellen a
great deal Of pain and sorrow, and she
shed great many tears, and very
often resolved that she would break
herself of this bad habit; but she made
the resolution only in her own strength
and did not pray for divine assistance.
One day her father said to her, ELLEN,
I am going out in the cars to the wood.
lands on business this morning and
am coming back this evening; so if
you would like to spend part of the day
with your cousin Catherine, shall be
glad to have you go with me-" Ellen
was happy at the idea of going with
her father, and could talk of nothing
but the delightful day she should
have.
AS her father left the house, he said.
nov, Ellen, remember the cars leave
exactly at ten o'clock, so you must be
at my Office little before that time
Now I know many little girl who
would have had her things on an hour
before the time, and would have been
all impatient for the cars to come in,
but it was not Ellen's failing to be
ready too soon. She was much en-
gagged in making some clothes for her
doll and she thought there would be
plenty Of time," to finish this one
frock before ten o'clock. So she sat
and sewed, often thinking of the pleas
ant day she was to have, but never
thinking to look at the clock, till all at
once it struck ten, and the next mo.
ment she heard the whistle of the
engine. She caught up her bonnet
tying it, and putting on her gloves as
she went, ran as fast as she could to
her fathers office, but he had gone.
Directly she heard the cars start off
again. Now she knew that her father
was on his way to the woodlands with
out her. Oh how bitterly she cried, but
she thought, it is all my own fault:
and | will try now in earnest to break
myself Of this habit; and for while
she did better, and her teachers were
pleased and surprised to find that, for
several days, she was as early at schoo
as any of the scholars; but she went
back into her old ways again, till at
last she received a lesson that she
never forgot.
Her mother came home one day, and
said, ELLEN. our poor washerwoman'
little boy is very sick, with slow
fever, and the doctor has told his
mother that port wine may cure him,
If he has it Immediately. Take this
bottle OF wine and run down there with
it directly" Yes, mother said Ellen
who was reading very interesting
story. Indeed she was so much absorb
ed in it, that she hardly attended to
what her mother said. Her mother
went out again, and left Ellen still
reading her story, which grew more
and more interesting as she proceeded
in it. She read on till she finished 1t,
and Just then her music master came,
and she went into the parlor with him
and took an hours lesson. When he
left she went back to her mothers
room, and the first thing she saw, was
the bottle of port wine! "Oh dear.
what shall I do" said she to herself.
~ was to take that bottle directly
down to Mrs. Blake when mother went
out, two or three hours ago. She
bottle and ran as fast as she could.
When she reached Mrs. Blake's she
knocked and Mrs Blake came to the
door, looking very sad. Here is a bot
tie of wine that mother sent down for
little Jennie" said Ellen. "Oh, Miss
Ellen" said Mrs. Blake" l am afraid
it has come too late. Your mother
promised to send it directly; and the
doctor said if it was too do any good 1t
must be given very soon.
My poor little Jennie has been
growing weaker and weaker, all the
afternoon and am afraid he will not
live the night out" Poor Ellen sobbed
and wrung her hands. "Oh dear-oh
dear Mr.. Blake" said she, cit is all my
fault mother told me to bring 1t long
ago, but did not know there was any
such great haste is there nothing |
can do for little Jemmie?" Il am afraid
not you may come in and see him, Miss
Ellen; but oh how do wish you had
come a little sooner" Ellen was so
disturbed that she did not attempt to
make any excuse for herself. "1t's all
comes" said she, "from this dreadful
habit of putting off what ought to be
done at once" and when she looked at
the little dying boy and heard how hard
he breathed, and saw how he suf-
fer, she thought she should never for
get that lesson, and am happy to say
she did not; but began at once to try,
with constant prayer for help from
God to overcome this fault.
If any children, who have read this
story, and in the habit of putting of
what ought to be done at once, beg
Of them to be warned by the story of
little Ellen. before they receive such
sad lesson as she did 1t is much to
be feared that those who form such
IN,