KEEPING ON.

Waikato Times, Volume XXX, Issue 2420, 14 January 1888, Page 2 (Supplement)

KEEPING ON.

Two boys sat together one Tuesday evening in a large meeting of children. Their names were Thomas and Philip. They both listened attentively to a gentleman who was speaking to thein. This gentleman explained that all who liked to do so were invited to make toys, or models, or any other articles, for an exhibition which would soon be held.

"Of course," said the gentleman, "the best articles will receive the best prizes; but all that are well made will be exhibited. And even if you are not successful in your endeavours to gain prizes your labour will not be in vain. All who please may have their articles sold; and it is a pleasant thing for boys and girls to receivc money which they have themselves honesty earned. And though you should receive neither money nor prizes, you will yourslves be the better for the efforts which you have made. So I advise you all to do your best for the forthcoming exhibition. Even the youngest may do something, and it only needs patience and perseverance on your part to make the whole thing good and delightful." ' Shall you do anything, Philip?" inquired Thomas. "I don't know," said Philip. " I think I shall try. " "You think you will try!" said Thomas. " Well, that is cool after what has been said. I shall do lots of things, and carry off some of the best prizes. " " How do you know that ? " inquired Philip. " Oh I am sure I shall. I have thought of a dozen things which I can do I shall make a model of our school-room in cardboard. I shall make a set of chessmen in wood. I shall make a velocipede with a boy on it, and a wooden apple painted like nature. And I 3hall draw soine maps, and send some specimens of handwriting. I shall also make a collection of postage stamps. And I shall make some chairs and tables, which can bo sold as toys, und they will fetch a good price, for I shall polish thera up beautifully." "If you do a 1! that ,Tom, you will indeed do well." "I shall do it all. There is no fear but that I sha!'. do my part for the exhibition. Now, what shall we do ?" " I really do not know. I must think about it fi-st, and decide what I can do best " " How many things do you think you should do ?" " Perhaps or'y ono. Certainly not more than two." " You are not like me." "No; lam sure I should not have time to do half the things you have mentioned." " I shall begin at once." So he did. That very night, aft 3* he got home, he sat up in his bedroom in the cold ; and by the light of a candle cut several sticks with his penknife. The next day he was up quite early in the morning working away at his chessmen, and he begged his mother to let him stay away from sohool that he might begin his aardboard model. He had spoiled one sheet of cardboard, and commenced upon another; he had also littered a number of chair-legs and table-tops on the floor, and collected three postage stamps, when he decided to see how "slow-going Philip," as he liked to call him, was getting on. " Well, Ph'l, what are you going to make ?" " I am going to make a model coacb." " Oh ! then you have made up your mind at last." " Yes, I have decided to do that, though I know it will take some time to do. Indeed I shall have to stick to it well to get jt done in time," " Have you began It yet P" " No, I am not going to begin it until noxt week. I want to get forward with my lessons first, for of course it will not do to neglect the old work for the new. " I have began nearly all my things. " " Have you ? Now, I should not begin a second thing until the first was quite finished," •' Wouldn't you ? But then we are so different. I enjoy vaiiety." " Well, my way is to do one thing first," " And the other is mine. We sha I '. see which answers best. I think I have begun we ll ." And so lie had. But it is not so much the begiiiriug as the keeping ou which succeeds the end. Thomas worked as diligently as Philip all the first part of the time. Indeed, 1 think that of the two boys be did more ; for he got up early, and sat up lato, and thought of very httle else. Aod then he grew tired. One day ho did noth'ng to any of his articles. The next day he looked at them. " It is very discouraging," he said to himself. "Those wheels will not turn round properly, and I shall have to take them all to pieces and try again. But I will not trouble about it to-day. Tomorrow I will set to work at the velocipede. On the next day he found it was still very difficult. I

" Never mind," said he to himself. " I will lay it on one side and do something else." The same thing occurred with several of the articles, until at last he grew disgusted with tiiein all, and shut up the unfinished things in a cupboard, out of sight. " When I have had it rest," he said, "I shall take them out again and set to work with fresh interest. Meanwhile, Philip kept steadily on, Tie found that there were many very uninteresting things to do. But though ho was sometimes tempted to leave the work and go out to play instead, he always made himself do a little of it overy day. The consequences was that it gradually grew morn and more bountiful, until at lust, nearly a fortnight before the exhibition opened, it was quite finished, and all who saw il: declared it to be perfect. "I have not scon anything of Tom. I wonder if he ha."- finished his articles," he said to himself on tho next day. " I will go and seo, and remind him tliat he has not much time." Thomas was out when ho went, so he called again. "Tom, the exhibition will soon be opened. Are you ready r" "Ready? Well, not exactly, though some of my things are pretty forward, and will not take very l6ng to finish." "I would finish them at once then. It is never well to leave things to the last minute." " Have you completed your coach ?" " Yes ; will you come and havo a look at it?" " Yes ; I should like to see it." Thomas was a little astonished at what h a saw. "I should not wonder if you gota prize after all, Phil," said he. "What pains yon must have taken with it." "Yes; I did every part as well as I possibly could." " I shall go back and set to work again directly." "Do so. lam sure it is not safe to lose any more time." Thomas did several things this day. He fastened two sets of legs to the chairs, and cut the chimney in the card-board school. On the next day, however, something else occurred which drew off his attention, and so the work was neglected. About a week afterwards Philip called on him again. "Tom, I have sent my coach in. I thought I would remind you that tomorrow is the last day on which the committee will receive articles for exhibition." "Thank you, Phil." " Are yours finished ?" "No : I shall finish them directly." He tried t'uen when it was too late. So much remained to do that he conld not possibly do it in the time. He had finished nothing until the day after all the things had bi . n s<nt in. Then he took what he had done to tho secretary. " It is too late," said ho, " Did you not lino iv that yesterday was the last day ? " Yes, sir, but I could not get finished in time." " You should have begun earlier, my boy." "I begun on the first day, sir." " Ah ! then you have not kept on." That was true, and lost Thomas the chance of getting a prize. A first prizo was awarded to Philip, and ho received much praise for his work ; and yet I do not think that ho was at all moro clever than Thomas, only the one persevered, and tho other did not.

If Thomas docs not change, this dislike to kccpinr/ on will spoil his whole life.