FRED'S FAILING

New Zealand Tablet, 22 November 1906, Page 37

FRED'S FAILING

' Sue,' said her brother,.,' I wish you would sew up the 'glove where you mended it before. It's all ripping out again. You didn't make a good job of it.' ' I sewed it well enough,' said Sue, inspecting the glove, ' but I guess I didn't fasten it thoroughly enough at the end. That's where the " trouble came. Yes. I'll be thorough with it this time.' c " Thorough "is a good word,' said mother. ' A great deal of the trouble- in the world arises 'from the lack of it..' " • t 'Yes,' said Sue. 'While we are talking about it, Fred, I want to remind ' you that you didn't fasten that bracket in my room thoroughly the other day. The screw on one side came out. There was a little vase of flowers on it. It fell down and was smashed. The water spoiled half a dozen or so of books that .were on lire table under it.' ' Too bad, Sue ; I'm really sorry. The next 'thing I do for you, you'll see I'll do it thoroughly.' " 'The same to you,' said Sue, with ''a smile, as' she handed him his glove. ' • ' I wish you , would run and close the side gate, Fred,' said his mother. _ ' Nora did not fasten it thoroughly when she came in, and it's swinging loose.' ' Another " thorough." ' 1 I'll close the gate,' said Fred. ' I'm. just 'going out to rake up ' the leaves in the yard. ., It will be a good day's "work, I tell you— well worth the quarter father's going to pay me for it. But, I want the quarter, so I'm glad to do it.' 1 Let it be thorough-, work,' said mother ; 'no neglected corners, no leaves^ left among the bushes.' Toward night Fred raised himself from stooping in a _ corner and > leaned . on the broom he had brought t6 neatly supplement his work with the rake. ! Whew ! my back aches, -- and my ha-i>ds smart. But I think I've made good, honest woik of this". Mother,' he called, * please come out here .and, look". There, now— you don't see any slighted spots abouthere, do you V - .. .' It is beautifully done,' said mother. ' I fancy, the grass' and" bushes look eager to grow with such encouragement. But how about 4hat 'corner over" there?' ' .■...•

" Oh, that is my pile of leaves. Of course,, they are riot, going to stay there. I'm tired and want to go in and read, ' so I'm going to wheel them away in the morning.' - „ . .- , ' ' Is that " thorough " V asked the mother. ' Yes, as far as it goes. There's not v a bit of harm in leaving them till the morning.' In the night a strong , wind arose. Fred looked from his window in the morning to"" see with great vexation' the leave's he had ' so* carefully gathered swept in every direction over "the-" "lawn. ' Well, there's another day of my vacation gone. I /suppose it served -'me right.' Wftiffout a word of complaint, he went over the -ground again. Mother came out as he was -wheeling away the last load ot leaves. He looked up at her with a rueful smile, saying : 1 " Thorough " is a pretty good word, mother.' .