Rensselaer Union, Volume 8, Number 18, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 20 January 1876 — Don’t Care. [ARTICLE]

Don’t Care.

“I don’t care to go to school to-day,” says James; ‘ ‘ it’s so Very cold?’!’ “ O Jem, do have a little more pluck,” replies John, cheerfully. “You and I can keep ourselves warm by a brisk walk much better than by creeping up to the fire and sitting still. Why, if I were to do so, I’d give the fellows leave to call me Spoonie, and put a bib around me, and feed me with a teaspoon.” “ O hush, John, and I’ll go, too,” exclaimed James, a little ashamed; then, rising slowly, he began to put on his overcoat “very much after the manner of an infirm old man. “That’s right, James; I thought you’d go,” said John, taking no notice of the snail-like motions of his companion, for he wanted to encourage him as far as possible; then ho added: “ You don’t want to be an igtwra/uut any more than I do.” “But school is such a dull place, and learning comes so hard to me. I don’t care about books at all,” replied James. “Now, see here, Jamie—jump up!" said John, playfully laying his hand upon the shoulder ot his friend; “ let’s fight old giant Don’t Care, as my father says. Why, he’d take all the life out of a fellow, and make a poor, miserable drone of him, and a dunce, too, if you’d let him. It may not be quite so bad not to know much while we’re boys; but an ignorant man—bah! who’d want to grow up and

not know a»ytlriß#exeaeU^ write, and hardly OuA? Not I! and I’m sure you’ll say. “I—-I mean to leary— by and by," replied James, hesitatingly, with bill heads in his pockets and his shoulders shrugged up. “Why, you look half-frozen,” i said John. VY ou don’t walk fast enough. If I had been alone I’d have gone nitich quicker;' Come, let’s have a tun at snowballing; that will freshen, us and make us all the brighter for study. There’s plenty of time fora lrttlb fun.” “Agreed!” said James; and the two went at snowballing in lsne style, and enjbyed the sport for about twenty minutes. “ Bravo, JamieP’ - cried John. “ You’re a 1 match for me at that sort o'f'work. 4 I tell you what, my man—a chap that can go it like that at snowballing ought to beat the rest of u» at lessons out-and-out.” “Oh, I never could',”'said James. “ But you? 11 try, won’t you?” “ Maybe,” said James’. “Don’t say ‘maybe’ and ‘byandbv.’ fchall I tell you what it made me think’of when you said you meant to learn by and by?” J “ Oh,,certainly, ’’ replied James. “It was of something ray father tells me when 1 say ‘by ana by,’' He" always says:: ‘ No time like the present, Johnnie.’ He was overseer of the poor once, in a great city, and he has seen Ibis of fellows who got’into tne poor-house just because they ‘ dldh’t care’ tb learn when young. They gave up to every little difflctilty or haruship; and that prevented'their learning a trade or getting an education or in any way fitting themselves to- become Independent. Don't care was their ruin.”— S. S. Visitor.