PAPA TRIES TO MAKE DICK HAPPY.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume IX, Issue 22, 28 May 1892, Page 557

PAPA TRIES TO MAKE DICK HAPPY.

‘ It takes so little to make a child happy that it is a pity, in a world full of sunshine and pleasant things, that there should be any wistful faces, empty hands or lonely young hearts. ’

I found these words in an old newspaper the other day. They were headed ‘A Sermon in Five Lines,' and they came home to me with all the force cf a personal appeal. ‘lt takes so little to make a child happy.’ How many times had I seen the most trivial incident lift my own little boy into the very ecstasy of happiness. How often would some simple gift, or a song or a story chase the tears from his eyes and bring the bright smiles to his face. And yet, I thought with a pang of regret, how many times I had chided him needlessly ; how many times I had refused to exert myself at all for his sake. That very night he had gone to bed with a heavy heart because I would not romp with him. I was too tired, I said.

I stepped into the boy’s room before I went to bed that night, and passing my hand over his flaxen hair as he lay asleep I resolved that in the future I would be a better father to him.

‘ It is a pity that there should be any wistful faces, empty hands or lonely young hearts,’ I thought, as I dropped asleep. I remember that late in the night I was dreaming of visiting a great factory and inspecting the machinery. ‘ Be careful !' I heard some one say, and then to my horror I saw that I had approached too near to some belting. Sly beard had been caught, and I was frantically trying to extricate myself when I awoke. ‘ Hello, papa,’ said a voice beside my bed in the darkness. ‘ Let go of papa’s whiskers,’ 1 cried. ‘ What on earth aie you doing in here, anyway, Dick ’’ I continued, sitting up. ‘ Dick wants Dick’s animals,' was the answer.

‘ Dick wants to go back to bed,' said I, ‘ and quick too.' And I carried him into his little room and placed him on the bed. ‘ Dick wants Dick’s a a-animals.’ ‘ You don’t want ’

‘lt takes so little to make a child happy. ’ The words came to my mind and dispelled all my annoyance at once. I lighted the gas, turned it down quite iow, fished out Noah’s ark from under the bed and placed it beside the boy. ‘ All right,’ I said cheerfully, ‘ you may take them, but be very quiet and don't wake your baby brother.’ Then 1 kissed him and went back to my own bed again. I was almost asleep when I beard a pattering of feet ami a subdued voice saying : ‘ Dick wants papa to find the elephant.' ‘ I wouldn’t mind about the elephant now,’ said I. ‘ Dick wants ’ I arose and found the elephant. ‘ Now, Dick,’ I said, ‘you must keep quiet and let papa sleep.’

‘ Want papa to make Prancer stand up.’ He was trying to make a three-legged horse stand alone on the counterpane. ‘ Will you go to sleep if I make him stand up for you ?' 1 asked.

‘ Yes, papa.’ ‘ Right away ?’ ‘ Yes, papa.' I made Prancer stand erect by bracing Noah against bis off hind quarter. ‘ There,’ said I, ‘ now lie down, Dick.’

‘ Want papa to make all the animals stand up ’’ ‘ Dick,’ said I, impressively, ‘it is night. The animals are asleep and don't want to stand up. You must lie down and let papa go to bed.’ ‘ Dick wants to see the moon.’ ‘Mr Dickie,’l said, coaxingly, ‘if you will stop talking and not wake your little baby brother ’ ‘ Dick wants little baby brother to get up and shave.' Not a word was spoken after that. Quietly, but firmly, I laid him down and drew the blanket over him. I turned out the gas, and taking a long step to clear the stray animals, I made my way back to my own room. Three minutes later I knew, from bis regular breathing, that Dick was asleep, and, if I remember rightly, I didn’t care much at the time whether he had a wistful face and empty hands and a lonely young heart or not.