The Massachusetts spy, and Worcester County advertiser. [volume] ([Worcester, Mass.]) 1825-1831, 1831-02-23
RUNNING AFTER SQUIRRELS

WIN d Mr. AlSop VINO resided there. Be-
ing DESTROYS of knowing more about his
S character, he made inquiries of another
gentleman, who had known him from his
childhood. Why, said the other, as to
Mr.. Alsop, perhaps can best describe him
. to you by relating an anecdote of his youth
, ful days. The inquirer was very attentive
, to hear the story, and the gentleman pro-
ceeded thus
when John Alsop, was about fifteen
years old his father and another man were
engaged one day in building that heavy
log fence, which the first settlers here used
TO make when they cleared up new land.
You know they would lay one very large
log on the ground for a foundation; then put
down what they called skids, and roll up
another large log to lie upon the other This
rolling was hard work, and required all their
strength, and needed to be done very eau
, tiously, lest the log should slip, or roll back
upon them and kill them. The two men
were rolling up very heavy log with their
handspikes, and Johns business was to clap
under block on the skid, to keep the log
safe while his father should renew his hold
with his handspike. Having given good
hit, and Juggling with all his might, the ia
Their called out to his son, "There, Jonny,
put under your block quick" John started
very nlmbly yard or two, and snatched up
his block, when suddenly the loud chirp of
a squirrel struck his ear. Quick as light
ming he threw down his block and ran off,
to cast stones at the squirrel, and attempt
TO Kill him, leaving his father and the other
man to hold the log till he came back, or
let it roll back, and endanger their lives.
There, sir, you have an idea of the charac-
ter of John Alsop, though it is thirty years
since that transaction, for he has been run
ming after squirrels eUer since"
This story is no doubt amusing to chill
dren; let it also be instructive. Let US see
whether they understand it WE'LL Is it pos
Sible the gentleman could mean that John
Asop mad literally spent all his time for
thirty years in chasing and stoning SPUR
rels Certainly not. Nor did he mean
that this had been his principal business for
one month or one week. He only meant
that John Alsops conduct since had gen.
orally been very similar to that which has
been related. He had not been steady to
his business, or regular in his purposes and
habits. He would begin some new enter
prise and pursue i; diligently for a little
while; then he would suddenly drop it and
eagerly engage in some amusement or some
visionary project.of business, which nobody
else expected would ever come to any thing.
In his youth play and thoughtless company
took off his attention from work and from
: school. Nobody called him bad or VIC
ious boy, but every body knew he was
tickle, easily drawn away, and far from be-
ing dihgent, industrious, and persevering.
When he was young man he could not
fix upon any employment; but tried one a
} little while, then another. One advised
him this way, and another that way, and he
) followed every body's advice. When he
; had a family, and found it necessary to ex-
ert himself he was busy early and late
but it was to very little purpose. He lived
in great many different places, and it is
; an old and true proverb, that "a rolling
stone gathers no moss" He very often
changed his employment. Now he was a
, farmer, then trader, then post rider, then
| deputy sheriff, then a mechanic of some
sort without first learning the art. He
would just begin to do a snug business in
some pursuit, when he would hear or think
of something else; and before any body
e would know it, he would be Scumperipg
after the squirrel. He made of course many
foolish bargains, lost or threw away great
! deal of his hard earned money, and Away.
6 kept his family poor. The education ofhis
children has been neglected. They are
, growing up in habits of idleness ana negli-
2 genee. People say they resemble theil
, father very much, and they fear they will be
no better than squirrel hunters all their days
Now let all children and youth take warn.
ing from John Alsop. Let them acquire the
the habit of fred attention to what they are
doing. If they are employed in labor, OF
G study, or hearing the instructions of anoth
. err, or in innocent play, let them attend to Il
S at the time, and finish it, and then think
T seriously what they have to do next, anC
n then 60 and do that other thing with the
same attention and diligence. Let then
G never leave important business for trihes o.
take up with project as very good anc
y promising thing until they have inquired al
about it and examined it well. Let then
be diligent and perseverng in every Lawful
r. undertaking of life, and "not NEEDLE will
those who are given to change" So lie
= them form habits which will make them re
spectacle in all the relations and situation
of life. And may it never be said of one o
our readers, that he or she is a person ha
. runs after squirrels. Youths Companion
CHINESE Cow. An English publication
states that Chinese COW, now in England
gives milk so very rich, that one pint of i
gives as much butter, "A ounces) as pint
Of Sussex cows milk, both churaed imme
d diately from the cow without being set 70
= cream. The Chinese COW is small, and
, says Mr. Young, the beef is superior in fat
ness, and in butter the superiority is AZ
400 lbs. to 200 lbs. from very good coun
, try COW. This is such asuperiority in mill
and beef as might make it an object to the
owners of American ships to China, to i'm
port some of the stock which is native O
that country.-.N e. Farmer.
SINGULAR BLESSING. Oglander, in hi'
memoirs of the Isle of Wight, written il
100, gives us the following record of 1
, blessing formerly enjoyed by that favored
spot SCI have heard" says our author
"and partly know it to be true, that not only
heretofore, was there no lawyer or attorney