Phenix gazette. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1825-1833, 1833-01-16
FARMER APPLEG ATE AND Ills TWO
SONS

William-Or, as they were usually calieu. JOCK
and Bill They were from their childhood Of
very diife. Mt dispositions. Juck was staid and
sober-inclined to industry, and fond of laying
up his coppers. Bill was harumscarum sort
Of lad, idle in his habits, peDpery in his dispose.
pers than boarding them up. While Jock was
iodustriously at work on the farm, Bill would
be away padding in some puddle for frogs, or
shooting butterflies through an air gun.
These different habits and dispositions follow.
ed them to the age Of manhood, when their father
thought proper to settle them in life. He por-
toned Jnck with parcel Of bleak, barren. sto-
n, and uneven land, bu. pretty well supplied
With running water. This soil, said he 10 HIM
self, requires a world Of hard labor. and prodac.
e. little when you have done. But that makes
no difference, for Jock will get living and lay
up money any where. As for Bill, said he,
there's no use in giving him any land that re-
quires labor, for he'll never work OH il, though
il were to keep him from starving According
IL Farmer Apologize set Of to his son Bill a
piece Of low fat land, little to the south OF
Jocks. which produced cat-faiis in abundance,
aud that without, the labor Of cultivation.
Cat.tails, in those DAYS, we're used as substi
tute for feathers, in the preparation Of BEDS
They brought fourpence pound; and as they
found ready market and cash pay, Farmer AP-
plepate thought that his sun Bill. idle as he was.
could hardly fail of making tolerable livelihood
from the produ, ton ofan article, which requi.
red no labor, but the gathering and carrying to
market.
But here the old gentleman was mistaken
Bill thought it quite too great hardship to pick
spontaneously H. purchased parcel OF mon.
kes to do the principal drudgery fer him--par-
t,cularly the gathering and putting into sacks
These monklrs, said he. will save me world of
labor. They can pick can pick cat-t tails just as
well as land. for the matter OF that, great
deal better, for they more nimble and active;
besides this low s~ampy land will not injure
their health as it does mine.
The monkies were accordingly set to work.
They were sufficiently nimbIe and handy; but
the difficulty was, to keep them at work, and 10
make them do their work well. Like all the
rest Of their race, they were capricIuus, versa
tile. and mischevous set.
They would not work, unless some ono was
constantly watching them; and when they did
work, they made such waste as was enough to ru-
IN any budy-thsowing about the cat-tails, and
PLAYING the mischief with their masters property.
In order to keep these troublesome servants to
work without being obliged constantly TO over
look them in person, Bill procured a stout GU
rang oufang, armed him with whip. and made
him monkey driver and overseer of the work.
But the ourang outang turned out to be little bet.
ter, or more Trustworthy, than the skipjacks un-
der his charge Every thing went at SKIES and
sevens While Bill was away fishing aud shoot
ing, the m"nkey driver and the monkies were
playing the devil with bis property.
The consequence of his idle habits and his bad
hat o ,Iapp nj al
harrassed with executions, and threat-d with
Ia this diff culty what does he d"?
Inetead Of getting rid of his monkies, and attend
ing to work himself. he petitions his father to
grant him premium of three farthlngs per pound
on his cat taiis-aesins that he cauuot possibly
get along without this protection 10 MS industry.
Industrv!'' exclaimed Farmer Apologize
" talk Of your industry! Truly, if you do not
get living, it will not be for want Of impu-
dence."
Though the Farmer expressed himself in this
wise, nevertheless, being a good .natured man,
and having the welfare Of his children at heart,
he granted the proposed premium of three far.
things per pound on all the tails grown BY his
son Bill. With this help Bill got along toera
blv we'll for a time; but neither then dad he i'm.
prove his habits pay his debts; but on the con.
trary, he became, il possible, idle and care.
less than ever. This protec ton, said he 10 fine
th,ng-it will keep the in spending money, if no.
thing else.
In the mean time Jock was industrious and
saving. Though his land produced little, he
contrived, by turning his hand to variety Of
things, and manufacturing sundry emotions"
as he called them, obtain tolerable livelihood
and TO keep clear Of debt. though he did not
GET rich Among other notions" which he
contrived to manufacture, were wooden Jews
harps, which he sold for three halfpence a piece
He went on very contentedIy. nor asked any aid
from the old gentlemen. until Bill had obtaned
the above mentioned premium on his cat-tails;
when Jack justly concluded that he had 40 equal
claim to protection, asked aud obtained prea,-
nm Of one fsrthing 90 each Of the Jews harps
al his mill.
He nov increased his business, enlarged his |
mill, aud with the aid Of. the farthing premium,
,egan to get toward in the world Bill seeing
he prosperity Of his brother Jock. flew into ter.
ible passion. declared the premium on Jews
'arps uOnstrous imposition, and not to be en-