The Rodney telegraph. (Rodney, Miss.) 1838-1840, 1839-07-04
"REMINISCENCES OF A GOOD-NA-
s. ~% TURED MAN.--Ry Boz.

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Orator Henley was accustomed to say1
that cut-down boots made the best shoes; N
am sure this remark will apply TO the FREE
quent transformations that take place IN
character Who has not seen an enthusiast |
tame down into the completes! workings
youthful spendthrifi dry into the finest spe-
cimen of q miser-and o good-natured man
sour into a perfect Sir Benjamin Backbite?
Ia proof Of the possibility Of this last change
| offer myself as evidence. commenced
liife-exlstence mean-with what is term
ed ssa sweet disposition" i had faxen hair,
an inncent-lool0ng face, and large pale blue
| eyes, that looked as if all the color had been
washed out Of them by crying; neyerthe-
less, was not prone to tears, and even
when q baby, cried quietly. ! was the de-
light of my nurse and mother, for / could al
ways be allured to give up my own will by
a piece of sugared bread and butter; could
wear my white frock and trousers twice as
long as my sister; loved to sit in my little
chair better than to scramble about the nur-
sery; believed everything that was told
me, and sucked my thumb. Yet imposi-
ton on my good. nature and narmlessness,
commenced before was out of the cradle.
My sister and were twins, but not in dis
position: she was bright, lively, vixenish
little thing, pretty and mischicyious as a
fairy-the reverse of myself, except in SINH
Iarity of feature; and, though younger by
half an hour, was my master, and every
body's master about the house. She neither
sucked her thumb, or loved TO sit in little
chair; she would be nursed, and nursed
wcll-which, in nursing language, means
lbeing tossed up to the ceiling, talked, shout
ed, and sung to, from morning till night.
tOur double arrival had not been anticipated;
and if it had, two nurses, or even one and
half, could not in our household have been
afforded; SO that as my mother had very
delicate health, my share of attention. was
somewhat scanty: in fact my lady sister got
it all, because she would have it my thumb
nursed me, and 20 such purpose, that it Is to
this day smaller than the other. AS mere
babyhood passed away, and learned to walk
and talk, my passive temper remained the
same, and increasing liberties were taken
with it; | had always the least pieces of
, gingerbread, was the last dressed in the morn
ling, and the first put to bed at night. twas
who was to surrender play thing, give
up my seat, make the apology in case Of a
lquarrel, and bear the blame on the occur
renee Of any Juvenile iniquity; all because ]
was sssuch good-natured little creature >
As schoolboy, my character and con.
dition remained Notwithstanding was
: rot alloxed. hut by this I gained aoihinr; 70,
instead of ayowediy serving one master,
! served five-and-twenty, the number of boys
!, admitted. A fatality, as if by birth-righi
hung over me: in two days my timid, yield
Il ing, milky, fiaxen nature was discovered
and as speedily worked upon and cheated or
all hands. Twas very vain Of my good ma
ture; and flattery on this head would induce
lme to do or almost suffer anything, no mat
ter whether in right or wrong cause. /
supplied the place of sugared bread and but
ter; and ii the bullies were sure of my ODE
a, dience, the wheediers were certain of ny
love in addition. The .scrapes and sins tina
| were whecdled into, are past enumeration
: and, by some chance, the chiefof the blame
K and most OF the punishment, always fell OF
n me, even when others wers concerned
Y whilst in our petty purloinings or purchases
) it equally occurred that the share which Eel
t to my lot was the least. However, after ~
If ing and stealing for my companions, an
lie then being logged for it by the master, ha
IS my reward in the universal admission, tina
Mt | was 'sihe most good-natured boy in tn
81 schools
OF School days passed, and Ibecane men
ID Der of that larger seminary-Society; ca
a culated in Its construction to harder
?n strengthen, daunt, and embltter; but for
a series of years it effected no such chang
II. in me. Itstrikes me now with amazemen
IL but SO it was; for years Remained the sam
Y; obliging, complying, asserting creature tht
to had been In the nursery and at schoo
ne ready to help every one, and prone to b,
lieve every one, anxious to reconcile ever
one; in my conversations stream Of a
IS. sents, in my intentions harmless, but in m
in actions certainly not wise. l had no. di
elimination there lay the flaw. My ami
% bility was extended to every one alike an
I'D without any thought of consequences, n
bv praise was so universal, that as it cost, so
Sc was worth nothing-my peace-making W,
nv often effected at the expense of truth, n
courtesy was apt to trench upon sincerit
my charity as often gratifed imposture
! real want-and Of my justice, it might Fl
he quently be said,
owl Viola une justice bieR injuste
lrkl am sure / was very amiable; but
want of being under the government Of
strong understanding, was perpetually
emit VOWED in trouble, and did my friends lii
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