Martinsburg gazette. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1833-1855, 1847-10-28

"HuRRA!" exclaimed John Golding to his
sister Ether. "See wha: Mr.. Brown has
bought with Biddy's eggs"
The boys eyes sparkled, and his hands
trembled with delight, while Esther's more
serious countenance lighted up with quick
smile.
The treasure John exhibited with such ex-
ultation was a worn copy of Goldsmilh's
Manners and Customs. The title-page decla-
red that it was adorned with plates; but readers
accustomed 10 the present more beautiful style
of publishing would have been slow 10 admit
that the straight, lank figures, daubed with
engravers' ink, were any ornament 10 the vol
umes. To the unpractised eyes of John and
his sister, they were, however gems of Art !;
and the manner in which they were Obtained
greatly increased their value. The children
had received a cake and two little chickens
from neighbor, in payment for picking cram
berries. Never did chickens give rise TO such
extensive speculations; not even the magina-
ry brood of the famous milk-maid The
chickens would become hens, and the hens
would lay eggs. and Mr.. Brown, who drove
the market-wagon, would sell the eggs, and
there were ever SO many books in Boston,
and who could guess what wonderful stories
they would buy with their eggs2 The vision
was realized in due time. The chickens did
become hens, and laid eggs and Mr.. Brown
listened good-naturedly 10 Johns request to
sell them and buy ''a book, that had pictures
in it and told about countries away off,
Goldsmitb's Manners and customs came as
the fruit of these instructions. and was hailed
with an outburst of Joy.
Most boys would have chosen TO buy mar
bles or a drum but Johns earliest passion
had been for book. The subtle influences
which organize temperamenls and produce
character, are not easily traced His inlellec-
tua activity certainly was not derived from
either of his parents; for they were more
healthy, sluggish animals. But there was
tradition in the neighborhood, that his mater
nal grandmother was "an extraordinary wo-
man in her day that few folks knew so much
as she did and if her husband had been half
as smart and calculating, they would have
been very tore-handed people!"
The children of the extraordinary woman"
inherited her husbands inert temperament, but
her own energetic character re-appeared in her
grandchildren and they had the good fortune
TO be born in New England, where the moral
atmosphere stimulates intellect, and the stream
acknowledge flows free and full to all the peo
pie Esther was as eager for information as
her more VlVdClOuS Dfotner anu tuOuSu DIS q
woman her pathway Of life was more obstruc-
ted and all IFS growth more sunted, she help
ed to lead him into broader avenues than she
herself was allowed TO enter. Being two
years older than he, twas her delight to teach
him the alphabet, as soon as he could speak
and great was her delight when he knew all
the letters in her little old primer, and could
recte the couplet that belonged 10 each. They
conveved NO yerv distinct idea TO his mind
but Esther's praise made him very vain Of
this accomplishment A dozen times day he
shouted the whole twenty -four, all in row,
and was quite out Of breath when he arrived
at:
bo