Southport telegraph. [volume] (Southport, W.T. [i.e. Kenosha, Wis.]) 1840-1850, 1850-02-01
TERvrs OF snyERTISrNG:
FINE COTTAGE.
by MRS. L. II. sIGoURNEY


There was laboring man VINO built u cottage
for himself and wife. a dark grey rock over
hung 1t, and helped to keep it from the winds.
When the cottage was finished he thought no
would paint it grey like the rock and so exact
ly did n get the shade of color that it looked al
most il the little dwelling sprany from the bo-
SON of the rock that sheltered it,
After a while the cotager became able to pur-
chase cow In he .um she picked up most
of her living very well; bat in the winter she
needed to be led and kept from the cold
So he built barn for her. twas so small
that it looked more like shed than barn; but
il quite warm and comfortable.
When it was done rcghbor come and said
"What color will you paint your barn?"
81 had not thought about that said the Gotta
ger.
Then advise you by all means to paint it
black ; and here is pot of black paint which /
have brought on purpose TO give you"
Soon another neighbcr came in and praised
his new shed, and expressed wish to help him
little about the building. White is the more
gen.cc color ne added, 'and here's pot of
white paint, of which | make you a present"
While he was in doubt which of the two gifts
to use the oldest and wisest man in the village
came to visit him His hair was entirely white
and every )dy Lowell him, for he was good as
we'll as wis.
When the cotagcr had told him the story of
the pots of paint the old man said He who
gave you the black paint is one who dslikcs YOU
and wishes you to do foolish thing; he who
gave you the white paint is partial friend, and
desires you TO make more show than is wise
Neither of their opinions should you follow
If the shed 10 either black or white it will disa-
gree with the color Of your house Moreover,
the black paint will draw the sun, and cause
the edges Of the boards to curl and split the
white viii look well hut for short time, and
then become soiled aud need painting anew
Now take my advice, AID mix the black and white
together"
So the cottager poured one pot into the other,
and mixed them up with his hrnshes-und it was
the very gray color which he liked, and hid
used upon his house
lie had in one corner of his small piece Of
ground hop vine. lie carefully gathered The
the Opened hops, and his wife made beer of them,
which refreshed him when he was warm and
weary
1t had always twincd on two poles, which he
had fastened in the earth 10 give it support; but
the CottagCr was fond of building, and he made
little arbor for it 10 run upon and Cluster.about.
lie painted the arbor gray; so The rock and the
cottage, and the she'd and Tic arbor. were all of
the same gray c0.0r-and every thing around
looked neat and comfortable, though it was small
and poor.
When the cottager and his wife grew old they
were sitting together, in tho arbor, at the sunset
OF a summers day.
4 stranger Who seemed to be looking at the
country. Stopped and eHqmra1 how everything
around that smsl! hab:tation happened to be of
gray shade.
'lt is very well ii is So said tho couager, 'for
my wife and |, you see, are gray also. And we
have lived so long that the v ord itself looks old
and gray 10 Us nov"
Then he TOLD him the history of the black and
white pent-and how the advice of an aged man
prevented him from making his little estate RI
diculoua when Young.
Il have though. Of this circumstance said he.
so Of. en- that t las given me instruction. He
who give me tie black paint proved my enemy
and he who urged lAe - use the white was nv
friend. The advice Of neither was good.
"Ihose who love Ea too well are blind to our
faults, and those Who dislike US are not willing
to see our virtues. One would make all white,
the other all black. 1ut neither of them are
right; for we arc of mixed nature good and
evil, like the gray paint, made Of opposite quail
ties.
"lt, then neither the counsel of our foes nor
ur partial friends is. safe TO be taken, we should
ultiyato correct Judgment, which, like the gray
aint, mixed both together, may avail the evil
nd secure the good"