The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1851-07-17
From the Friend Of Youth.
UNCLE JgRRYS DREAM ABOUT THE
BROWNIES.

anu uaugnter entercu, all Iedul III o|""oi.
Papa" said little Tom, won't you please
to give me cent TO buy slate Pencif"
"Another slate pencil Why, Tom, you'll
ruin me. How many have you had this week ~
"Only two, sir, and this is Thursday. My
last kept two days, and should have had 1t
yet, only Yesterday Just laid II down minute
while went out in recess time, and when
came in | couldn't find II anywhere. Susy
staid after school and helped me look tor II !;
but think somebody must have taken II;
and this morning | had TO borrow a pencil
and do my sum in recess. | didn't get any
time to play at all"
GOOD for you, you careless rogue. II |
was your teacher, I'd make you lose your re-
cess every time you lost your pencil"
"Then Pm glad you are not my teacher"
said he, with sly look, as he pocketed the cent,
and slipped fairly out of my reach. Papa,
you wouldn't really, would you 2" said little
Susan, who always took everything IN earnest.
Well, don't know, pei" sand l. 81 guess
shouldn't be very cruel teacher"
Susan seemed satisfied, and followed her
brother; and |, wondering what IN the world
became of slate pencils. pins, and needles.
very soon found myself in the land OF dreams.
seemed TO be wandering about in a thick
forest Of pine trees; the sky was covered with
clouds, the wind sung mounfully among the
branches, and not path or the slightest trace
of human footsteps could be seen.
Suddenly came TO an open place, and there
in the space of twelve feet square stood a whole
village. Each little house was about two or three
inches square, built in the form of log cabin
Of slate pencils, the spaces between the pencils
being filled with pieces OF paper, one OF which
(havlDg by some accident got loose) looked
wonderfully like one of the missing leaves from
Toms spelling book. The chimneys We're
little thimbles with the ends knocked out the
fences were all closely built with needles and
pins, and over every little gateway, towering
above the top Of the house, stood, stretched
wide open, pair Of scissors. stood for some
time in silent astonishment; what IN the world,
thought |, is the meaning OF all this Z Why,
there are wife's scissors that | borrowed the
other day TO cut my hair withs and there IS
Susy's little forget me not thimble, that she
: g0nnd OF, and There y poe 'N'orvyyy>'-
ed in my observations by low, disagreeable,
croakila0 sound, which seemed 10 proceed from
behind large pine Tree near whichS srNvyi
and looking carefully round, saw, two such
hateful, spiteful- Hooking creatures that thought
their faces must ache, they were so very ugly.
They were about an inch in height, and had
each OF them little bag about twice as large as
themselves, which appeared to be quite full OF
one thing and another, and yet they seemed TO
lift them about with perfect ease. They held
in their hands girdle which made them invis-
ible whenever they wore it; q wondered that
they didn't wear it all the time.)
"Well, Norwood" said the ugliest of the
two, " what have you been about since saw
you last? Have you had much fun "
"Why, Nightshade, can't say that have
had very jolly time; you see, Pm not much
used to the ways of the world yeti I've only
been here two weeks, and then those floating
they do bother a fellow terribly, with
their balsam, and their pencils, and all their
hypocntical nonsense about being kind, and
good, and honest, and true, and all that stuff
that they are forever whispering TO one child
or another. wish Rosa, and Lillian, and Viola,
and the whole set of them-island and all
were at the bottom of the Red Sea--then one
might have chance TO do something. The
other day, found little fellow looking wist-
fully at basket Of ripe apples, which stood at
the door of store. Take one, said | I; take it
quick the man is busy, and won't see you.
Pshaw. don't be so particular its only an APP
pie. He reached forward, and had one in his
hand, when, as i'll luck would have it, Rosa,
the fairy, came flying along, and just sung in
his ear a part OF tune which his mother had
taught him, and ne dropped the apple as quick
as he would a red-hot coal, and away he ran.
| tell you, Nightshade, it's hard work to make
a boy steal when he is thinking of his mother.
Ill =. I.ft - ,k IL I fol
lowed him home, and spent several days in the
family but it was in fact time wasted for, al
though there We're seven children, the mother
was so watchful, and the children so particular
about saying their prayers, and studying their
C ible lessons, and singing their hymns, that
could get no power over them at all. One day
| found the Youngest child alone, and thought
| would make him swear. Well, | whispered
some words in his ear, very softly, but so dis
tinctly that he didn't know them from his own
thoughts Now, said !, say them; it will make
you feel like man, and it is just as bad TO
think wicked words as 10 say them, and you
know you have thought them already"
"And did he say them ;" asked Nightshade,
with malicious grin.
"Say them nO-he ran crying TO his moth
ar, and said Oh! ma, | am so naughty,
have been thinking acedr, like what that man
said to his horses this morning. Are you
afraid that shall grow up like him, mag She
ook the little fellow on her lap, and cleared
,ut; for | knew there was no clsaace for me
hat day.
"Next morning was delighted to find one of
he little girls climbing up TO get something of
he mantelpiece-a thing that she had been for
4 a IL Il - 4. 4 IL, III
sleeve of her apron brushed against one of the
flowers in her mothers china vase, and | sud-
denly few right in her face in the form of
dragon fly, which frightened her so that she
started and knocked down the vase, which was
broken into dozen pieces. | was delighted,
of course. Now said |, you, have got
yourself into trouble; that is your mothers ia
vorite vase; she will be very much displeased,
and will lose all confidence in you, because
you know you promised never TO try to get
anything off the mantelpiece and now you
have not only broken your mothers favorte
vase, but, what is worse, you have broken your
word. Your father, too, will know it, and all
the family, and this afternoon, when they 90
10 ride, you will be left at home The best
thing that you can do now is TO 90 quietly out
Of the room, shut the door softly, and say moth
ing-you will never be suspected. If you are
asked about IT, you can say you don't know
who broke it,
:" Always tell the TRUTH said Lillian, the
fairy, remember whA your teacher said about
that last Sabbath. You have done wrong. but
your mother is your best friend you had better
go tell her about it before it is too ate'v
"And did she go 2"
eyes, the little goose picked up the pieces,
and went right to her mother and told her all
about it, and was so mad that just gathered
up a few pins and pencils and came away
Ha, ha! but you are green" said Night
shade; $50 think Of your spending your time
in such house as that. Now let me give you
little piece of advice: Next time, go into a