Daily American telegraph. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1851-1852, 1852-03-02
AMERICAN TELEGRAPH.
From the Friend of Youth.
THE SELFISH AND THE UNSELFISH BOY.
BY MARY IRVING.

lttle boy, who was standing behind the chair
OF O larger one, on a freezing evening of No
yember
II can't please now, and won't please! So
there, do you hear 2n exclaimed the older, sur
lily turning around in the great armchair in
which he had seated himself to read the week.
ly newspaper Get off my rocker, there, or
look out for your toes! | wish little boys
wouldn't be always bothering one when ones
busy!D
George, the little boy" at whom this out
burst of vexation was aimed, skunk away, look
ing sadly disappointed. He was slender lit
tic fellow, about seven years old, with pale blue
eyes, and light brown curls arching over a high
white forehead. The big veins in his throat
swelled as he tried to swallow his tribulation,
and his eye-lids winked fiercely over two gath
ering hot drops which Philip had taught him
to consider disgrace to his little manlness.
II think Phil might be bit clever He
knows how bad want my sled" he said to
himself; and suddenly one of the tear-drops,
that had swelled too round for his eye to CON
tain, fell down on the white rufie of his checked
blue apron. He brushed it away very quickly,
and, with glance at his dreaded brother,
sided back into the shade of the newspaper
His little cousin, Henrietta, just then came
skipping into the room, and turned the tide of
his thoughts.
"Oh, George, only see what Pve got!" She
held over her head fried nut-cake, cut into
something intended for the image of hand,
while she went on dancing, first on one foot
and then on the other
"Shut the door, young ones!" growled Mas
ter Philip, scowling from behind his paper II
should like to know what sent you romping in
here. Clear out, can't you? and let me have
Oo0ypnnf2s of life 10
The little girl tripped out and George fol-
lowed her, asking
"Oh, Eta, who gave you that hand cake /"
"Sally to be sure She is frying down in
the kitchen, and she has a whole pan full
Let's 90 and coax her to give you one!o
Down they went into the kitchen, where
they found the frying-pan kissing over a red
hot stove filing all the air with a sort of sa-
worry fog. The cook-maid with her great ladle
was bending over the bubbling fat, watching
the diving and browning nuts. She lifted her
scorched face, us she heard the children's feet
on the stairs.
Didn't | tell you to let alone troubling me,
Miss Etta1 What are you diving down here
for, to grease your pink gown agen the kettles ="
George wants you to fry hand for him,
just like mine," she exclaimed, lodging out of
the way of the sputtering fatdrops, while the
| girl was lifting the kettle off the stove.
| swell, well, you must keep out of this hole
then. Kitchens isn't boys place shan't
| give you but one; so be off ~
She tossed a hot cake into Georges hands
George caught it, and ran up stairs with it
shifting it from one hand to the other as he
Went as he found it uncomtortably warm
Eta accompanied him into the play-room
where ne laid his cake on wiudow-sll to cool
and proceeded to tell her his various difficulties
Eta, said he, Kit seems to me | trouble
everybody to-day Father said SO this morning,
when | asked him for a sled-rope; mother said
so when | carried her my red mitten with q
hole in the thumb; Phil keeps saying so; and
now Sally ! wonder what makes me such a
| trouble.'
Eta laughed ITS funny, George! You
don't trouble me, thought
~ wish Phil wouldn't be SO troubled to.
night because he did promise to paint an eagle
on my sled, and put on the irons, so that
could have it tomorrow afternoon. It's going
to be rare sliding down the big hill, tell you
Don't you hear the wind roar1 See my poOl
sled Isn't il too bad1"
MAY be Phil will fix it by and by =
'Im so afraid lie wor'tn sighed George
anxiously. It's getting dark and he said he
| couldn't do it by candle-light."
"How cold ami" snid Eta shlyering
Let's 90 back into the s!ttng-room"
George took up his cake, and went in.
Philip, who had just finished the whale story
which had caught his eye in the paper laid it
down and sauntered lazy to the window
Whats that ~ he asked Give us a bite ~
And without waiting for permission, he
seized his brothers cake, and broke off half OF
it for his own eating.
IL.
you've spoiled my hand!"
Cry, baby, for dough-nut there's your
brave boy" sneered Philip.
"l say you are thief and a mean boy,o ex-
claimed the courageous Etta reused to retalia-
ton You haven't any right to eat Georges
cake, when you won't help him make his sled,
for all you promised to-"
Hold your tongue till your opinion is asked
Miss Flittergibbet," answered her ungentle-
manly cousin, very haughtily
He looked out of the window for 'about FIVE
minutes, and then turning, said, in rather a
cross way
Well, youngster, bring along your old sled !!
Eagle you expect to call it, do YOU Humph!"
1t was really rather rickety piece of
mechanism which George dragged forward 1t
had been nailed together by the little boy him
SELF and was made out of various odds and
ends Of boards, fastened to the runners of a
cast-of sled, which Philip in fit of good hui
NOR, had whitfield into shape. 1t was the very
best the persevering little fellow could accom-
plish, however and many pounded finger he
had most hcroically borne for its sake.
" A sled and q hall, | should think, said
Philip, scornfulIy, Here, bring me that chair
Now 60 long up stairs, and bring down my
oil paints Not that pant-box, you numb
chance, Don't you know the difference be-
tween watcr-colors and oilcolors! Go down
to the kitchen, and fetch me drink of water
and bring me up another cake, while you are
about it,"