Litchfield enquirer., 1853-04-07
One Thing at a Time.

It was no uncommon thing, in autumn,
 10 see old Gerard surrounded with youth.
 ful !hrong ateVeniide beneath the old tree,
 amusing aud instrucIing them wi:h his
 hOmely but useful conversation. It was on
 one ol these occasions tha, he was so often
 interrupted by the questions of ll,e group
 about him, that the cheerful old man resol.
 we'd 10 let them have their own way, that
 they might see how little was to be got by
 attending to more than one thing at time. Geeard was about to. tell them the whole
 history of the church spire, which was
 formed of painted shingles; but no sooner
 did he begin, by saying that Alderman
 Grant gave fifty pounds towards the ex-
 pense of it, than Harry DObbs asked him
 who Alderman Grant was. Why req piled Gerard, : will tell you. Alderman Grant was great fat man, that kept his coach, and lived up at the Court House. Some say he had been Lord Mayor of
 Londoa, but how that may be can't say;
 however, Lcan whisper something in your ears about him that will surprise you. One summers day, when it was very hot, when he was rolling along the turnpike road in his open carriage, with his spaniel dog be- tWC uttbbS as kVCNy CbCutWC u0 CFCI IdH on four legs What color was he ? said Blil Pike, had he long ,aiP He had skin,' replied Gerard, 'as white as the driven snow, marked over, here and ttere, with bolches jusa the color of sheep's liver. There was a curious tale told abou, that dog when it was a puppy, il was waddiing about, outside the iron gate, when Farmer Ricke,t's bull came up, and j usl as the puppy had got half way under the gaie-but must first tell you that Far. tmer Ricket,s was rather passionate; he married half sister of mine; in one of his passions he was near falling into we'll
 How was iha,:' sad mABiI,eiis. You. 4 shall beat all about it, replied old Gerard Job Tanner, the pump maker, vas en- ployed 10 sink well; and in going 10 work early one morning, he met Frank Hart, w;:o Lad inst come home from the West Indies, where they make sugar. How do they make 2 asked Bill Pike. Why, said Gerard, T hardly know whether rightly understand it myself; but I'll give you lhs h.st account, con, once kEeW an old sailor, and he had been in the West Indies, and in Africa too. where lions and big snakes, and oil manner of frigh,lu creatures nre io be 0und.' But how do the people manage to kill the lions and the big snakes ? asked Jne Barnes. 'ln diff iereut ways said Gerard when they set out aEieF lion with ten or twelve dogs -the dog, take ii, is about as useful creature as any, except il be a horse, or a | COWS for in our country he hunts for US, and guards houses. in another he pulls the people along over the snow in sledge.- iWha,'s sledgtP cried out Ned Hall, sand how do the dogs pull i, aIong" wilt yOn,' said old Gerard. tn some countries they have snow on the gronnd ell the year round, and the frost is 80 keen that ,he fins gersends are almost pnched o@ But do they wear no gloves 2 inquired Harry Dobbs, opening his eyes wide. Yes, but nOI such as you see in ibis country.'- : Wha, sort are they" cried out Peter Faller and Ned Hall, both together 'Why, if you will listen, you shall know
 from beginning to eEd : sor lhe old sailor that l spoke Ol had been there, and he told
 me abont the g'oves as well as about the
 Black Hole of Calcutta, and scoue of other ,hlngs.' srhe Black Hole of Cal cuiis ' what is ihsl ? said Joe Barness ]
 rever heard of that: tell us sbon, the Black hole of Calcutta !! 'That | will and
 welcome replied Gersrd; but imayhap it will he just as well for some of you to tell me first what you know of the church spire.' You began to tell us" said llar> " Debbs's but you didn't go on. Why no, | don't know how l could. siid Ge- rard, when you do you remember what ] told you about him that surprised you 80, aud the tale about ihe spaniel dog !' You
 never told us anything about 1t after all, nor about the spaniel either, or we should nave remembered ii, said some ol the rest oi them. Weti,' said old Gerard. enipy- ing the joke that he had put upoh the
 yOun9 people, in answering their qres- tions. perhaps you know something about Farmer Ricketis, and the draw well or
 how the folks make sugar, and kill ions and big snakes?' But no rot one among
 them knew anything about one of these
 things. This is very odd, and Gerard,
 looking first 10 one, and then al smother.
 that you f,rget so soon; however surely
 you know whA, sledge is, and how the
 dogs pull it along; and what sort oi gloves
 the folks in cold countries wear; and Il yo"
 will tell me. then I will tell you all about
 the Black Hole of Calcutta.
 The boys stOod staring, not knowing
 what to say awhile old Gerard, in . pless-
 ant way, gave them tie following good ad
 vice :-"rhe hound that runs sfier many hsfea al once is not likely to catch one of ihem; and the lad thst will have half a dozen tales told him, without having pa iience to hear one of them to the, end. will
 find himself just in the same situatian. II
 you had listened patiently. would have ibid you aiI about the church upire, and Alderman Grant ant his spaniel dog. and
 Farmer Rickei:s loo :; and if that had no!
 been enough, in my rough way, ' would
 have made it as plain to you as two sticks. how 10 make sugar, and to klll lions and | big snakes. Every one should have known what q sledSe is, and how lhe dogs pull il
 along what sort Of gloves the people wea'
 among lile snow and, f there had been
 any spare time Jeff, you should have had the tale of the Black Hole Of Calcutta into l the bargain {; bu. after alb the lesson you have learned by your dissp ppOintmeni, may IA. ..n.~ tsssNasf ahar All nf fhae,N mi