Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1857-02-09
EVENING STAR.
An Incident in the Life Of a Statesman

IcoNcLUDED.
could not avoid looking at a very old man
whom grandchild, apparently, was trying to
amuse just in front Of US.
" How hard the lesson is to learn to know
how to grow old wisely and grscefuIly,' he
said, and seemed to muse for q few moments.
:" You have your boys at school somewhere
got his trip to the city to day because be had
learned his speech 80 we'll "
"Yes, SIR" l replied; they are at R
Grammar School 1t is an excellent one,
being kept by well educated and able man
from Edinburgh. Happy for me he Ia a
Scotchman, or I fear l should be separated
from my boys, my husband seems SO desirous
of sending them abroad"
|" Why should you object to that?" he asked:
have my own ideas about education, "
said | (; "I think it is as much obtained at
the domestic freside as at the school room
there is nothing like the memory Of home in
fuences for a man. L am q native born Amer
can of the old Puritan stock; so are they, and
should like my boys to be happy in every
situation in which it should please God to
place them To obtain that, they must be
educated in the country where they are likely
to live. The habits, customs, and influences
OF places have so much to do toward reconci-
ling US to our fates ifthey should be adverse -
True; we'll grown tree finds it difficult
to be reconciled to fresh soil and atmosphere
There is much in what you say, Madam" " he
replied
off" continued, "there was a probabili-
ty of my boys future being for permanent
cy In China, for instance, I would 90 there
with them now. If it was to the remotest West,
l should not lose day in moving out there
But to me it would be a sad time to leave
them to be impressed with scenes whose col
Ors should not be warm hometints-to have
them sent abroad so young, and then returned
to their home with foreign notions and ideas
and feeling contempt for their early friends,
their country, and every thing around them. :"
Yes" he said, you are right. 1 have
often thanked God that had the memories of
fond hearts at home to fall back upon when
mankind have disappointed me -
We continued the topic for short time
Charley, In the mean while, was emptying
his pocket into my lap.
Mamma" he said, edo you believe. |
have only one penny left"
6 How many had you, Charley" asked the
gentlemen.
81 had fifty-nine, Sir"
How did you get them?" he asked
worked for them" answered Charley,
:. housing potatoes and pulling up weeds
Mamma pays US six cents an hour; but could
never work very loag; and then, you know
we must have luncheon, and l spend most of
pennies for caken'
"Stop, Charley" said Fred, =" you meant
to say molasses candy. We take cake always
from home"
" That's right, my son, said the stranger
" be ever exact and particular in all your
statements. Love truth next to your mother D
" Mamma says" answered Charley, "we
must love it before father, and mother, and
all"
"She il right" he said. "You should
lnxya hort . L.. r. l.
an excellent lesson. Now what are you going
to do with that one penny, Charley"
Spend it as soop as l get a chance" re-
piled Charley,
How he laughed! After few moments he
said,
Suppose tell you what did with PEN
ny once; how long l kept it, and what it did
for me. Shall l tell you
"Oh don' cried both boys Z" We do love
tales so much Mamma tells us one every
evening""
Mamma must have fertile brain, I'm
thinking, to find sufficient novelty to amuse
the minds of two such active fellows as you
are, he replied
"Oh' said Charley, " she tells US she has
wind in her head, and can grind a new
one every time We want one"
Then he laughed merrily. " But let me 90
on with my story, he said. " 1 was very
small then-ycunger than you are, Charley
l was on my way to school one morning when
l b ad to pass field in which a rich farmer
who owned it was trying to catch horse.
stood looking over the fence, and laughing at
the horse tricks for some time.
boy" said he, off you will catch that
horse I'm pay you"
So put my books down and went to work
Round ran, down there, up here, shook the
corn, crept up softly, went behind, then before,
chased him into q corner, and the old man and
l were then sure we had him but away he
went over the fence, and / after him. About
mile from whore we started two men caught
him for me, lent me halter, and 1 rode him
home. BY this time the morning was gone,
and lad not been to school
"Come back" said the farmer, " and I'll
pay you in the afternoon
went on to school. The master asked me
where had playing hockey, and L told him
about the horse Then didn't " catch" il?
Do you ever catch" it, Charley?"
81 guess 1 do" answered Charley /" but
Fred don't often"
Well, 1 caught it. /" But never mind" said
to myself, 81 shall have some money to buy
a book" I wanted it very much. loved
books as much as Fred does. So I dried my
eyes. We carried our dinner to school, my
brother and L; but had no appetite after +
"caught' it.
ooh! !" said Charley, with such an air, " L
don't mind 1t so much as that "
The gentleman positively shouted, he was
so much amused.
Well, he continued, wiping his eyes, the
school was out, and we all went our different
paths home. My brother went with me to the
old farmers; and what do you think he gave
me? Mind you, had run all the morning,
till L was almost sick, and had Sought" It
besides, Charley, and he gave me how much,
Fred?'
GA shilling an hour" answered Fred, in his
business way.
Five dollars" said Charley.
He gave me one penny, with a hole in it."
"Oh, the mean old scamp Didn't you slap
It into his facet" asked Charley.
No. indeed; pennies were not 50 plentiful
in my youthful days as to allow that took
it homo and put it away carefully How long
do you suppose was getting pennies together
to buy that book? ?'
"About a month" said Charley. "I could
make two dollars q month if mamma did not
count so strictly but she will have the whole