The Buchanan County guardian. (Independence, Buchanan County, Iowa) 1858-1864, 1859-07-28
Take Care of the Hook.
BIT MRS. H. b. STOWE.

Charley's mother would often sit with
him by the FIRE, before the lamp was
lighted in the evening. and repeat to him
little pieces of poetry. This is one that
Charley used to like particularly. 1t was
written by Miss Jane Taylor
"Dear mother" said little fish,
Is not that fly oprrc E>- ~
I'm very hungry, and wish
You'd let me GO andtry." oI ao
"Sweet innocent" the mother cried.
And started from her nook,
That horrid fly is meant to hide
The sharpness Of the hook"
Now, rs I've heard, this little trout
Was young and silly too;
And 50 he thought he d venture out,
To see what he could do.
And round the fly he played,
With many longing look;
And often to himself he said,
I'm sure it's not hook.
"I can but give one little pluck
To try, and so / will"
Soon he went, and, 10, it stuck,
Quite through his little gill. $685..
And as he faint and fainter grew,
With hollow voice he cried,
Dear mother, if I'd minded you,
should not thus have died."
After this was finished, Charley looked
gravely into the fire, and began his re-
marks upon it. "What silly fellow
that little trout was He might have
known BETTER
Take care, Charley" said his man.
ma: there are great many little boys
just as silly as this trout. For instance,
] knew little boy while ago. whose
mamma told him not to touch green ap-
pies or currants, because they would
make him sick. He did not mean to
touch them, for he knew it was very dis
agreeable to be sick and take medicine,
but yet he did the very same thing that
this little trout did. x
Instead of keeping far away, he
would walk about under the trees, pick
up the green apples to look at, and feel
the green currants. just as the little fish
would play around the hook. By-and-b by
he said / really don't think they will
hurt me l will just take one little taste
And then he ate one, and then another,
till finally be got very sick. Do you re-
member 90 2aaA II. j.
Now. Charley. hear what I tell you !;
nobody does very wrong things because
they mean to at first. People begin by
little and little, just tasting and trying
what is wrong, like this little fish.
Then there is George Jones, very
fine boy, bright boy, and one who
means to do right, but then George does
not always keep away from the hook
You will see him sometimes standing
round places where men are drink
ing and swearing. George does not
mean ever to drink or swear he only
stands there to hear those men sing their
songs and tell their stories, and sometimes
he will drink just a little sip of sugar
and spirits out of the bottom of tum-
bier; but George never means really to
be drunkard. All take care, George
the little fish did not mean to be caught,
either, but he kept playing round and
round the hook, and at last he was snap
ped up, and SO you will be if you don't
take care.
"Then, William Day means to be an
honest boy, and you could not make him
more angry than to tell him he would ev-
er be thief; and yet William plays too
much around the hook. What does he
do )? Why he takes little things out Of
fathers desk or shop, or out Of his
mothers basket or drawers, when be
really does not want his father or mother
to see him or find it out William thinks
%, IFS only little thing it isn't much
matter; dare say they had just as lief
would have it as, not All William,
do you think SO ? Why do you not go to
your parents and ask for it then? No
the fact is that William is learning to
steal, but be does not believe it is steal
ing any more than the little fish believed
that what looked like fly was a dread
full hook. By.and-by, if William does
not take care. when be goes into shop
or store. he will begin to take little
things from his master; and be will take
more and more. till finally he will be
named and disgraced as thief, and all
because. like the little fish, he would
play around the hook ss Hts.r.