Meigs County telegraph. [volume] (Pomeroy [Ohio]) 1848-1859, 1859-12-20
Misrel1ang.
THE TWO RULES.
FROM MERRy's MUSEUM.

"Here are two rules for you, Fred, "
said Giles Warner, looking up from the
paper he was reading, and, addressing a
younger brother, who was sitting by the
stove, playing with favorite dog. '
"Well, what are they? let's have them, "
said Fred, suspending his sport with the
dog. ts'i ~ ''H e. 49, ..',.'' ~ =
"The first is: never get vexed with any
thing you can help. The second: never
get vexed with anything you can't help"
care not these rules as applicable to
you as to me?" inquired Fred. archly. I
"No doubt Of that" replied Giles,
good humoredly, "but then it ie 50 much
easier to hand over piece of good advice
to another than to keep it for ones own
personal use. 1t is kind Of generosity
that don't require any self-denial."
Fred laughed.
But what say you," continued Giles,
"to these rules? How would it work if
We should adopt them?" ....,,... r .r III,
II think they take pretty wide and
clean sweep" said Fred. They don't
leave fellow any chance at all to get
vexed." ~ f'''-'@ I'm ~
s'That might be an objection to them -
said Giles, '.if any one was wiser, better,
or happier for getting yexed. ! think
they are sensible rules. 1t is foolish to
vex ourselves about anything that can be
helped, and it is useless to avex ourselves
about what can't be helped. Let US as
sist each other to remember and obey
these two simple rules. What say you?'
"I'll agree TO it," said Fred, who was
usually ready tosdo anything his brother
proposed good bumoredly. g@ D5aANg
''Tbat's too badp'' exclaimed Fred the
next morning, while making his prepara-
ton for school. !" ri 's. s.r"a,"a ysa4 @-'
"What is the matter?" inquired Giles.
81 have broken my shoe string, and it
il vexations, no doubt; butt replied Giles;
"you must not get vexed; for it is one Of
the things that can be helped. You can
find string in the left corner of the up
per drawer of mother bureau. s.&. <. Ts.,
"But we shall be late at school," said
Fred. ....'...., ~ ,.., B..
"No, we shan't," said Giles. "We
shall only have to walk little faster.--
Besides if you will keep cool, you will find
the string, and put tin much sooner than
if you become vexed and worried"
"That's true," said Fred, as be started
for the string, quite restored to good hu-
Several opportunities occurred during
the day for putting in practice the newly
adopted rules. The last was this: ". ,,sr
In the evening Giles broke the blade Of
his knife, while whiting piece of wood.
at cant be helped" said Fred $50
you must not get vexed about it,
alt might have been helped" said
Giles. "but ! can do better than to fret
about it. / can learn a lesson Of care for
the future, which may some day save a
knife more valuable than this. These
rules work we'll. Let's try them to-mor-
rows ~ s-.-y -. II.
The next morning Fred devoted an hour
before school to writing a composition
After he had written half a dozen lines,
his mother called him off to do something
for her. During his absence. his sister
Lucy made use Of bis pen and ink 10 write
her name ina school book. In doing this,
she carelessly let fall adrop of ink, on the
page he was writing. Fred returned while
she was dong what she could to repair
the mischief. sst5 .a.;ssrS9g =. 49,
''You have made d great blot on my