The Portage County Democrat. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1854-1868, 1859-04-20
A STORY FOR THE CHILDREN.
TAKING CARE OF THE HOOK.
EY MRS. H. B. STOWE.

:. - r s7
EY MRS. H. B. STOWE. iaG
Charley's mother would often sit with hlar
by the fire, before the lamp was lighted in the
evening, and repeat to him little pieces Of poe,
try. This is one that Charley used to like
particularly. 1t was written by Miss Jane
Taylor: f s.s - q
.eDear MOTHER said little fish,
"friy is not that fly?
Pm hungry, and wish
s7l5 fs Yon'd let me go and try" l,'t z- a=F--1
"Sweet Innocent the mother cried,
And started from her nook,
ssThat horrid fly is meant to hide
The sharpness of the hookr,. -1ifg tfrs-
Now, as I've heard, this little trout, n
Was young and silly too,
Aud so he thought he'd venture out,
To what he could do. ~
And round sb ous the hook he played,
With many longing look;
lsf And often to himself he said, saacs
.sfm sure that's not hook s.-EHf' p
Icau but give one little pluck e,7. .is Z, .5g
To thy, and 81 will - ~
So on he went, and To- it stuck
Quite through his little gill.
And as he faint and fainter grew,
sH.r With hollow voice he cried, H27E
"Dear mother, if I'd minded you %
should not thus have died." strs hHas
After this was finished, Charley looked
gravely into the FIRE, and began his remarks
upon il: aseH--af
What silly fellow that little trout was!--0
He might have known better s'ofl 2
Take care, Charley said his mamma; 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 apples or carrants, because they
would make him sick. He did not mean to
touch them. for he knew that it is very disa.
greeable to be sick and take medicine, but yet
he did the very same thing that this little trout
did.
Instead of keeping far away, he would
walk about under the tree, pick up the green
apples to look at, and feel Of the green cur
rants, just as the little fish would play around
the hook. By and by he said, i really don't
think they will hurt me; will just take one
i little taste And then he ate one, and then
another, till finally he got very sick. Do you
remember?' 4......
o, mamma, that was me. Yes, remem-
ber.' iR 3-l-..a.
Now, Charley, hear what tell you; nobody
does very wrong things because they mean to.
at first. People begin by little. just tasting
and trying what is wrong. like this little fish.
Then there is George Jones' a 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 some times
standing around places where men are drink
ing and swearing George does not mean ev-
Ier to drink or 10 swear; be only stands there
to hear these men sing their songs, and tell
their stories, and sometimes he will drink Just
little sip Of sugar and spirits out of the bot
tie of tumbler; but take care, George, the
8 little fish did not mean to be caught either,
but hekept playing round and round the hook,
and at last he was snapped 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 ever be thief; and
|, yet William plays too much around the hook.
What does he do? Why he will take little
things out OF his fathers desk or shop, or out
: of his mothers basket or drawers, when he
, really does not want his father or mother to
: see him or find it out. William thinks o, it's
. only little thing il isn't much matter; dare
say they would just as leave would have it
!, as not All, William, do you think SO? Why
!, do you not go to your parents and ask for It
i, then! No. the fact is that William is learn
Ing to steal, but he does not believe that it is
stealing, any more than the little fish believed
that what looked like Fly, was in fact dread
ful hook. BY and by, if William doesn't take
care. when he goes into stop or store, he
will begin to take little things from his master,
just as he did from his father or mother, and
he will take more and more, till finally he will
: be named and disgraced as thief and all be-
cause, like the little, fish he 'wouid play around
: the hook ,.s.s ,9e.iU 5giia ssfg