Mineral Point weekly tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1859-1868, 1860-08-28
Misrellann.
WILLIE NJ A Y III E W.
CHAP EFT 1.

One, two, three, four, five, SIX! AS
the last stroke of the village clock stole
over the bright green meadow where
Willie Mayhem was at play, be dropped
the bat from his hand with boyIsh reluc-
tance, saw the ball fall Idly by his side,
and resumed the cap and Jacket he had
laid away while heated by his merry
game.
'<Why, VIII, you are good one!-
Won't you play any more?' said his com
panion, In mingled tone of reproach
and entreaty.
Il can not Father does not like me
10 play at all; but once week he lets
me play until SIX. Then | must 60 home"
sighed Will his cheek glowing with ex-
ercise, and his brown curls tossing idly
/ IN the evening breeze.
"But suppose you hadn't heard II strike
sixe You couldn't have gone IN tune
then, could you!' said his lempler, with
jhat sk.ewd expression of face to which
childhood should be a stranger.
No, if hadn't heard il. Bur | did
hear II; so | must GO rejoined VIII.
How Will your farher A1soao you heard
iil Can't you say YOU did not notice the
time. and for once have your play out!'
argued his willy comrade.
That would be false. | did hear IL;
and l can not tell lie cried VIII,
glow of honest shame al the mere thought
mounting 10 his broad forehead.
'Oh, of course not. We boys never
tell ies-we love truth so well; that IS,
4 we are so afraid of licking. I'll bet
/ you my knife-and its a first rater-
/ YOU wouldn't be bil afraid TO tell the
/ lie if you didn't think your father would
/ thrash you when be found you out. Go
home, sweet Willie Mayhem, the girl,
/ boy, and tell your nanny to nurse you" :"
/ "Smon, if you talk that way I'll not
( be the only one that gets licked. | am
no coward. and am not afraid of a whip
ping / don't care half as much about
making father mad as | do about grev-
ing mother, and she never struck me in
her life; but her sad face, when | do
wrong. hurts me more than fathers cow
hide. But I'll bear that too, and stay
and play till night, and when 20 home
! Iii tell the truth, and say | wouldn't
come. although | heard the bell, because
YOU lauuted me; and then you will be-
1 lieve | am not poor coward that IS afraid
of a whiPpingr'
/ As he spoke his dia,ed eyes and con-
4 tracIed row told of the spirit that dwell
/ in that fair and domestic trtnple-a spir-
I it prone 10 good. but alas. too easily
/ swayed by The idle words of another
False shame has many an untold story
of destruction 10 answer for. The fool
ish taunts Of a playmate, the sneers of q
/ hoon companion, have won many a young
man from the home dIsobedlence made
/ hateful to him. TO The dlstastefui origies
OF tavern; TO end his weary life IN the
cell of a prison, or on the scaffoid of u
murderer Aid after death comes The
judgment" All, that first false step,-
How often IS il the forerunner of ca
reer headIong down the steep abyss of
crime! Pause lItile pilgrims on ilfe's
pathway-pause while there IS yet time.
Stumble, even fall, on the stony track
much will be forgiven TO the young-but
never wIlfully turn as de from ,vha, COl-
science whispers to be the right road; Tor
each step takes you leagues away from
honor, truth and virtue, and when worn
out and weary, YOU strive 10 re;race your
steps, the footprints have been etiaced,
your neglected guide has left you forev
er and, shuddering and hopeless, you
sink into the gulf lhat yawns 10 receive
you.
Willie Mayhew, where was the gen
1 tie angel that watches over childhood
when, with feigned alacrity. you seized
your discarded ball, and made the mead
ows ring with simuit ated laughter 1t
sped swiftly through The air, leaving your
discontinued companion behind, bat IN
( aand. wondering at the strength, pride
and temper bestowed upon your sleuder
arm2 Again and again the ball flew
swiftly across the meadow, and through
the air, balmy with the breath OF The hay
field; cheerIly did their laughter and
boylsh lests mingle with the sweet muir
murs Of a summer evening. When one
has dwelt long in cities, how sweet and
long remembered are those sounds, made
more precious by their contrast to the
harsh din OF the crowded streets. The
soft hum OF The insect>-a vesper hymn
Of praise 10 Him who gave their brief
dav Of sunshine; the lowing of the cattle,
the words Of welcome that greet the re-
turning laborer; and the echoiug stroke
of the axe blend into a symphony of pas
'oral beauty gentle melody which,
once heard and loved. can never be for
gotten.
"Hark," said VIII, what is that strange
souDd?" And as he spoke 4 swell OF har-
monlous music greeted the ear of the
astonished children. and rocket after
rocket blazed through the gray mantle
of the twilight.
The circus, the circusr' shouted ST.
mon. Come, boys. comeI'
Away they few over The green fie'is,
until the, reached the village on which
the tent was pitched. An eager
crowd had assembled, who watched the
rockets and listened to the band, who
made polkas and marches ring merrily
out. startling the accustomed a--h--
the n - 80