The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1861-10-04

The October nJlmber OF the atlantic
Monthly contains an article by Oliver Wen
dell Holmes, entitled "The Norwood of
History" which concludes with the follows
ing fable:
THE FRONT-TEETH AND THE GRINDERS.
Once on time mutiny arose among the
teeth of worthy man, in good health and
blessed with sound constitution, commonly
known as Uncle Sam The cutting teeth,
or incisors, and the eye-teeth, or CANNES,
though not nearly so many, all counted, nor
so large, nor so strong as the grinders, and
by no means so white, but, on the contrary,
very much discolored, began to find fault
with the grinders as not good enough com.
pany for them. The eye-teeth, being very
sharp and fitted for Selling and tearing, and
standing out taller than the rest, claimed to
lead them. Presently, one of them com
planned that it ached very badly, and then
another, and another. Very soon the cut
ting teeth, which pretended they were sup
piled by the same nerve, and were proud of
it, began to ache also. They all agreed
that it was the fault OF the grinders.
About this time, Uncle Samuel, havin:
used his old toothbrush (which was never
good one, having no stiffness in the bris.
tles) for four years, tooA new one, recom-
mended to him by great number of people
as homely, but useful article. Thereupon
all the front teeth one after another, de.
clared that Uncle Samuel meant to scOur
them white, which was thing they would
never submit to, though the whole civilized
world was calling on them to do so So
they all insisted on getting out of the socks
cts In which they had grown a stood for so
many years. But the wisdom teeth spoke
up for the Others and said:
Nay, there be but twelve of you front
teeth, and there be twenty of US as grinders.
We are the strongest, and good deal near
est the muscles and the joint: but we can :
not spare you. We have put up with your
black stains, your jumping uchee, and your
snappish looks, and now we are not going
to let you 60, under the pretence that you
are to be scrubbed white, If you stay. You
don't work half so hard as we do, but you
can bite the food we'll enough, with we
can grind so much better than you. We
belong to each other. You must stay"
Thereupon the front teeth. first the ca
mines or dog teeth, next the incisors or cute
ting teeth, proceeded to declare themselves
out of their sockets, and no longer belong-
ing to the jaws of Unc'e Samuel.
Then Uncle Samuel arose ia bis wrath
and shut his jaws tightly together, and
swore that he would keep them shut till
those aching and discolored teeth of bis
went to pieces in their sockets, if need
be, rather than have them drawn, stand
ing, as some of them did, at the very Open
ing of his throat and stomach.
And now, if you will please to observe,
all these teeth are beginning to ache worse
than ever, and to decay very fast, so that it
will take great deal of gold to stop the
holes that are forming in them. But the
great white grinders are as sound as ever,
and will remain so uatil Uncle Samuel
thinks the time has come for opening bis
mouth. In the meantime they keep CT
grinding in quiet way, though the others
cave had to stop biting for long time.
When Uncle Samuel opens his mouth, they
will be as ready for work as ever but those
poor discolored teeth will be tender for a
great while, aud never be so strong as they
were before they foOlisbly declared them
selves out of their sockets.