Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1862-05-17

The FIRST AMERICAN POETRY.-1here
are few boys and girls in this country who
have not heard the nursery rhyme sung by
their mother while rocking in the cradle:
.'Lull-a-by baby upon the tree top;
When the wind blows the cradle will rock;
when the bow breaks the cradle will fall
And down will come cradle and baby and ALL"
But how many know the origin of the SIM
pic llnesl We have the following account
from the records of the Boston Historical So
ciety:
"Shortly after our forefathcrs landed at
Plymouth, Massachusetts, a party were out in
the field where the Indian women were pick
ing strawberries. Several Of these women, or
squaws as they were called, had papooscs,
that is babies, and having no cradles, they
had them tied up in Indian fashion, and hung
from limbs Of surrounding trees. Sure enough.
when tho wind blew, these cradles would
rock A young man Of the party observing
this, peeled of piece Of the bark. and wrote
the above lines, which, it is believed, is the
first poetry written in America.
"WHAr's THE TINE l"-Rcader. did you
Won ever, after asking this question. notice
the different style in which it would be an.
swered, according as the person interrosated,
had gold watch or a silver watch! 1t is n
rare chance to learn a lesson in human nature.
In the one case, your friend turns round till
his back is nearly squared towards you, and
drawing out his "pinchbcck" barely to the
edge Of the fob, steals quick, furtive glance
Mt tho dial, then hurries back the article like
lightning to it's receptacle; in the other, he
draws out his splendid, fall,jewclcd repeater
slowly and deliberately, with great pomposity
md flourish, and extending it at arms length
between his two hands, gives you tho desired
information and one of his blandcst smiles in
addition.
The Coop OLD TIMEs.-Iiving was
cheap enough in the olden time. Socrates
was supposed to have lived upon an income
Of seventy.fve dollars; but he lived worse
than slave. His coat was shabby, and he
wore the same garment summer and winter |;
h. went bare-footed; his chief food was bread
and water; and a. he engaged in no business
to mend his estates or income, it is not won
derful that his wife scolded. Demosthcnes,
his sister and their mother, paid for their
board $lo5 year, and provided tho house in
the bargain.
y Keep out Of debt-out Of quarrels-
out Of law-out Of politics-out Of idleness-
out Of thin-solcd shoes-out Of damp clothes
out Of the roach Of brandy-out Of public
ofiice-out Of matimony (unless you are IN
love )eand keep clear oi the monstrous sin Of
cheating the printer out Of his just ducs.
- The young infant Of spain has osiy
ninetv-nine baptismal names bestowed upon
her. Their nero enumesatioa takes up
twcnty-eight lines of the small type Of the
New York Herald. What's in . name!
~ Srvcntcen a Boaapartcis soldicus, pri-
Yates in the ranks, became csninrnt tvo were
kings. two psinces. mine dukes, two 6ssld mar
shals. and two sraera6-
SrOxR BL0cEAOg.-Prutice thinks that
the stoae hlockadc. while rocking in The era
die Of the deep" win prove lallahy to the
commerce of thc rebels
II To the Dutch. the lsslies of al nations
ARE indebted for TIE inveatiou of the thimble.
The great sc6isvcnneaf occsrrcd al,oat the
year 1880.
1 Tbe cotton mills in Naise have on
bad sbost $4,000 balss At eottsm; enoagh to
keep the grrairr pan Of them going for come
time vet.
- The most likely thing u make = rsbel
seegv is 10 o4sr 70 hin. ssAsr trying cirrxm-
stances, the priviless Of taking the oath Of al.
l~sianee.
~ Some people will never learn anything.
this rsasea: shsy learn everything too soon.
tTObscsrs vsitsrs, Ike turbid streams,
s-cm deeper than they svs.
~ Evesy nAn has his friends. If l'c knew
wher. 70 find them.
~ The plsssurc Of dispisine is at all times
dangerous luxury.
- It Is not in brutes we find the moat
brutality.
Where hard work kills ten, idlsness kills
a hundred.