, 1864-04-16
Uncle Aaron's Travels.

HOOHs Lucy uuu plbCuou, uhu IunIOieu,
and wrestled, and rolled till they were
heated and not little tired. Their stories
were too few and short to last long, and
they were wondering what to do next, when
Uncle Aaron came round the corner.
"Oh! Uncle Aaron, Uncio Aaron" shout.
cd they, " won't you please stop few min-
utes You are the very man We want"
"Well, what do you want with me 2"
said the good.natured, kind.hcarted man.
It's only such that acquire the title Of
q" Uncle" to all the children Of the neighbor.
hood.
"We want you to tell us about your
travels. We know you have been q great
way olE-all the way to New Jersey-and
you must have seen strange things there.
What did you find that's wonderful We
don't want to hear anything that's not won
derful."
Uncle Aaron's mouth drew down very
little, and his eyes seemed to laugh the least
bit.
"Well, boys, whea got down to Jer.
sey, did see something that was worth
seeing"
ave have heard that it's agrcat place for
mosquitoes and all that kind. Of things"
"Yes it is. lnow remember going down
on tho salt marsh"
"What's marsh?"
'lt's meadow"
"And what makes il salt Z"
"lt is so near tho salt water and is so
low, that the waters overflow 1t ut full
tides"
"As was saying, went down on the
salt marsh, and the mosquitoes did come
around, awful hungry. How did they
bite! ! was standing under q willow tree
when they came upon me. Some would
fly at MO and some would run mp on the
tree and bark land so large too! A great
many of them would weigh pound! Then
! went. down on the sand beach and walked
along till came to some tall grass, growing
in the salt water. It was low tide, and tho
grass was left, and every spear had great
number Of live fish hanging to il! Then
looked into little creek and saw fish
swimming sideways!
The boys had risen up and were standing
round Uncle Aaron with their eyes open,
and their mouths shut, as If breathing hard.
30, Uncle Aaron! what wonderful
things! But we can't believe them! Is all
this truly and really so n
"Yes, truly and really so; but what is
so hard to believe?"
"Why, that the mosquito would run up
q tree and bark like dogl"
al did not say that. ! said they ran up
on the tree and on the bark of the tree. |
said nothing about their barking, or about
q dog ~
"Oho! tive see through e: But you
did say that great many Of thcm would
weigh pound apiece ~
"No, | said no such thing. l said great
many Of them would weigh pound-and
| have no doubt they would, but il would
take great many"
"Ahl we begin to sec! But what about
those great, live fish that you saw holding
on to the grass2"
81 did not say they were great fish.
On the contrary, they were very small.
They were young oysters"
Sand those fish that you saw swimming
sideways"
"Were crabsl" said Unclc Aaron.
The boys looked at each other, as if TO
say, snow shall we laugh or be mad |"
But in moment goodnature prevailed, and
they shouted
"Now, my boys" said Unclo Aaron,
you see have told you nothing but what
was really true, end yetit was told in such
way that my travels seemed wonderful.
So you will find il all through life. You
will meet with men and travels that seem
marvellous, just from the way they tell their
stories. But It is wrong. I should have
done wrong had Inot determined would
set you all right before We parted. In the
Bible you will find wonderful things-but
It's not because they are told in strange
manner. but because they are things which
God did, and therefore, like all he does, are
wonderful. Indeed, one Of the names which
belong TO Christ Is Wonderf,lP lie never
dcceives US, though his travels are all won.
derfulw
Uncle Aaron had taught the boys to think
and be accurate.
A Hoosier, an ugly man, relating his