The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1865-03-08
Wednesday Morning, March 8, 1866.
How to Pick HncklebArrias.

When L first knew Mr.. John HorHely be
was an old white-hsired man, and very rich
AS he seemed never to have been in any great
business, such as merchants and spectators
now engage in, and as he was never accused
of being dishonest man, it was always a
mystery to me how he came to be so rich. l
knew that his father was poor country, cler-
gyman, and that John could have received no
property from him. Meeting my friend one
day, when our conversation happened to turn
on the subject of gathering property, / yentur-
ed to ask him how it was that he had been SO
successful in lite. ,-5 w ~. +
when was boy" said he, "my father
was poor minister. We lived very plain,
and dressed very plain, but that never troubled
u.s. We always had enough OF something to
eat, and my mother was one who would con-
trive to have her children dressed neatly, if
not richly. One day, when I was little tel-
low, several little boys and glrls came along,
on their way to pick huckleberfies. They in
vlted me to go with them, and when | saw
their bright faces and their little baskets and
the bright afternoon, wanted to go with
my mother 4 saw she synpathiEed with me,
but said must go and ask father.
"And where is father?"
''Up in the study. of course"
up bounded hat in hand. and gently
knocked at his door. He bade me come in.
"Well, Johnny, what is your wish?"
u want, sir, TO 90 with the children and
pick huckleberries." ssss,
'sWhere are they going?"
"Only to Johnson,s hill, SIR"
"How many children are there?"
Seven, besides myself. Please let me CO."
use no bad words" aasa
"Away I scampered, and had Just got to
tne bottom OF the stairs, when my father call
ed me back. % dear, its all over now. He's
going to take it all back said to myself.-
Trembling, again stood in the doorway, ex-
pecting to have the permission withdrawn.
Johnny said my father, with a peculiar
smile, i have word OF advice to give you
You will find the berries growing on bushes
standing In clumps, all over the lot. The
children will pick few minutes at one place
and then go OFF to another, in hopes of finding
better picking, and thus they will spend half
OF the afternoon in roaming from one place to
another. Now my advice to you is that when
you find pretty fair picking, stick to that spot
and keep picking there. Your basket at night
VIII show whether my advice is good or
not aa 49, e
Well, sir, followed my fathers advice.
and though the children would wander about
and cry out, %, Johnny, here's a world of
them,' and here is splendid picking and here
you can fill your basket in less than no time, ,
JOh ShuSh W NY ldH plCkllB place. W0eQ
we got through at night, to the astonshment
ment OF every one, and my own no less, it was
found that had nearly twice as many berries
as any other one. They all wondered how it
was. But / knew. And that was the lesson
that made me rich man. Whenever / have
found fair picking have stuck to it. 9th
ers have changed occupations and business,
have moved from one place to another.
have never done SO, and attribute all my sue
cess to the lesson by which learned to pick
huckleberries." s ~
have recalled this conversation and the
form of my old friend, who has long since
passed away, to impress 1t upon the parent,
and upon the teacher, hat single sentence
of instruction may shape the course of the
whole life of the child now under his care
Not only did prosperity and success hang on
the minister's hint, but the shaping OF his
sons whole character for life, and perhaps
forever. How much wisdom we need to
be able to say the right thing at the right
time IaH ral .caH a8#a acH i4
And no less urgently do want to impress
the lesson on the child, that il he is doing
pretty well where he is, If his teacher does
well by him, don't charge, or try another
class, or another school. If your advantages
are less than you could wish, stick to them
and make the most of them. The stone that
rolls tie least gathers the most moss. What
was wise In picking huckleberries, is wise in
every ATTEMPT to learn and gather what is
valuable Reo. DR.. Todd, in Sunday School
Times, oinil a hos..l gW1I