Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1865-10-05
I How to Pick Huekleberries.

.Wbea / FIRST knew Mr. John Horsely, lie was
an old white haired man, and very rich. AS he
scemednevrtoh have been in any great business,
such as merchants and specuIators now engage
in. and as he was never accused Of being q dis
honest man, it was always mystery to me
how he came 10 be SO rich. i knew that his
father was a POOR country clergyman, 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, 1ventured to askhim
how it was that he had been 50 successful in
life. u. \. '..,... ...s ,.,l ~ =
..When was a boy, : said he, s my father
was poor minister Weiliyed very plain and
dressed very plain, but that never troubled US:
We always had enough Of something to eat,
and my mother was one who would co-Hiveto
have her children dressed neatly if not richly.
One day when was little fellow, several boys
and girls came along, on their way to pick
huckleberries. gTheyinvitedme to go with them.
So Invent into the house aud asked my mother
saw she sympathized with me, but said l.
must GO and asked my father ?',ggs warns g
"And where is father?" .ioiisf A'Ei
aUpin the study, of course sali 8 isoH
Up Ibounded, hat in hand, and gently knock
ed at the door. He bade me come in. 2 osfo'
g Well, Johnny what is your wish o. ~
"Iwant, sir, to go withthe children and pick
huckleberrics.p bnd sd' hagese sad aiai8Iii
t,Where are you going ?Dns linllob Liassi Z
.aOnly to Johnson's hi II, SIR" saw sa1 s15ls'
:. How many children are there f'ol3 1ss3 as
"YSeyen besides myself, Please let me go"
SWELL be good boy, and use no bad words!'
Away / scampered, and had just got to the
bottom Of the stairs, whenmy father called me
back. o dear, it's all over now he's going to
take it all back, said Ito myself, Trembling,
again stood in the doorway, expecting to have
the permission withdrawn ils5iall 2dt
"Jolin,' said my father, with peculiar
smile. II have aword of advice to give you.--
You will find the berries growing. on. bushes
standing in clumps all over the lot. The chill
dren will pick few minutes at one place, and
then 90 off to another in hopes of finding better
picking, and thus they viii spend half of the
aftcrnoonir roaming from one place to another.
Now, my advice to youis, that when you lind
r.etty $50 Pt~l-i~e, ->i-' to that snot and keen
picking theresd Your basket at night viii show
whether my advice was good or not" .yisam
Y"Well, 1 followed my fathers advice, and
though the children would wander about and
cry out, 80, Johnny, here is world of them,
and ''here is splendid picking, and ''here you
can fill your basket in less than no time, yet
stuck to my fair picking place. When We got
through at night, to the astonishment 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 il was; but 1
knew. And that was the lesson that made me
a richman. When Ihave found f'fair picking,
| have stuck to it.. Others have changed oceu-
patton and business, and have moved from one
ulace to another, i have never done so, and 4
attribute all my success to the lesson by which
Tlearned to pick huckleberries.-ReU. John
Todd, d. d. ,TyWoq yilia.fc saa.assfg 9a