The Evansville journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ind.) 1866-1870, 1866-04-26

SHOES. ne nau very DflgnJ DIdcK
eyes, and they twinkled very much as
he looked at Tom and smiled.
Servant, sirl' said Tom, edging
himself little further off.
Miserable slave, said the small
man, " art thou so lost to the noble
sense of freedom that thy very salu-
tation acknowledges mere stranger
as thy master?"
Who are you, said Tom, land
how dare you call me a slave?"
Tom, said the small man, with a
knowing look, don't speak roughly.
Keep your rough words for your wife,
my man. she is bound to bear them
what else is she for in fact?"
I'll thank you to let my affairs
alone, interrupted Tom.
Tom, I'm your friend; | think [
can help you out of your difficulty. /
admire your spirit. Would I demean
myself to work for master, and at
tend to all his whims?"
AS he said this the small man stop
ped and looked very earnestly into
the stream. Drip drip, drip went
the water over a little fall in the stones
and wetted the water cresses till they
shone in the light, while the leaves
| futtered overhead and checkered the
moss with glittering spots of sunshine.
Tom. watched the small man with
earnest attention as he turned over
| the leaves of the crosses. At last he
saw him snatch something which
looked like a fish, eput of the water,
! and! put it in hisTpocket. sasrxe 81,
g It's my beliefs Tom" he said, re-
Stunning the conversation, that you
have been puzzling your head with
what people call Political Economy"
Il Never heard of such thing, ;"
said Tom; but I've been thinking
! that / don't see why I am to work
any more than those who employ
me- 8
\" Why, you see, Tom, you must
have money. Now it seems to me
there are but four ways of getting
money. There's Sealing a2
Which don't suit me, interrupt
ed Tom.
Very good. Then there's borrow
2 Which / don't want to do
And there's begging
g No, thank you, . said Tom, stoutly.
And there's giving moneys worth
for the money; that is to say, work,
labor" ~
Your words are as fine as SER
mon, said Tom
But look here, Tom," proceeded
the man in green, drawing his hand
out of his pocket, and showing little
dripping fish in his palm, what do
you call this?"
II call it a very small minnow, ;"
said Tom.
And do you see anything very
particular about his tail?"
1t looks uncommon bright, an
! sWered Tom, stopping to look at it.
" 1t does" said the man in green,
aud xaoxu I'll falis-4>---4A<A4>..1A4Rs aa. Ts..a
resolved to BE- your friend. Every
minnow in this stream-they are very
scarce, mind you-but every one of
them has a silver tail"
You don't say so, y exclaimed Tom,
opening his eyes very wide, = fishing
for minnows and being ones own
master, would be great deal pleas
anter than the sort of life I've been
leading this many a day."
well, keep the secret as to where
you get them, and much good may it
do you, said the man in green.
Farewell, ! wish you joy of your
freedom" So saying, he walked away,
leaving Tom on the bank of the stream
full Of joy and pride. He went to his
master and told him that he had an
opportunity for lettering himself, and
rose with the dawn, and went to work
searching for minnows. But of all
the minnows in the world never were
any SO nimble as those with the silver
tails. They were very shy, too, and
had as many turns and doubles as a
hare; what a life they led himl They
made him stroll up the stream for
miles; then, just as he thought his
chase was at an end, and he was sure
of them, they would leap quite out of
the water, and dart down the stream
/ again like little silver arrows. Miles
and miles he went, tired and wet. and
hungry. He came home late in the
evening, completely wearied and foot
sore, with only three minnows in his
pocket, each with a silver tall
But, at any rate, he said to HIM
self as he lay down in his bed,
though they lead me a pretty hard
life, and | have to work harder than
ever, yet [ certainly am free; and no
man can order me about now"
This went on for whole week; he
worked very hard; but ON Saturday
afternoon he had caughtonly fourteen
minnows."
IF it wasn't for the pride of the
thing" he said to himself" I'd have
no more to do with fishing fer min
nows. This is tie hardest work /
ever did. ] am quite slave to them.
/ rush up and down, | dodge in and