Dodgeville chronicle. [volume] (Dodgeville, Wis.) 1862-current, 1866-06-07


wandering boys broke up the simple taste
and wandering habits which old Mother Ma
ture had always kept in those parts. The,
pulled the young checkerberry before i
/ even had time to blossom, rooted up the sas
| off guns at the birds, and, on several occa
sions when old Bullfrog was leading con
cert, had dashed in and broken up the choil
by throwing stones.
This was not the worst Of it. The littl'
varlets had a way Of jeering at the simple
| old Doctor and his concerts, and mimickinG
the tones of his bass-viol. "There you go
PaIdy-go-donk, Paddy GO umph-
chunk, "-same rascal Of boy would shout
while poor old Bullfrog's yellow spectacle:
would be believed with tears Of honest in
dignation. In time, the jeers Of the little
/ sayages began to tell on the society Of the
| forest. and TO corrupt their simple manners;
| and it was whispered among the younger
| and more heady birds and squirrels, thai
| old Bullfrog was bore, and that it was
time to get up a new style of music in the
| parish, and to give the charge Of it to some
modern performer.
Poor Old DR.. Bullfrog heard nothing Of
this, however, and was doing his simple
best, in peace, when Mother Maybe called
in upon him, one morning.
Well Aeighbor, how unreasonable people
are! Who would have thought that the
youth Of our generation should have nc
! more confederation tor established merit
Nov, for my part, I think your music teach
ing was never better; and as for our choir,
| maintain that it was never in better order,
but-well, one may wear her tongue out,
but one can never make these young people
listen to reas on"
81 really don't understand you, ma'am,
said poor Dir. Bullfrog.
"What. you havn't heard Of g committee
that Is going to call on you, to ask you to
ask you to resign the care Of the parish
music ?"
Madam" said Dir. Bullfrog, with all
that energy of tone for which he was re-
markableyatsI don't believe it, can't be-
leve it. You must have made mistake"
~ mistake No, no my good friend; [
never make mistakes. What know, know
certainly. Wasn't it ] that said I knew
there was an engagement between Tim Chip
munk and Nancy Nibble, who are married
this blessed day? 1 knew that thing six
weeks before any bird or beast in our parts !;
and can tell you that you are going to be
scandalously and ungratefully treated, Or
Bullfrog."
s.Bless me, we shall al be ruined !" said
Mrs. Bullfrog ''my poor husband"
go, as to that, if you take things in time,
and listen TO my advice" said Mother Mag
pie, 'we may yet pull you through. You
must alter your style little,-adapt it to
modern times. Everybody now is little
fa.sfhod with TIM ia and thnrn'a
Tommy Oriole has been to New Orleans and
brought back touch of the artistic. If
you would try his style little,-something
Fyroleau you see."
. Dear madam, consider my voice, could
never hit the high notes"
g How do you know? It's all practice
Tommy Oriole says SO. Just try the scales.
AS TO your voice, your manner Of living has
great deal TO do with it. always did tell
you that your passion for water injured
your singing. Suppose Tommy Oriole
should sit halt his days up to MS hips in the
water, as You do,-his voice would be as
hoarse and rough as yours. Come up on
the bank, and learn to perch, as we birds
do. We are the true musical race"
And so, poor Mr.. Bullfrog was persuaded
to forego his pleasant little cottage under
The cat-tails, where his green spectaeles and
honest round back had excited, even in the
minds OF the boys, sentiments of respect
and compassion. He came up into the gar
den, and established himself under bur
dock, and began to practice Italian scales.
The result was, that poor old Bullfrog,
instead Of being considered asa respectable
old bore, got himself universally laughed at
tot aping fashionable manners. Every bird
and beast in the forest had q gibe at him;
ana even old Parson Too-whit thought it
worth his while to make him pastoral
call, and admonish him about courses I'm
betting his age and standing. AS to
Mother Maybe you may be sure that she
assured every one how sorry she was that
that dear old Dr. Bullfrog had made such
fool of himself; if he had taken her advice,
be would have kept on as nice old Bull
frog should.
But the tragedy for the poor old music
teacher grew even more melancholy in its
for one day as he was sitting
under currant-bush in the
garden, practising his poor notes in quiet
way, tkump came great blow of hoe
which nearly broke his back
g Hullo! what ugly beast have we got
here?" said Tom Noakes, the gardeners
boy. Here, here Wasp, my boy"
What fright for a poor, quiet, old Bull
frog, as little wiry, wicked Wasp came at
him, barking and yelping, He jumped
with all his force sheer over a patch of
bushes into the river, and swan back to
his old home among the cat-tails. And al
ways after that it was observable that he
was very low spirited, and took very dark
views of life. hut nothipp made him co ON
CRY as any allusion to Mother Maybe, Of
whom, from that time, he never spoke ex-
eept as Old Mother Mischief