Fayette County herald. [volume] (Washington [Washington Court House], Fayette County, O. [Ohio]) 1860-1???, 1867-11-07
MAKE YOUR OWN PLEASURES.

likely TO make a little boy or CIR
happy. On one side were shelves
stored With books pf such various
kinds that they would suit every
humor you might happen to be mi
stories and tales, histories and trav.
els, books for Sunday and books
for Monday. Underneath, on a
large table, was a pile of picture
books and, more attractive still,
three beautiful Ships, with saiIG.
and rigging, and little cannon all
complete, as ifthey we're real ves-
sells, and so constructed that you
could take them for . make-belisve
sail along the passage, when you.
could not put them on the pond
out Of doors. On the other side
Of the room was a rocking horse,
and in the middle were two ropes,
fastened by hooks to the ceiling,
by means ofwhieh you might swing
or twist yourself about into some
Of the strange attitudes which little
children delight in.
But the owner Of these pleasant
things did not seem any better for
tham; on the contrary, he was
standing at the window, pressing
his nose against the pane as if he
was not thinking about them at all
A yawu made Nurse look up from
her work. "Why don't you get
something to do, Master Henry?'
ehe asked.
II can't" replied the child, ',.for
there is nothing for me to do" .
"Well, did l ever hear the like Of
thae?p cried Nurse. "Why there's
the swing, and the ships, and the
rocking horse, besides heaps ofpuz-
zles in the cupboard" |
~ don't want Them said Master
Henry; I'm tired Of them all, !
want to go out.
"very likely, sir, in this drizzling
rain; spoil your clothes, and catch
your death of cold into the bargain,
Other young gentlemen would be
satisfied at home with all these play
things"
Il don't care about other young
gentlemen; know I can never do
anything I want to do"
"Oh, Master Henry, for shame
when there's everything gotforyou,
and everything done for you, and
you ought to be the happiest little
boy alive" trf,.,
We do not wonder that Nurse
should be shocked, but she was
wrong there, for there was no ought
In the case. Nobody ever is or can
be happy, although he may have ev-
to make him so, unless his
own mind is in state to be pleased
and to be made happy Henry was
. spoiled child-his mind lnconse.
luence was restless and discomfort
I'd and when we have those feel
ags githin. us, they put everything
wrong outside us. 1t is quite im-
possible, then, for outward circum-
stances to please us--it is like hay
ng mist before our eyes, so that {
We cannot see the sunshine and the
pleasant things of life.
Just outside the garden wall Of
the house where Henry lived, a diff
rerent scene was going on. Some
large trees had been cut down, and
we're lying by the roadside; some ]
carpenters had left a plank there
too, and as Tim and Bob, the gar
lener's boys, came home from the {
village school, the prospect it held
6nt Of q see-saw was much too in,
fiting to he resisted. So the plank
was hoisted over one OF the fallen
runks In a minute, and in another
minute the two boys were going up
md down to their hearts content,
81 sar Tim. isn't il fNmousf"
GLORIOUS p shouted Tim, in re.
,ly, as his turn came to go up and
heir sister, who had come out Of
he cottage to look on, clarped her
lands in accompany. True, it tlOoked :
is II 1t would rain, but the pros
,cct of II did not spoil their fun a
Jlt
Yet these children were very
,oor, their clothes were coarse and !
hreadbare, and they did not always
,et quite enough to eat; how was .
they could be so happy2 j
4 win tell you. II is beeausc y
hey had contentcd spirits, and be \ !,