New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1867-07-11
FINE ARTS.

THE TWO GOOD LITTLE BOYS AND THE DIAMOND
p,S-AN ART STORY FOR CHILDREN, WITH A
MoMEYToUs MORAL.
Once on q time there were two little boys who had
such pretty names, and they wore coats and
trousers and boots, and tall hats, and had little
boards and whiskers, and even muStachios, so that
they looked like men, and might have been taken for
such, and yet in reality they were only little boys!
How queer this was! One of these little boys said
one day to the other, 81 know pretty game; will
teach it TO you and we will play it" Oh, said the
other, that will be so nice | will ask mamma if
may play it with YOU" Then he ran away and
asked his ma and she said he might play the game If
il were pious game and had no bad words In 1t.
And the first little boy said there were no bad words
in it at all. but only soft and pleasant words and
then he put one thumb up to his and twirled all
the fingers about in the air in such funny way that
tears ran down his pretty pink cheeks.
Now said tho first little boy this is the game:
will make believe am great critic; and VIII play
write about your pictures IN The Ereninq Boast ana
praise them up TO the skies, and say they arc tho
greatest pictures that ever were painted, and then
will keen your pictures for SALE and will play INTO
one anOtheT's hands, and make oh, so much money
and buy just much peanut candy and ronnd;hearts
said the second little boy. And then, you know
said the first little boy while am praislng your
ncturcS must praise my writing and say what a
great critic am and how much know and how
much better can see with my eyes smut than other
people can with their eyes OPEN and then Ihe Eren-
ing Boast will think me great writer and give me
plenty of money for writing criticisms and puff
ing my own wares, and then we can BUY
more peanut candy and round hearts without end.
And the two nice little boys played this game for q
long while, and all the other little boys came ana
stood round and laughed TO sec one little boy with
shngle stuck up against stone dauoing l' on
write on piece of board with another STICK, ana
scratching his head and running his fingers through
his hair, inst as critics always 40 wneh tnel are
writing. Then one Of them cred out p VIII play L
am Prince Of Wales and You can get MS all To pay
you n great many pennies Tor that shlngle OF ms
with the daubng on 1t, great many more than ii IL
worth and then You can make hehevc present ~ 70
Re as token of respect. and VIII make speech,
and give yOu this patent shield PIN which my
mother has put in my dress and say that this small
Qft family expresses the extent of my regard Tor
you." SO they played this long while. 1t
WAS so nice, and they got good many pennies
together and then they went To the old woman on
the corner and bought peanut candy, and penny Ice
cream, and waiiles, and dough-nuts, and bananas,
and round hearts, and ate much that they were
nearly sick, and then they made believe buy the
shingle with the mud on IT, and the other boy played
he was the agent and he carried II to the Prince, and
TIE Prince said little speech that he bad learned,
and then lac took ont the shield pin and gave II 10
the agent. and then he got ont broom stick, and
made believe ride back to the palace And they had
such nice time.
Now. the second little boy, who was good pious
little boy. who always had Sunday. school book III
and stamp with his naughty little feet. aud 10 throw
sand with pebbles in It at the first little boy and TO
stick mis- tongue out at him so arl-Oh. II seems rs
if he never could get il back again And why was
this thus He said that the shcld-pin wa his, and
that the Prince had meant IL for him. But the inst
little boy. who was not plOus, and who only read
Beadles Dime Novels said that of course the Prince
has meant the pin for him, that the agent always
got a reward for his services, and that nobody cared
for the painter So he put the pin into his scarf and
brushed his hairhigh on his head and put clean
dickcy, ana went TO rs many tca-partcs as ever ne
could and danced with all the nice girls he could
find and told every one how the pin was bis and how
the Prince Of Wales had given HIM the pin for beng
an agent and getting him such q nice picture.
Then the second little boy kept getting rcdder IN
the face and rcddcr. and he made such fuss that az
last some one went and found the little boy had
played Prince and asked him whom he meant the
pin for the agent or the artist. And the Prince
laughed and said, Z" OF course meant IL for the
fist who ever heard Of giving Token Of Regard
20 an agent Hut when the hrst boy heard this he
put his thumb 10 his nose and said the Prince did
not know what he was talking about, and that the
pin was meant for him and not for the boy who
daubed the mud on the shngle. Then he put on an
other clean dickcy and pushed his hair up higher
than ever and wen! to more tea parties and danced
with oh, so mann gills and told them all that the
pin his and they said lac was such dear
man.
And those two pretty little boys still quarTclng
about the pin. and they have been quarreling FOR
seven years Oh how naughty IL is 10 quarrel! And
how naughty il i TO take pm that docs not belong
to you, and ii to tea parties and say il is yours
And how silly 1t Is to write letters about such
small business and PRINT them, and go 10 law about
it, and let everybody know that dscrcditaJle affair
that nobody believed is after all good deal worse
than the worst that was ever said about 1t.