The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1868-01-07
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his return, he was relating to His Sunday
school scholars the slmple incidents Of his
visit. and told them thai, ,as he was walks
ing in the garden with his friend, enjoying
some fine peaches, he asked bini, ''but
how do you manage to preserve your
peaches T. Preserve my peaches i
what DO you mean p asked his frienl.
"Why, don't the boys steal them :"
"SteaF them!" calculated the cIcrgy man,
"no, inlleed do the boys steal fruit in
your village g. "And," said the ,gooi
pastor, the tears rolling down his aged
cheeks, II was obi ged to tell lin that
the boys stoe in my village" 's -
This story Mr. Wilcox related to the
children, ,and observed a numbers $ yly and
sbameiacedy cycling each other. But,
for obvious reasons, he dill not add that
the good clergyman was never troubled
by thlevish boys again. lie preferred
that they should also feel the point.
During the summer, he gave oui nos
lice that all those desiring berries from
his land could have all they could pick, il
each boy would constitute himself an
overseer to prevent the mutilation Of his
orchard and garden, the plucking Of green
fruit and needless irampling down OF the
grass. The plan took Boys as gem
eral thing, like to be made responsible,
and usually keep the trust. They follow
ed carefully the line Of the fence to the
pasture, and kept that path while the
berries lasted. -.
When plums AMI peaches commenced
changing color, Mr.. Wilcox announced
that he SHOULD have a fruit gathering
When they were fully ripe, and invited
the boys to come and assist him. Each
one should have as much as he could eat
aud jolly lime a(terwarl. He kept hi-
word, and found that liberaliiy had
proved his own gain. ,....- .,.- -
Alter the fruit had been carefully pluck
ell from the trees, and the boys invited
into the house, one of them, Robert
Curry, by Tie way, who had been pri-
vately and hurriedly nominated spokes-
man, stepped forward, and informed Mr..
Wilcox that he was showing such gen.
erous spirit, was, in fact such "bully
boy (whcre do boys learn such emphatic
terms, wonder y that they felt that
they felt that they could atforl to be lib.
ercl too. They would, therefore, take
only few of his plums and be satisfied,
Mr.. Wilcox, affected. told them to help
themselves The fruit was carefully as
sorted, and then Robert told the crowd
that, with Mr.. Wilcox's permission, each
boy should receive three plums and three
peaches out of the basket containing the
poorest fruit As there were thirty re-
cipients for tile novelty Of Mr.. Wilcox's
proposition had attracted greedy, Gu
rous pack. he concluded that he had
realized the best Of the bargain. and con-
graduated himself upon his shrewdness.
F'r the ninety little peaches and ninety
wormy plums taken were of little value,
especially as lie had left a large quantrty
Of fine irIiit, that realized the highest
market price lie also realized that hi.
new method of preserving fruit, with
rood nature for sugar, afforded more salts
faction for all parties than his old method,
and that charity. besides covering mul-
ltude OF sins, also prevented the cum initial
of multitude. A penurious spirit and
a sour heart maketh many enemies, but
liberaity and kndness enrich ones life
with much respect, friendship and pleas
ure.