The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1869-02-04
Children and their Sayings.


out the shallowness of parental excuses,
Inconsistencies. Instance in point, my lit
tie friend Willie.
He had just begun to go to school, but,
strange to say, did not like it-for which
reason | fear he can never become Presi-
dent of the United States. 1t wa, rather
unfortunate, perhaps, that his first expert
ence of school aud of snow fell together.
Temptation came to him i'll the shape of a
sled, with red runners, and he fell an easy
victim to it. So it was that about school
time he became subject to an accession Of
headache, which made confinement impos-
sible, but did not at all interfere with his
going out to slide after an hour or two at
home.
One glorious morning, in particular, he
came to his mother with ' dretfnp' head
ache-school was not to be thought of un-
der such circumstances.
every we'll, Willie," said she, g if you
have bad headache you must stay at
home, but remember you must not come
afterwards and ask to 60 and slide
Not half hour afterwards up came Will
his usual petition.
"No, Willie, you know told you if you
staid at home ! should not let you 60 out
with your sled, and you wouldn't have me
tell lie, would you?'
Willie turned away thoughtfully, but d
moment after his face frightened up as he
saw path out OF the dilemma, and he sid
led up to his mamma with confidential
whisper:
81 don't want you to tell lie, mother,
but couldn't you Just .fr 1t, you know, as
you do when you put me to bed and say
you are not going out, and then go?"
Not inaptly has the faith of the little
child" been held up as an example for the
emulation of the grown. Harry had been
told that whatever he asked for in earnest
ness of heart would be granted of God. II
was raining one summer day, and he want-
ed to go out and paddle with bare feet in
the pools that had formed. g Mamma" he
said, $ do you think that bod would stop
raining a little while if | ask him?"
9 Perhaps so," she replied.
Harry went to the window and put out
his head as far as he could stretch it,
bod bod" he cried, " stop 'yainu'
please; l want to go out and paddle"
A flash Of lightning and clap Of thun-
der made him dodge in his head, as you've
seen terrapin retire into its shell. "Mam~
ma" said he, 81 guess Dod's angry be-
cause didn't say mister
BY and by he tried it again $ | say bod
NJ. Dod-won't you please stop yainin'
a lttle?"
Coincidently, the sun looked out from
the clouds, and the shower resolved itself
into a few rattling drops 6 That'll do, Mr..
Dod," he said, waving his hand in a rather
patrouizing manner,' u can put on my old hat.
A friend Of mind has two bright little
boys - Freddy, between three and four
years old, and Willie about five. A chron-
iele Of their doings and sayings would fill
a volume, but two specimens must suffice.
Both were very fond Of milk, and a mug
Of it always completed their supper. 1t so
chanced that they one day saw the Girl
milking.
There, Willie" said Freddy, $ you see
that, do you? | don't want any more milk
after the cows had it" and he Withdrew
very much disgusted.
That evening when their mugs of milk
were placed on the table both stood un-
touched. A reason of this phenomenon
being asked, Freddy simply declared that
he didn't want any milk after the COW had
had it, but further refused to explain.
Willie, however, told Of the discovery of
the morning.
The mother then explained to them that
the milk did not come to them second hand
that the COW ate grass, which was chang
ed into milk by wonderful chemical pro-
cess, akin to that which produced every
thing in nature. In the light Of this expla-
still turned up his nose at milk, sticking by
the original proposition.
After supper, Willie, who on these i'm
portant occasions always acted as expouud-
er, took his brother aside into a corner.
"It's all right, Freddy" he said, +" and you
can just 60 on drinking your milk again.
The COW eats grass, and that's what makes
it. Now if the COW didn't eat the grass,
you'd have to, you see. That's what the
cows for.'
Freddy resumed his evening draughts
To his mind the only alternative was eat
ing grass, and from that he shrank.
On another occasion the mother was tell
ing Freddy about the proposed sacrifice of
Isaacby Abraham, assisting his comprehen-
sion Of it by the picture Of it in the old fam
lily Bible. There lay the boy bound on the
altar, while the patriarch brandshed a huge
knife, drawn back apparently within an inch
of the nose of the ram, which stood looking
out from the bushes as unconcernedy as
though it were not his own funeral The
mother was expatiating on the greatness of
the sacrifice and the opportuness of the sub
stitute, when Freddy, whose feelings were
now worked up to the fever pitch, surprised
her by shouting out, I" Sleepy, sleepy. why
don't you grab the knife and run?"
His sympathies lay wholly with the sheep,
which will recall to the readers mind The
story of the little girl who was affected to
tears on being shown the picture of Daniel
in the den of lions. On being told she need
not cry, for the prophet was not devoured,
it turned out that she was distressed for fear
that one little lion in the corner would not
get ANYTHING to eat. Daniel beino evidently