The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1869-02-11

"a 41AN11 WA0O 01hCahhs
A disposition to take the weak side and
help 1t up has beset us, all our life long.
Maybe II is this tendency that now inclines
Us to apologize for Lettering.
At this announcement imagine unnunl-
bered hands OF countless mothers, masters,
merchants aud business folk generally, held
up in depreciation OF, or even in threat, at
such wasting heIesy! Is it not enough al
ready to Try the patien"e OF saint that boys
are such incorrigible ioiteIers? What effand
can now be perfected in less than twice the
time really needed? How untaithful are
young peoplei "How slow our Sam. is" says
one, when sent on business; but tell hun
to set ready TO 60 a. fishing, and there is not
lazy bone in himr @FF fft0@
We'll, after serious recall and review
oil my own childhood, am satisfied that /
never did do things that l cared nothing Tor
rs promptly or as well as things which were
OF personal interest. Also, remember that
never served people that did not like as
well as those whom / loved. Also, that peo-
pc who were harsh, and who manifested no
sympathy with toys feelings, seldom were
Cbeyeu as Willingly as they were who beiieV-
Ell that boys have feelings.
Let aunt Chandler say, "Henry, are you
doing anything? Would you just as lief run
down 10 Goodwin d Gapin's store and get
me some snuff? Here's penny Tor some ran
sins Tor yourself"
II you never saw o bareiooted country boy
on race, head back, chest lull forward, and
his teet twinking over the grass like ma
ehinery whiried by steam, it would have done
you good TO see me! No lettering, III war
yantl
Lut If sterner voice, calling me from
play, eeremptorily ordered me on an errand,
WITH the genial suggestion, SNOW, do not
loiter. You will be punished if you dop it
seemed as II nature I: gan to whisper, from
hedge, and from stone wall, and from trees
and barns, bridge and well, stop minute,
boy, and look hereV
saw birds nestl-never saw it before;
though | had passed hundred times. A
squirrel, too, mISt be chased into his hole.
Inat apple tree must be looked after. Ripe
irnit was probably waiting Tor my lips. Then,
must peep through the picket fence at those
g'owins poppies-and big, black, good dog
would come out to play with me land Tins
meat Gait would come along, and he wanted
me 10 ride with him around block or two
And the store was full OF pretty things-and
tue sky was balmy, and the ouds lay silent
and still up there, with full liberty to loiter,
and no shrill wind at home to scold them tor
not making haste,-and the great elms had
each drowsy and happy look, standing still
Ia the warm sunshine-oh, it was against ma
ture to huIry! had to loiter! Yet. after
eeulns home,-well, 1t IS hard to change
poetic necessity int plausible excuse. And
ho. it otlen beiell nae, that the alacrity which
neglected In walking was made up in The
dance which Immediately followed! The fid-
dung was earnest and admirable, but was
not fond OF 1t. 1I og i
Wen, 'o'tering was never whipped out Of
me. And to this hour 1t seems to me that
taere are worse things in this world than
that. Is man TO give up all permissible
vices, slch as drinking, smoking, card play
ms, anu have no offset or equivalent? May
he not 'lnger at sEop window, look at the
pictures, and dream while he gazes, imagin-
ing no" happy such and such an one would
b. with this enH aving or that for Christ
mas present, or how that sweet landscape
would cheer poor--'s sick bed, hanging
over against her sunken eyes, that shall new
er more look on green fie.ds2 May not one
stand nalt hid at the corner, and read the
faces oil men as they pass, and muse on many
lings which be sees? W. ma
ar I'M mn Al N~1ln Er%,,