The post. [volume] (Middleburg, Snyder County, Pa.) 1864-1883, 1870-08-18
The story OCthf Good Little
hoy who did not Prosper.
BY MARK TWAIN.

Once there was u good little hoy by
the name of Jacob Bliycns. lie al
ways obcyed his parents, no matter
how absurd aud unreasonable their de-
mands were and he always learned
his book, and never was lato at Sab-
bath school. lie would not play
hockey, even when his sober judge
neut told him il was the most profta.
BILE thing ho could do.-NoDe OF the
Other boys could ever make that boy
out, he acted 80 strangely. lie would'n;
lie no matter how convenient it was.
lie Just said it was wrong to lie, ahi
that was sufficient for him. And he
was so honest that he was simply RI
liculoas. The curious ways that
Jacob had surpassed everything lie
woudn' t play marbles on Sunday, he
wouldn't rob birds nests, he wouldn't
give hot pennies to organ grinders
monkeys he didn't seem TO take any
interes. in any kind Of rational amuss-
mcnt So the other boys used to try
to reason it out aud come to an under
standing with him. but they couldn't
arrive at any satisfactory conclusion /;
rs | said before, they could only figure
out sort Of vague idea that he was
afflicted" aud SO they took him under
their protection, and never allowed auy
harm 10 come TO him.
This good little boy read all tho
Sunday school books; they were his
greatest delight. This wasthe whole
secret of 1t. He believed in the good
little boys they put in the Sunday
school books he had every confidence
10 them. lie longed to come across
one of them alive, once but he never
did. They all died before his time,
may be. When he read about par
:icular good one. he turned over quick
ly to see what became Of him, because
he wanted to travel thousands Of miles
and gaze on him but it wasn't any
use; that good littlo boy always died
in the last chapter, and there was II
picture Of a funeral, with all his rela-
tions and the Sunday school children
standing around the grave in paui a.
looms that were too short. and bonnets
that were too large, and everybody
crying into handkerchicfs that had as
mucl, as d yard and a half of stuff iu
them. lfc always headed Oft in this
way. He never could see one of
those little boys, on account of his
/ "A l., sha laot chnntAr
Jacob had a noble ambition to be
put iu Sunday school book. lie
wanted TO be put in, with pictures
representing his gloriously declining
TO lie to his mother and she weeping
for joy about il; and pictures repre-
senting him standing on the doorstep
giving a penny to poor begar woman
with six children, and telling her to
spend il freely, but not to be extrayi'
gaut, because extravigance is sin ;
aud pictures Of him maguanimously
refusing 10 tell on the bad boy who al
ways lay in wait for him around the
corner, as he came frsm school, and
welted him over the head with lath,
and then chased him home saying,
Hi! Hill" as he proceeded. This
was the ambition Of young Jacob Bliy'
eus. He wished to bo put in Sun.
day school book. 1t made him feel
70 little uncomfortable sometimes when
be reflected that the good little boys
always died. He loved to live, you
lkoow and this was tho most uuDleas-
ant feature about being Sunday 'chool
book boy. He knew It was unhealthy y
to be good. lie knew that it wa;
more fatal than consumption TO be &c
superuaturally good as the boys In
tho books were he knew that none o
them had ever been able to stand il
long, and It panied him TO think tha
, liz they put him 10 q book be wouldn't
ever see it, or oven If they did get thu
book out before no died, it wouldn'
be popular without any picture OF BIZ
)| funeral 10 the back part OF 1t. i
cou ldn't bc much Of Sunday schoo
book that couldn't tell about tho nd
! wise ho gave 70 the community wheI
hs was dying, So, at last, Of course
he had to mako up his mind TO do th
: best he could under the circumstance
!: Ito live right, aud hang on as lonl
q hs could, and have his dyinl
speech oil ready when ks time saus
!. bat soasAow nothing svsr ven
lukes 49, ~. 49, .'.i.r' ~. e. -,