The Iowa plain dealer. [volume] (New Oregon, Howard County, Iowa) 1867-1895, 1870-07-22

We hear again their voices calling,
And memory clasps the hand of hope
a. While snsws are falling.
- --=-=--=-------
The Story Of The Good
Little Boy Who Did
.VOt Prosper.
Mark Twain in the Galaxy
| The following has been written ut the
instance Of several literary friends, who
thought that if the history Of "The Bud
Little Boy who Did not conc to Gricf'' "a
moral sketch published some FIVE or six
years ago. was worthy of preservation sew.
eral weeks in print, q fair and un-prejudic
ed companion-piece to it would deserve O
similar immortality. y.-EDIToR MEMORANDA.
Once there was good little boy
by the name Of Jacob Blivens. He
always obeyed his parents, no matter
how absurd and unrea asonaelc their
demands we're, and he always learned
his book, and never was be late at
Sabbath School. He would not play
at hookey, even when his sober judg-
ment told him it was the most profit
able thing he could do. None Of the
other buys could ever make that boy
out, he acted so strangely. He
wouldn't lie, no matter how conven-
lent it was. He just said it was
wrong to lie, and that was sufficient
for him. And he was so honest that
be was simply ridiculous. The curl
GUS ways that Jacob had sur
passed every thing. ue would ut
play marbles on Sunday, he would mt
rob birds nests. he wouldn't give hot
pennies t. organ-grinders' monkeys;
he didn't seem to take any interest
in any kind Of rational amuseme eut.
So the other boys used to try to rea-
son it out aud come to an understa nd
ing of him, but they couldn't arrivb
at any satisfactory conclusions, as [
said before, they could only 6gure
out sort of vague idea that he was
afflicted, ?" and SO they took him uni
der their protection, and never all
lowod any harm to come to him.
This good little boy read all the
Sunday school books; they were bis
greatest delight. This was the whole
secret of it. He believed in the good
little boys they put in tho Sunday y
school books; he had every confidence
in them. He longed to como across
one of them alive, once; but he new
er did. They all died before his
TING, maybe. Whenever he read
about particularly good one. be
turned over quickly to tho end to see
what became of him, because ho
wanted to travel thousands of miles
and gaze on him; but it wasn't any
use; that good little boy always died
in the last chapter, and there was o
picture Of the funeral, with all his
relations ana the Sunday school
Fchildren standing around the grave
in pantaloons that were too short,
and bonnets that were toe large. and
everybody crying into handkerchiefs
that had as much as yard and q
half of stuff in them. He was al
ways headed off in that way. He
never could SEQ one of those good
little boys, on account Of his algays
dying il the last chapter.
Jacob bad q noble ambition to be
put in q Sunday school book. He
wanted to be put in. with pictures
representing him gloriously declining
to lie for bis mother. and she weep.
ing for joy about it; and pictures rep
resenting him standing on tho door
stop giving penny to poor beggar
woman with six children, and telling
her to spend it freely. but not to be
extravagant, because extrayagance is
: sin, and pictures Of him magnani-
mously refusing to tell on the bad boy
who always lays wait for him around
the corner as ho came from school,
and welted him over the head with q
lath, and chased him home, saying,
Hi ! hi as he proceeded. This
was the ambition Of young Jacob
Blivens. He wished to be put into a
Sunday-school book. It made him
feel little uncomfortab bic sometimes
when be reflected that the good little
boys always died. He loved to live,
you know, and this was the most un.
pleasant feature about being ! Sun.
day school book boy. Ho knew il
was not healthy to bo good. HI
knew it was more fatal than consump.
tion to be so supcrnaturally good ..
the boys in the books were; he know
that none Of them had ever been abl,
to stand it long. and it panied hin
to think that if they put him in I
book he wouldn't ever see it, or ever
if they did get tho book ont before
be died. it wouldn't DO popular with
out any picture Of his funeral in th'
back part Of it. It couldn't bo mucl
of o Sunday school book that couldn'
tell about the advice he gave to tn
community when he was dying. So
at last, of course he had to make VI
his mind to do the best he. could un
der the ciroumstanccs-t0 live right