The post. [volume] (Middleburg, Snyder County, Pa.) 1864-1883, 1870-08-18


screw loose somew here, and il all hap
pened just the other way. When he
found Jim Blake stealing apples. and
when under the tree To read to him
about the bad little boy who fell out
Of the neighbor's apple tree and broke
his arm, Jim fell out of the trco too,
but he fell on him and broke has arm,
and jim wasn't hurt at all. Jacob
couldn't understand that. There
wasn't anything in the books like II.
Aud once, when some bad boys push
ed blind man over in the mUd, and
Jacob ran to help him up aud receive
his blessings, the blind man didn't give
him any blessings ut all, but whacked
him over the head with his stick and
said he would like 20 catch him shov.
ing him again and then pretending to
help him up. This was not in accor-
dance with any of tho books. Jacob
looked them over to sec.
One thing that Jacob wanted to do
was to find lame dog that hadn't
any place to stay, aud was hungry
aud I crsecuted, aud bring him home
and pct him, aud have the dogs i'm.
pcrishablc gratitude. And at last he
found one, and was happy aud he
brougbt..him home aud fed him, but
when he was going to pet him, the
dog few at him and tore all the clothes
off him except those that were iu front
aud made n spectacle OF him that wu.
astonishing lie examined authori.
ties, but could not understand the mat.
ter. 1t was ofthe same breed OF dogs
that WAS in the books, but it acted very
differently. Whatever this boy did e,
he got into trouble. The very thugs
the boys in the books got re wardsd for
turned out to bo the most unprohta-
BILE things he could invest 10.
Once when hc was on the way to
Sunday school he -aw some boys start
ing of plcasuring in a sail-6oat lie
was filled with constcrnation, because
he knew from reading that boys who
went sailing on Sunday invariably
got drowned. So he ran out on u
raft to warn them, but log turned
with him and slid him into the river.
man got him out pretty son, aud
the doctor pumpted the water out Of
him and gave him u fresh start with
his bellows, but ho cought cold and
lay sick abcd nine weeks. But the
most unaccountablc thing about it was
that the bad boys in the boat had q
good time all day, and then reached
home alive and well, in the most sur
prsing manner. Jacob Blivens said
there was nothing like these things in
tho books. Ile was perfectly dumb
founded.
Whom he got well he was little
discouraged, bat he resolved to keep
on trying anyhow. lie knew that So
lar his experience wouldn't do to go
in book, but he hadn's yet reached
the allotted term of life for good little
boys. ani he hoped to be able tomakc
a record yet, If lie could hold on until
his time was fully up. II everything
else failed. he had is dying speech to
fall back on.
lie examined his authorities, and
found it was now time to 20 10 sea as
a cabin boy. lie called on ship
captain aud made application. and
when the captain asked for his recon-
mendation he proudly drew ont tract
and pointed to the words "To Jacob
Bliveus, from his aifectiouatc teacher. y
But the captain was a coarse, vulgar
man, aud he said, "Oh, that he blow
cd that wasn't any proof, that he
knew how to wash dishes or handle q
slusb buclSot, aud no euessd he didn't
want him. This was altogether the
most extraordinary thing that had
ever happened to Jacob 10 all his life.
A compliment from teacher, on a
tract, had never failed to move the
tenderest emotion of ship captains aud
open the way to oil officers of honor
and profit in their eift-it never had
in any book that he had read. lie
could hardly believe his senses
This boy always had q nico time Of
it. Nothing ever camo out according
to the authorities with him. At las,
one day, when he was around hunt
ing up bad little boys to admonish. h c
found lot of them in the old iron
foundry, fixing up a little joke on four
teen or fifteen dogs which they had
tied together iD long procession, aud
were going to ornament with empty
nitro-glycereiue cans made fast to theil
tails. Jacobs heart was touched. lie
sat down on one OF those cans--ior he
never minded ereess when duty was
before him-and he took hold Of the
foremost dog by the collar and turned
his reproviug eye upon tom Jones
But just at that moment Aldermal
McWslter, full Of rath stepped in. All
the bad boys ran away bu. Jacot
Bliveps rose iu conscious iunocense
and began one Of those stately Sunday
school book speeches, which always
commence with "Oh, cir" in deaC
opposition to the fact that no boy
good or bad, ever starts remark will
"Oh, sirl" But the Alderman never
waited to hear the rest. lie tool
Jacob Blivens by the car, and turuet
him around, aud h.t him whack il
the rear with the fat Of his hand
aud 10 an instant the good little DO,
shot out through the roof and eoare(