Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1872-03-28
His EARLY Development.
A Story of Grants Boyhood.
How Ulysses Come it Over the
Deacon.

U lysses, which, Ut course, are GER
tainly authentic We extract a
single exploit as evidence of the
precocity of the future President
Ulysses, my son, do you know
how Deacon Potter come to have
some of my Chinee chicken aigs ?"
Ulysses hesitated a moment,
and then, with quivering lips, the
noble boy calculated:
Father, it will not pay to tell
a lie; | hooked the aigs and sold
'em to the Deacon. but" he hur-
riedly added, as fire cleaned from
the old mans eyes, and the CAD
was raised on high-"but l billed
EN-"
Billed 'em?" said old Mr.. Grant,
greatly agitated.
Yes, billed every dog gone one
of 'em. and the old Deacon's hens
can Set on EN- till the cows come
ho" e, but they won't never hatch
nary chicken
Come to your daddy" ex.
claimed bis father, with out
stretched arms. I'D rather you
would hook and sell a thousand
billed aigs than have that breed of
Chinee chickens go out of the
Grant family"
The bIushing boy advanced to
his parent, who patted him on the
head and regarded him with pa
rental pride. \
And so you billed 'em ?" the
father said. "Well, now, | never!
Who'd supposed the boy would
have thought of that? Lysses.
my son. I'm proud Of you. You'll
be the President of the United States
get, if you only keep on. Aud
you served the old deacon Jest
right. What did you get for the
aigs-bilrd ?"
Ulysses cast suspicious glance
at father, which the latter OBJ
serving, hastily added:
The moneys your'n, my son
you We earned it fairly, and you
shall have it."
Thus reassured, Ulysses proud
ly responded:
He gave me dollar for half
dozen of 'em."
"A dollar for half dozen of |
'cm-tiIed o. exclaimed the old
gentleman, greatly excited You !
lie. 'Lysses, he didn't; did he,
though p
"He gave me a round silver dol
lar for 'em," answered the truth
ful boy.
"A rourd silver dollar" said
the old gentleman, Vith an incred,
uious air. Let me- see it. my son"
Ulysses produced four bladed
knife from his pocket, and careful,
ly ripping open the lining to the
wai~tband of his trowers, brought
forth the coin from its place of
concealment, where he had in.
tended to keep it until the 4th of
July. The impulse Of patriot
ism manifested itself in our Presi-
dent at a very early period of his
life.
The old gentleman took the
dollar in his hand and examined
it carefully. As he gazed upon
it, pleasant expression rlppled
over his features, spreading and
spreading until his whole c"unte-
nance beamed with satisfaction
and delight, and every wrinkle
in his venerable visage became
an individual smile. Then, with
tears of Joy and pride streaming
from his eyes he said to the boy
Ulysses, my son, you've hon
estly earned this money. There's
few boys at your age would have
thought of billing the aigs. The
money is yours-vour own. And
Tor fear you should lose it, | will
keep it for you"
So saying, the old man dropped
the coin in a capaclous leather
purse, and placed it i'll his pocket.
He has been keeping that dollar
for Ulysses over since.
This little story is very inter-
esting; not only as showing the
extraordinary foresight of the
older Grant in predicting, while
Ulysses was yet but child, that
he was destined to adorn the
Presid ntial chair, bu' also as IL
Illustrating the great truths that
the boy is the father of the man,
and that as the "twig is bent, go
is the tree Inclined