Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1872-03-15
HIS EARLY DEVELOPMENT.
A story of GRANTS BoyhOod-HOv
Ulysses Come it Over the Deacon.

A correspondent of the New York
Sun is treating the readers of that paper
to interesting incidents in the early life
of the Great Ulysses, which, of course,
are certainly authentic. We extract a
single exploit as evidence OF the pre-
cocity Of the future President:
| THE BOYS NERVOUSNESS.
Ulysses. my son, do you know how
Deacon Potter come to have sone Of my
Chinee chicken aigs?"
Ulysses hesitated q moment, and then,
With quivering lips, the noble boy ejac-
ulated:
Father, it will not pay to tell lie;
| hooked the aigs and sold EN- to the
Deacon, but "--he hurriedly added, as
FIRE cleaned from the old mans eyes,
and the gad was raised on high" but |
billed en-"
Billed 'em2n said old Mr.. Grant,
greatly agitated.
Yes, billed every dog gone one of
EN-, and the old Deacon's hens can set
on EN- till the cows come home, but they
won't never hatch nary chicken. +"
THE OLD MAN S ADMISSION.
" Come to your daddy" exclaimed his
father, with outstretched arms. I'D
rather you would hook and sell a thou
sand billed aigs than have that breed of
Chinee chickens go out Of the Grant
family"
The blushing boy advanced to his
parent, who patted him on the head and
regarded him with parental pride.
And so you billed emp" the father
said. ".Well, now, l neverl 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 yet, if you only keep on.
And yeu served the old deacon jest
right What did you get for the aigs-
biled?"
Ulysses cast a suspicious glance at
his father, which the latter observing,
hastily added: lf 8
" The moneys your n, my son; you've
earned it fairly, and you shall have it. "
Thus reassured, Ulysses proudly re-
sponded "
+" he gave me dollar for half dozen
Of EN-"
"a dollar for half dozen of EN-
biled2" exclaimed the old gentleman,
greatly excited You lie, 'Lysses, he
didn't; did he, thought"
THE OLD MAN s INPOLITESEss.
he gave me a rouud silver dollar for
Gnu, answered the truthful boy.
A round silver dollar, said the old
gentleman, with an incredulous air; let
me see it, my son.
Ulysses produced four.bladed knife !
from his pocket, and carefully ripping |
open the lining to the waistband of his |
trowsers, brought forth the coin from its |
place of concealment, where he had in
tended to keep it until the Fourth of
July. The impulse Of patriotism mani
tested itself in our President at very |
carly period of his life. j
The old gentleman took the dollar in /
his baud, and examined it carefully. AS
be gazed upon it, pleasant expression
rippled over his features, spreading and
spreading until bis whole countenance
beamed with satisfaction and delight,
and every wrinkle in his venerable Wis
age became an individual smile. Then
with tears of Joy and pride streaming
from his eyes, he said to the boy: .l
" Lysses, my son, you ye honestly
earned this money. There's few boys
al your age would have thought of billing
the aigs. The Eoney is yours-your
own. Aud for fear you should lose it, 1
will keep it for you. ,.a.ro
SO saying, the old man dropped the
cola in q capacious leather purse, aud
placed It ia lis pocket. He has been
keeping that doalsy fer Ulysses ever
since.
This little story is very interesting,
not only as showing the extraordinary
Of the older Grant in predict
ing, while Ulysses was yet but child,
hat be vas destined to adorn the Presi-
iential chair, but sise ps illustrating the
great truths that the boy is the father Of
he man, and that as the twig is bent,
70 is the tree inclined.