Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1873-01-13
The Golden Opportunity,
A STORY TOLD TO ACHILD.

eight years OLD. On InaC Dlrtnuay L
first possessed a piece of gold. How
we'll | remember the occasion | had a
holiday, and was reading aloud to my
mother. The book was the Life of
Howard, the philanthropist. was in
terested in it, though the style was con-
siderably above my comprehension at
last came to the following sentence,
which | could make nothing of He
could not let slip such "a golden oppor-
tunity of doing good"
What is golden opportunity p
inquired.
at means a very good opportunity y
"But, mamma, why do they call it gold
en?"
My mamma smiled, and said it was a
fgurative expression '.Gold is very val
liable, and very uncommon this oppor-
tunity was a very valuable and uncom,
mon one and we can express that in
one word by calling it a golden oppor-
tunity -
l pondered upon the information fol
some time, and then made a reply tc
the effect, that all the golden opportuni
ties seemed to happen to very rich peo-
pie; or people who lived long time ago,
or else to great men whose lives we can
read in books-very great men, such as
Wilberforce and Howard but they new
er happened to real people, whom We
could see every day, nor to children. >
''To children like you, Orris p said
my mother, 'why, what kind of a gold
en- opportunity are you wishing for just
now 2"
My reply was childish enough.
off were great man | should like
to sail after the slave ships, fight them
and take back the poor slaves to theil
own country Or should like to dc
something like what Quintus Cortius did
Not exactly like that; for you know
mamma, If | were to jump into a gulf
that would not really make it close"
mo, said my mother lit would not. ,
'And hesides,' reasoned, IF it haC
closed, should never have known O
the good | had done, because | shoulC
have peen Killed.
Certainly" said my mother l saw
her smile, and thinking it was at tn,
folly of my last wish, hastened to brin.
forth wiser one.
II think l should like to be a grea
lady, and then if there had been bat
harvest, and all the poor people on on
Lords land were nearly starving shoul'
like to come down to them with purs
full of money and divide it among them
But you see, mamma, ] have no golde
opportunities.
"My dear, we all have some opportu
mites of doing good, and they are gold
en-, or not, according to the use we max
of them
But mamma, we cannot get peopl
released from prison, as Howard did.
"No, but sometimes, by lnstructin
them in their duty, by providing the1
with work, so that they shall earn brea
enough, and not be tempted, and drive
by hunger to steal, we can prevent SON
people from ever. being put in prison.
My mother continued to explain th;
those who really desired to do good, ne
er wanted opportunities, and that IL
difference between Howard and 9th,
people was more in perseverance ar
eanestness than in circumstances. b
| do not profess to remember much
what she said only know that. vel
shortly, she took me into my grandfat
er's study, and sitting down, began bu
lily to mend heap of pens which |;
beside him on the table.
He was correcting proof sheets, al
knowing that must not talk. | sto'
! ! awhile, very quietly watching him.
; Presently saw him mark out lett
in the page, make a long stroke in t
margin, and write letter ID beside
, Curiosity was too much for my pr
dence; l could not help saying
"Grandpapa, what did you write th
letter for ?''
: ''There was letter too much in t
e word, child, he replied 81 spell pot
toes with only one p; and | want t
printer to put ont the second -
Then d stands for don't, | suppose
was my next observation it means dol
n put it in ?''
!, ''les, child, yes-something like thai
q Ii it had not been my birthday
S should hot have had courage to int
: rupt him again. But, grandpapa, =
+ begins with d, so how is the printer
know whether you mean do, or don't
u My grandfather said 'pshaw = turr
: short round upon my mother, and ash
70 her if she had heard what | said.
at My mother admitted that it was
ID childish observation.
- Childish y repeated my grandfatE
childish She'll never be anything
- a child--never she has no reason
Is faculties at ali. When my grandfat
re was displeased with me. he never SCI
a ed me for the fault of the moment,