Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1874-07-30

This boy was good boy. He would
have been an angel to-day but for tn,
deceit OF this false-hearted world. III,
wasn't one of set of triplets, and there
fore didn't have honors showered dow
upon him In his early days. but old WON
en- said there was foundation there fol
an orator, great General, or philoso
pher, and old men examined his head
and said it was level. Nothing psrticu
lar happened to Christopher Columbus
until the eighth year of his reign. Hi:
childhood days were full of mud-pies,
the butt-ends ofshingles, paregoric, cas-,
tor oil, and old straw hats with the front
brim worn off. He was deep thinker
and close observer for a small boy,
and he was just innocent enough to be.
heve things which other boys pitch out
OF the window without second thought.
When Christopher was going on 8
years old he heard some one say that a
"penny saved was two pence earned. "
He therefore laid big Bungtown away
In a crack under the mop-board, and
every day he looked to see it grow to
two cents. He had confidence and pa
thence, but at length both gave way.
Then he got the cent out one day and
Mrs. Norton's baby swallowed it, and
that was the last of that Bungtown.
The youthful Christopher didn't believe
III maxims quite as much as before, but
he hadn't cut all his eye-teeth vet.
When the boy was a year older he
heard it said that truth was mighty
and must prevail, and that boy who
always spoke the truth would surely
make great and cool man. He COM
menced to tell the ruth. One day he
got his fathers best razor out and
hacked it on stone, md the old gent
came home and asked who in blazes had
done that, Christopher Columbus spoke
up and said
1T was /, father-I notched your old
razor"
You did, eh ?" sneered the old man,
as he looked up into a peach-tree;
'well I'll fix you so you won't never
notch another razor for me ,"
And he cut a budding limb and
dressed that boy down until the youth
saw stars. That night Christopher
Columbus determined never to tell the
truth again unless by accident, and all
through life he stuck to the resolution.
When the lad vas about ~ years old
he read in little book that Honesty
was the best policy" He didn't more
than half believe it, but he thought he'd
try. He went to being honest. One
day his mother sent him to the grocery
to buy eggs, and Bill Jones induced
him to squander the change in the pur
chase of soda water. When he got home
his mother asked for the little balance.
and Christopher explained.
"Spent it for soda, ell 2" she replied. |
!" Here your poor old motheris working
like a slave, and you are around swill- |
ing down soda water I don't think |
you'll swill any more, l don't! Come |
over my right knee"
And she agitated him in the Iiveliest |
manner. That night as he turned ON
his downy straw bed the boy made up |
his mind that honesty didn't pay, and |
he resolved to cheat the whole world if |
he could.
When Christopher was half year
older, he came across the Injunction
BE kind to the poor" He did not
know whether it would pay or not, but
he set about it. He knew of a poor
woman who sadly needed a spring
bonnet, and he took over his mothers, |
along with a few other things, includ- |
ing his fathers second pair of boots,
his own Sunday shoes, and so on. He
went around feeling very big-hearted
until the old gent wanted to go TO the
lodge one night, and then it came out.
"Gin away my boots, eh 2" inquired
The father; "lugged your mothers best
bonnet of, eh ? Well, don't think
you'll remember the poor very much
after tonight |"
And he pounded Christopher Column
BUS with pump handle until the boy
tainted away, and even then didn't feel
rs though he had made a thorough lob
If it.
They fooled this boy once more. He
heard rich man say that everybody
'hould make hay while the sun
.hone." So when there came sunny
lay he went out, took his fathers scythe .
Town from the plum-tree and went to
making hay. He broke the scythe, cut
Town the tulips and hacked his sister
n the heel, and his mother came out
md led him around by the hair, and
bounced him until he almost went into
! decline. They couldn't bamboozle
his boy after that. He grew wicked
very day of his life, and before his
eighteenth birthday arrived he was
lung for murder. He said he didn't
are a huckleberry about it, and died
without making the usual Fourth of
'uly oration--DetrOit Free Press.