The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1874-01-22

" Mamma must have fertile brain,
Tn thinking, to find sufficient novelty
to amuse the minds of two such active
fellows as you are, he replied.
"Oh % said Charley, "she tells us
she has Windmill in her head, and
can grind new one every time we want
one."
Then he laughed merrily. "But let
me go on with my story" said he. "I
was very small then-younger than you
are, Charley. was on my way to
school one morning when L had to pass
q field in which O rich farmer who
ewned it was trying to catch horse. I
stood looking over the fence, and laugh
ing at the tricks of the horse.
"Boy,' said he, if you will catch
that horse I'll pay you
$50 put my books down and went
to work. Round I ran, down there, up
here, shook the corn, crept up softly,
went behind, then before, chased him
into corner, and the old man and 1
were then sure we had him /; but away
he went over the fence, and after him.
About mile from where we started two
men caught him for me, lent me a
halter, and I rode him home. BY this
time the morning was gone and I had
not been to school.
"'Come bac6,' said the farmer, 'and
I'll pay you in the afternoon
"I went on to school. The master
asked where I had been playing
hockey, and I told him about the horse.
Then didn't catch it, Do you ever
catch it, Charley ?"
"I guess 1 do p answered Charley ;
"but Fred don't often"
"Well, I caught it. But never mind,
said to myself, Il shall have some
money to buy book. wanted it very
much. I loved books as much as Fred
does. So L dried my eyes. We carried
our dinners to school, my brother and
I; but had no appetite after I caught
it. ,"
"Oh r' said Charley, with such an
air, Il don't mind it so much as that"
The gentleman positively shouted, he
was so much amused.
"Well," he continued, wiping his
eyes, ." the school was out, and we all
went our different paths home. Ny
brother went with me to the old farm
er's; and what do you think he gave
me? Mind you, I had run all the
morning till was almost sick, and had
caught it besides, Charley and he
gave me how much, Fred ?''
GA shilling an hour" answered
Fred. in his business way.
"Five dollars" said Charley.
" He gave me one penny, with hole
in It'll"
"Oh, the mean old scamp! Didn't
you slap it into his face ?" asked Char
Icy.
" No, indeed ; pennies were not so
very plentiful in my youthful days as
to allow that. L tookit home and put
it away carefully. How long do you
suppose L was getting pennies together
to buy that book ?"
"About month" said Charley. "I
could make two dollars a month if
mamma did not count so strictly but
she will have the whole hour.
Certainly" he answered she is
right to keep to her bargain. I was
just ten years saving up penny after
penny before [ could get my book. But
L got it at last, and you don't know how
much 1 valued it much more than if 1
had exercised less self-discipline.
Many time would count my pennies
and say, L never shall have enough to
buy my book. I might as well spend
this now;' but my good angel would
say NO! and 1 would withstand the
temptation, and so add soon another
penny. What book do you suppose it
was ?"
"a bible," said Fred.
No Tnbara xuaro ,1,uo,,o ae
bibles in our house, thank God!'
i" Robinson Crusoe," said Charley.
No, he answered, 81 never had a
chance of reading Nobinson Crusoe till
my son and I read it together. Books
were very scarce when was young. 1t
was Horace. Do you know who
Horace was ?"
"Yes, SIR said Fred. He was a
poet, protected by Augustus he had
for friends Mecenas, Tibullus, Virgil
and others. He was great man. His
satires are the best of his works."
"Well done, my little man," an
sweled the gentleman.
"Pshaw," said Charley, "he did not
learn that at school. Mamma teaches
him all such things. That amt book
learning p
How the gentleman laughed.
" Madam" he said, GO congratulate
you upon the great probability of your
pre-eminent success in making two
good men. Why should our men not
be great and good with such mothers
Rome could not boast of such women
as ours ; few isolated acts do indeed
show some bright characters. One
thing we know; when her decline be-
gan, the fist exhibition of it to the
world was in the loss of dignity in her
women. But we've must be q great
nation with such women as we have
even now in this our youth. My mo-
ther was a great and a good woman.
Continue, madam, and reap your re-
ward"
81 accept your compliment" said l.,
+" for the rest of my sex but for my
self, feel that 1 cannot yet deserve it,
for my experience is young but as l
advance 1 shall grow wiser.
= " Yes" Che seemed as if speaking to
himself), "my mother was not highly
educated, but she had strong-excellent
sense-she was a good woman"
Looking at you," answered, 81
should think she was something of a
Madame Mere"
"You have hit it. And she loved
pennies as we'll as the lady you men
tion, because she lad early been taught
their value by experience. But she
cannot boast of Bonaparte for SON
except in the love L bear for her-as
great as was his for Madame Letitia."
Perhaps not. But she has Chris
tian and a good man, I am sure, for a
son." said I "and that is better than
all tba ,rlorv, ond ,,anOwn