Ashtabula telegraph. (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1874-1880, 1875-10-15

eU papa anu CHCl6 JONI III, Uub N Gll
and the boys would not let him in;
they were getting up surprise tab
leaux and 'didn't want any little
pitchers around" He sought his
fathers study to look at an iliustra-
ted edition of natural history. But
papa objected-"he couldn't have
Bob in their making a disturbance" "
Almost heart-broken, he turned to
his mothers room. "Go right away,
you will wake the baby" met him
on the Threshold. He looked into
the kitchen and begged to help make
pies, but Bridget told him to clear
out; he next went to the woodhouse
and sought to assuage his sorrows by
working on his wagon, and now he
was forbidden that.
He could not understand why he
was driven from everything; he had
not been a bad boy and lost his tenn
per. 1t was beyond his six-year-old
philosophy. His poor little brain
puzzled over what older children
called "certain inalieable rights, +"
without finding solution of his
troubles or coming to conclusion.
Had he been strong minded he might
have called a convention and declar-
ed that inthe present order of things
little boys have no right which big
folks are bound to respect, ,and draft
ed petitions for a change; but he
was sensitive and submissive and let
people snub him and trample on his
toes without remonstrance.
The tea-bell reused him from his
cup of bitter, puzzled thoughts.
"Bob, come to supper"
He wouldn't have to wait, that
was some consolation.
At the table, Mrs. Noyes was tell
ing Mrs. Somers about troupe. of
performing monkeys. "One of the
monkeys with striped tail, played
on the violin, and"
"Mamma, it was ring-tailed," in
terrupted Bob, eager to have the
account correct.
"Bob, how many times have l told
you not to interrupt"
Bob subsided, but he knew it was
ring-tailed, for he had counted the
rings and had watched it half an hOuI
while his mother gossiped with Mrs
Layton.
"All the monkeys turned somer
saults when the keeper played Cap
tain Jinks," continued Mrs. Noyes
''Mamma, it wasn't Captain Jinks
it was 'Oh, ware is myne little tog.''
'Bob, if you talk any more at the
table I'll send you to bed"
Bob was correct and he knew it;
he could whistle like a mocking
bird, while Mrs. Noyes did not know
one tune from another. The two re
proofs in the presence of Mrs. Som
ers were too much for his sensitive
bashful temperament, and mortified
him beyond self-control. His little
fingers trembledand dropped a glass
of water, spilling its contents upor
the cloth.
'FBob! where's your manners?-
Leave the table instantly" com
manded his father.
The children all laughed, and Jen
ME called Bob an 'ill-natured littl,
boor," and the mortified little fellow
erept sadly into bed and sobbed un
til he fell asleep.
This days experience was a fai
sample of Bob whole boyhood. H,
must not sing, whistle, shout, asl
questions or pound; yet he mus
Keep himself handy to run on er
rands and pick up chips. He mus
not talk to company, for little boy
are to be seen and not heard-h,
must not have any company of hi
own, because he did not know how
to behave properly. The idea tha
Bob had any feelings or rights wa
not to be tolerated. The family di,
not intend to act unjustly; they loy
ed Bob, but they were selfish and die
not want to be disturbed, and Bol
was noisy, and such an inveterat
talker and questioner if given liber
ty. He was clothed and fed, ant
sent to school and TO church ant
Sunday-school; surely, that was al
duty required.
Bob made a discovery after awhll
he could pound and saw and banl
as much as he pleased in Tom Smith
blacksmith shop. Smiths wild, halt
dissipated apprentice made discov
| cry, too-that bashful Bob Noye
had wonderful faculty of sayinj
witty things, and for whistling an
singing when he became acquainte
and he coaxed him off more tina
once to enliven the evenings in tn
''Excelsior" and "Star" saloons.
They were blind as moles at hom
until a reckless, almost criminal
deed, committed during the tumult
uous period between bovhood an,
manhood, showed them that Bob
young life was being stepped in deg
radiation and sin. They wept BIT
terly, but not in sackcloth and ash
es. Wrapt in self-righteousnes:
they shifted the responsibility fror
their own shoulders, and as he wen
from bad to worse washed thei
hands of that unavoidable family al
hietion-a black sheen Crusade,