The Highland weekly news. [volume] (Hillsborough [Hillsboro], Highland County, Ohio) 1853-1886, 1876-07-06

And the Kindly ways Of those four little imps
Was beautiful sight to see.
They fed and tended those orphan birds
All through the blossoming days;
And never were tired Of sitting around
And watching their comical ways.
Their pitiful squeak they took for a song
As sweet as they ever had heard;
And they sometimes laughed and oftener sighed
In feeding each mOtherleSs bird.
So, gently they tended them, day by day,
Till their four little pets had grown,
And lenging to go to the beautiful sky,
Each bird from the nest had flown.
And when all were gone, the four little imps
Did wipe their eight little eyes,
Add scamper away to assuage their grief
Which seems to me rather wise.
s.. Nicholas
Our CHAT WITH THE BoYS.-Boys,
don't you know there is an unfair streak
running through boys, that taunts little
Tom Jones about being a drunkard, or
his mother poor sewing woman? Have
you never heard a big burly boy sneer-
ing at little fellow because he had poor
clothes on? You know, boys, that this
ungenerous streak goes further than
this; it causes boys who don't intend to do
mean thing to help poke rude jokes at
boy because he is cross-eyed, or has a
lame foot, or crippled back, or some de-
formity or misfortune he can not help.
A boy never feels just right about this
sort of rough and mean attempt at hav-
ing fun. He feels as if he had not been
fair or just, and neither has he. There
is manly, fair way of doing and talking
among boys, as well as among men, and
there is nothing that shows the cowardly
and mean streak we are talking about
more than to see boy kick and cuff a
smaller one than himself. You will see
him following some poor drunken man
to strike or abuse him, or making sport
of some old, infirm cripple. The same
boys will take delight in abusing dumb
animals, beating COW, or horse, or dog,
that can not defend itself. If you don't
believe this is true, just think over the
boys you know, and every cross, surly,
and cowardly fellow you can call to mind
is Just full of the kind of tricks we are
talking about. Certainly there are just
lots of these boys, or else there would be
no material to make the same kind of
men out Of We don't pretend TO know
whether there are girls of this kind we
hope not. We are talking of boys whom
we have been with ever since we knew
anything; and while we don't expect
boys to have the judgment and sense of
grown men, we know very well they can
avoid being cowardly toward those
smaller than themselves, or those who
are more unfortunate, and they need not
be unfeeling and brutal in their treat
ment of dumb animals. If there is one
thing more than another that boy dis
likes it is to be known as a coward !;
and what we are trying to show in this
short talk is, that there are many ways
in which boys try to show each other
that they are not afraid that bring out
mean and eowardly acts. We know
what it is to be an irrepressible, healthy,
vigorous boy, so full of life that the but
tons of our clothes would hardly contain
the young steam engine inside of them,
and the temptation to do all kinds of
boyish mischief; we understand that,
boys, and we never for a moment expect
or want boys to be anything but boys,
but that does not prevent them from
being fair among themselves, with a
regard for the rights, misfortunes, and
infirmities of others. 1t is a mistaken
idea that the worst boys make the best
men. Boys, keep look out for that
mean streak.
A CLEVER FOX.-One summers day
gentleman was lying under the shelter
of some shrubs on the banks of the Tweed,
when his attention was attracted by the
cries of wild-fowl, accompanied by a
great deal of f1uttering and splashing.
On looking round he saw large brood
of ducks, which had been disturbed by
the drifting of fir-branch among them.
After circling in the air for a little time,
they again settled down on their feeding
ground. Two or three minutes elapsed
when the same event again occurred. A
branch drifted down with the stream
into the midst of the ducks, and startled
them from theirrepast. Once more they
rose upon the wing, clamoring loudly,
but when the harmless bough had drifted
by settled themselves down upon the
water as before. This occurred so fire.
quently that at last they scarcely would
trouble themselves to futter out of the
way, even when about to be touched by
the drifting bough. The gentleman,
meantime, marking the regular intervals
at which the fr-branches followed each
other in the same track, looked for
cause, and at length he saw, higher up on
the bank of the stream, fox, which,
having evidently set them adrift, was
eagerly watching their progress and the
effect they produced. Satisfied with the
result, cunning Reynard at last selected
a larger branch of spruce-fir than usual,
and, crouching himself down on it, set it
adrift as he had done the others. The
birds now, having ceased to fear the
boughs, scarcel y moved till the fox was
in the midst of them, when, making
rapid snaps right and left, he secured
two fine young ducks as his prey, and
hoated forward in triumph on his raft
while the surviving fowls, clamoring in
terror, took to flight, and returned no
more to the spot.
WEATHER CALCULAToRs.-One day
the meal of the Grier household ran
short and the son put the bride on the
old mare, a blanket on her back to keep
the horse hairs outof the meal, and with
no saddle, started for the mill. A stran-
ger overlook him on the way and little
conversation made them acquainted.
The following dialogue then took place:
Stranger: "Then you are son of Mr..
Grier, the great almanac caIculatorT
Young Grier (modestly): eyes, sir"
Stranger: "And do you ever attempt
to make calculations of the weather as
your father does?'
Young Grier: Sometimes do, sir"
Stranger: Really! And may 1 ask
how do your calculations and your
fathers agree?'
Young Grier: "We are never more
than two days different, l think"
Stranger: "That is astonishing.
And can you account for such remarkable
agreement?'
Young Grier: "Perhaps so. You see
father always knows the day before it
will rain"
Stranger: Precisely-I see."
Young Grier: "And ! always know
the day after it has rained."
The stranger cast an inquiring look at
the calm face of the youth on the meal
bag, and remembered the importance of
Fastening on his way.
The LEAF OF LIFE.-There's certain
curious member of the plant family,
very common in Jamaica, am informed,
called the life plant, or leaf of life, be-