The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1877-04-06
Good Will.

Goodwin.
In one OF my walks, the other day, /
saw two boys OF my acquaintance, whom
| shall call Orson and Robin, playing a
game of sarn-ball. L suppose every
country boy knows what that is The
ball is thrown against the unclapboarded
side of barn, or any suitable building,
and, as it rebounds, the thrower, who
stands behind the knocker, tries to "catch
him out. OF course, there must be no
windows to knock the ball through, or,
the first you know, there will be pane
to pay for, and, quite likely, somebody
very cross about it. A nice little game
it is for two; and, as / used to be fond
of it when l was boy, and am some
thing of boy still, / stopped to watch
my young friends Orson and Robin.
They played very well, and / sympa-
thized so much with their enjoyment
that was myself a little disappointed
when Orson's aunt appeared with a letter
which she said must go to the postoilice
at once, and asked Orson to carry it.
Now, Orson was her favorite nephew,
and / have no doubt she lad given him
the very ball and bat he WAS playing
with ut the moment. She is always
making him presents or doing him favors.
SO. hard as it was for him to leave his
sport, | expected to see him, neverthe-
less, run with the letter, to please one
who was constantly doing things to please
him. On the contrary, however, he
grrrmbled out. Can't go now; I've got
Rob here to play with me" and contln-
ned pitching the ball.
II is very important the letter should
go tonight" pleaded the aunt. Come,
Orson, dear then you can play when
you come back.
81 don't want to- / CAN'T" And
bounce went the ball again, tossed against
the old barn.
ooh, yes, go!' said Robin. "Ill
go with you
But Orson still refused, while the aunt
turned back sadly toward the house.
"Tl go alone, then" ciied Robin.
"Mrs. Woodman I'll take the letter =
And he ran after her TO get it.
"Oh, come, nowl Yol spoil all the
fun !" growlsd Orson, who was so angry
that he would not go with Robin, but
stayed about the barn and sulked-fiing-
ing the ball occasionally, and Tying tC
i
returned
was walking by again, when Robir
came back; and l think if my readers
could see what / then saw in the faces O
those two boys, it would be n great dea
better than anything could write.
thought of it few days later, when
received the EDITORS kind invitation t.
"talk" to the boys of 81. Nicholas; an,
1 wished that / could paint for them tina
picture instead:
Orson, sullen, gloomy, selfish, un
Robin, bright, cheerful, radiant will
satisfaction and will-until b.
came within the shadow of Orson's dis
content.
AS cannot paint this contrast, ma,
as well make it a text for my "Talk.
The world is full of Orsons, boys an,
men; there is, moreover, an Orson an,
q Robin in almost every one-a spirit O
selfshness and spirit of goodwill; an,
] am going to ask each of my youn
readers to look for these two fellows i
himsef-to get rid of the bad compan
of the one. and to cultivate the societ
of the other.
There are many subjects which
should like to talk with the boys about
but it seems to me they may be nearl
all summed up in that one golden wor
Goodwill. Robin has this beautifl
gift, and it makes him helpful and hal
DIV. Orson lacks it and the opposi
quality not only renders him miserabl
when things do not go to suit him, b,
gives him the dseadful power of maxim
Others uncomfortable. The good spin
will make a brave, generous, uprigh
manly man of Robin the bad spirit
it be not cast out-will make a selfs
accommodating hard, ill-natured ms
of Orson. Need L ask you, my dear DO
which you would rather De-
/ hav called the good spirit git
are those, then, to blame who have
not But have also sailor meant
.say-that every one has it in greater
less degree, and that all can cultivate
Easy enough it seems for Robin to gi
up for the moment his own pleasure
and hasten to do good action; his j
is in it, and he knows that his sports a
all the sweeter when, after it, he com
back to them. 1t is not so easy
Orson. because he thinks too much abo
himself. in the first place partly, ais
because he is not wise, and does 1
know the satisfaction there is in gen,
Gus conduct. All, if / could only sh,
him his own portrait, and convince h
that even he has Robin side, which
can show to the world when he will, a
make sunshine with it for himself
well as for others
/ suppose you all, my boys, arc lo'
ing for some sort of success in life; II
right that you should; but what are yt
notions of SUGGEST TO get rich as SC
as possible, without regard to the me'