The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1878-03-01
Dads Distant Relations.

w
seated family of eight recently drove
up to house on Braubien street, and,
leaving his team at the curbstone, the
farmer knocked at the door, drummed
on the windows, and seemed determin-
efforts had failed, he returned to the
wagon, hitched his horses, and the fam
lily sat on the grass to wait.
A lad who had watched the perform
ance, passed around the corner and
suddenly discovered the boy whose pa
rents lived in the house.
"IIerc-you-there's whole family
trying to get into your house!" he
shouted.
"Hush-shut up.' whispered the
other.
"But they are visitors, ,"continued
the other.
"Don't l know all about it?" growl-
cd the hiding boy; "didn't nam and |
see 'em drive up, and didn't we scoot
out of the back door as the feller came
through the gate? I'm here and MANS
over in that house, and we feel like
some one ought to boot dad all over
town."
"Why? What did your father do"
"What did he do? Why, he was out
in the country buying poultry and eggs,
and he stopped at farmhouse, made
'em believe he was distant relashun,
and got his dinner for nothing. He
came home and told it as big Joke,
and he grinned around for week; but
now | want to see him when he comes
up to dinner aud finds them 'relashuns'
squatted around the gate! Do they
show any signs of leaving"
"Nary sign," replied the other, as
he climbed the fence.
"Wcll, let 'em stick. Nam won't
come home, I'll be gone, and if this
turns out black Friday for dad, it'll
serve him right. Let's get where we
can see his knees wobblc rs he turns
the corner and sees his distant rela-
shuns covering half an acre of ground ?"
The Reliable Man.
Or all the qualities that combine TO
form good character, there is not one
more important than reliability. Most
emphaticaliy is that true of the charac-
ter of good business man. The world
itself embraces both truth and honesty,
hhet tbS hiuot nCICSosll
be truthful and honest. We see so
absence of this crowning quality that we
are tempted, in our bilious moods, to
deny its very existence. But there are,
nevertheless, reliable men to be depend
cd upon, to be trusted, in whom you
may repose confidence, whose word is
as good as their bond and whose prom
isc is performance. If any one of you
knows such a man make him your
friend. You can only do so, however,
by assimilating his character.
The reliable man is man of good
judgment. lie does not jump at con-
illusions. He is not frivolous man.
He is thoughtful. He turns over sub
ject in his mind and looks at it all
around. lie is not a partial or one
sided man. He sees through thing.
lie is apt to be very reticent man.
lie does not have to talk a great deal.
He is a moderate man, not only in hab-
its of body, but also of mind. He is
not passionate man; if so by nature,
he has overcome it by grace. lie is a
sincere man, not plotter or schemer.
He does not promise rashly. What he
says may be relied on. lie is trust
worthy man. You feel safe with your
property or administration of affairs in
his hands. He is watchful, vigilant
man. You feel secure within his pro-
lection. lie is brave man, for his
conclusions are logically deduced from
the sure basis of truth, and he does not
fear to maintain them. He is good
man, for no one can be thoroughly hon.
est and truthful without being good.
Is such quality attainable? Most as
suredly so. 1t is not born, it is made.
Character may be formed; of course,
then, its component parts may be mold
ed to that formation.