The daily gazette., 1880-12-17
CIDER AND CUBS. !,
he menaeerie was in town. /

Inc meuaGerle was III JOWul
Oil .what an excitement there
was among the boysl How they
crowded around the tent land longed
to get in and see the elephant, the
lion, and the rhinoceros
Henry Walker was one of the
fortunate boys whose father was
willing and able to take him to the
show. yefr
Snow, papa" he. said, as they
pasted along by the hucksters that
surrounded the tent, won't you
please buy me a glass Of cider 2"
A man was crying out: ff''Sweet
cider here just madel only five
cents a glass walk up and get your
cider ~ i L.e,.l
"No, my son )" said his father
"I1l never buy you any cider, and
l hope you will never buy any for
YOURSELF" ''i- y ~
"Why, papa, what's the harmp''
"I'll tell you some other time," he
said. if5 DEE ftr df0d.
Just then they plunged into the
stream of people who were entering
the tent, and in amoment more they
were under the great canopy, with
its endless line of cages, full OF wild
animals all around the sides, and its
vast plain of sawdust. hE4a
Harry was thrilled with delight
His eyes were stretched wide open,
and he deluged his father with ques-
tions. .aeeFs.4.. Drs
One of the first cages they stopped
to examine was cage of bears. And
besides the big bears there were two
of the prettiest little cubs imagina-
BILE. And on the cage was a pla-
card that said: "One of these cubs
1"For sale i'' said Mr.. Walker,
"Say, now, Harry, what do you say
to my buying that little fellow I? Obi
ism he cunning and prsttyP Would
you like him ? Shan't ] buy him p''
Harry was excited, but be hesita.
ted, and looked up with suspicion
into his fathers face. Buthis father
looked straight into the cage.
"No-o-o, papa" said Henry ,slow
ly. "I can't say 1 would liks him.
"What |? wouldn't like to have
him to play with Why, III
Wouldn't hurt you, my son." ~
"Not while he was SO little
"Oh, when he got big, you know
you could lock him up IN q cage, O
sell him. uA
II don't think I want him, papa
sWhy notpr 9fhd NJ
J"Well, papa,n said Harry, "yo,
see after 1 got fond OF playing wit
him, might keep him too long, an
some morning he might wake u
first and eat me up before
knew it." '
Mr.. Walker laughed SO loud tina
he scared the elephant. f.
"Well, Harry" he said as 500
as he could get his face straight, I"
think you are perfectly right abou
that cub. If he didn't bite or scratc
you, before. you got through him
would berather strange. But dom
you see that it would be just q
dangerous to play with swes
cider ?" ul a. -3ff
"I can't see that exactly, papa"
"Well, listen. I had a brothe
once who was fond OF sweet eide
After a while got fond of hard eide
Then he began to drink wine, an
wound up by drinking whiske,
Whiskey was the ruin of him. ]
destroyed his health, it broke up hi
business, it clothed him in rags,
broke up his family, and at last COS
him his life. For one night whe
going home drunk he lost his way
fell over a precipice and broke hi
neck. And though I said whiske
did 1t, I might have just as truly sa
that sweet cider did it. He was lie
from one step to another, and swee
cider was the first step. Nov
Harry, there is no sin in drinkin
one glass of sweet cider, perhaps,
yon stop there. But would rathe
that you would not. Will you? ?"
Harry then saw clearly the like
ness Of the cider to the cub, an
promised faithfully that he woul
let cider alone.-[Exchang