Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1881-09-12
Sg1omih's Column.
THE BOY WHO FOUND
THINGS.

could have been "born with silver
spoon in his mouth" according to an old /
adage, but then was not there to see;
neither am enough of an astronomer to
know if a lucky star" was in the as
cendant on the occasion but do know |
that from the time when | first made his
acquaintance, and that was not long af-
ter, he showed a wonderful talent for
finding things. that soon became pro-
verbal in the family.
"Where can my spectacles be?" his
grandmother would say, uttering that
question of the ages with the air of en-
tering on an entirely new line of scien-
ti6c investigation, and, unless they were
safely pOked back among the mingled
black and white tresses of her hair, the
little fellow was sure, after voyage OF
carpet exploration, to return with the
missing articles as guerdon for his pa
tient toll and attention for, be it known,
the people who find are always the ones
who look, patiently, persistently and ex-
haustively; and when a boy says, 81
can't find it, be sure his search is de-
icient in some of these requisites.
AS Oscar grew up and went into the
streets, he began to develop talent for
finding things there-pennies, five and
ten cent pieces, lead pencils, india-rub-
Der, and the like. l had no idea how
many careless people there are in the
world till saw the curious contents of
Oscars box of findings. Sometimes he
brought home dollar-bills which had
futtered themselves into notice while he
was peering into cracks and crannies for
pennies and dimes. Then his mother
began to be uneasy, not for moment
that she doubted her boy, but she feared
lest the ease with which the money came
should make him either selfish or un-
mindful of its importance. So she sug-
gested that the finds" should be gath
cred together as fund with which to
procure Christmas gifts for the little
brothers and sisters, and the plan sue
ceeded so we'll that the little boy began
to save his own weekly allowance, to add
to this fund, and thus learned the two
lessons that must always accompany
each other-economy and generosity.
But there was another of the family
who did not believe so confidently in
Oscar as his mother did. This was an
old cousin, who, after years of suffering
and injustice, had found refuge with
her hospitable relations. She had mel
with great deal of deception in hel
troubled life, and had in consequence
grown cross and suspicious.
Don't tell me about luck" said cous
in Fannie, shaking her head. Il know
better. It's easy enough to find slate
pencils, bits of rubber and gold pens OF
the other boys desks at school, anC
there may be pennies dropped in tn
street, but dollars and pistols and golC
rings set with rubies and pearls (thes
two latter articles being among Oscar
recent finds well, I'm too old a bir'
to be caught with chat. Sometime
boys want things that their parents don
think it best to buy for them, and S
they have to find them; maybe that &C
counts for the pistol and the ring"
cousin Fannie" said the boy, fusE
ing with honest indignation, "you kno'
I spent two of my own half-dollars i
advertising for that ring, and whel
would 1 get money to buy pistol will
out my parents knowing all about i
when mother is my bank and keeps a
the cash p #..tu.
"Find it, 1 suppose" said the di
agreeable old lady.
Poor Oscar went to school that NOR
ing in no very enviable frame of min
No brave boy likes to be suspected
dishonesty, and it is hard enough ev,
when one is conscious that he is not t
good to be above suspicion. The b.
knew how often he had gone out of t
way to find owners whose careIessne
had deprived them of their possession
and how unselfshly he had used |
good luck.
1.-The next time l find cousin Fannie
gold thimble il the ash-pan, or pick h
cheque out of the trash-basket, I'll
them be burned up, or I'll give them
somebody else," said he to himse
whats the use of being honest if p,
pie think you are thief?''.'
1t was not good thing to say. unG
any PlVEoSaVIon' dnU ~ gave VIC IeIn
err chance by and by that he had me-
had before.
Oscar was walking quietly home fir
school that day, his eyes cast on
ground from habit. when they spied
long black pocket-book, which, on op
ing he found to contain three hund
and fifty dollars in crisp. new bills q
dollar or two in change. The str
was lonely one; not soul was
sight; no card, no name was to
found therein. How was he to find
owner ?-this was the boys first thong