The New Bloomfield, Pa. times. (New Bloomfield, Pa.) 1877-188?, 1881-07-26
A Story for Boys.

A CERTAIN young mastlif being
IA near dogs estate, his master judg
ed best to trim and shorten his ears
This the mastiff thought hard, and
complained accordingly. But as he
grew older and met dogs of various tenn
pers, he was often obliged to fight for
himself and his rights: then his short
ears gave great advantage, for they fur
nished no hold for his enemies teeth,
while the long cared dogs, whom he had
formerly envied, came from the fray
torn and suffering. "Aha = said the
mastifI', "my master knew better than
what was good for me."-OId Fable.
But why mustn't ?" said Towser
Towser was not a dog, as you might
suppose, but the nickname of boy
Exactly why his schoolfellows should
have chosen this nickname for Tom
Kane don't know; perhaps because his
brown, short-nosed face was little like
dog's-perhaps because he was bold
and resolute, good fighter, and tough
in defence of his rights and opinions.
hardly think it was this last reason how
ever. Boys are not much given to
analyzing character, and are apt to judge
things and people by happy go-lucly
instinct, which sometimes leads them
right and sometimes wrong. But what
ever the reason may have been, Towser
was Toms school-name, and stuck to
him through life. Even his wife called
him so-when he grew up and had a
wife-and the last time L saw him, his
little girl was stroking his hair and say
ing, " Papa Towser, }" in imitation of her
mother Towser isn't pretty name,
but it sounded pretty from baby Mays
lips, and L never heard that Tom OBJ
jected to the title, either as man or boy.
But to return to the time when he was
boy.
Why mustn't II" he said again.
"All the fellows are going except me,
and I'd like to, ever so much"
1t ism ta question of like, answered
his father, rather grimly. Its ques-
tion of can and can't. All the other
boys have rich fathers; or, if not rich,
enough that their sons should go off on
camping parties. Twenty-Five dollars
here and twenty there isn't much to any
of 'em, but it's great deal for you. And
what's more, Tom, there's this: that if
they'd take you for nothing, it isn't
good thing for you, any way you fix it.
L pay for your schooling, and paid for
those boxing lessons, and may be, an
other year, L ii manage the subscription
to the boat, for want you to grow up
strong and ready with your fist, and
your mind, and all parts of you. You'll
have to fight your way, my boy, and 1
want you to turn out true grit when the
tussle comes. But when it's case of
camping out week, or extra holidays,
or spending money for circuses and
minstrels and such trash, L shut down.
You'll be all the better off in the end
without this fun and idling.and getting
your head full of the idea of always hav-
ing "a good time" Works what
you're meant for, and if you don't
thank me now for bringing you up
tough, you will when you're man,
with may be boy Of your own"
Mr.. Kane was silent, gruff, long
headed man, who never wasted words,
and this, the longest speech he had ever
been known to make, impressed Towser
not little. He did say to himself, in a
grumbling tone, I" Pretty hard, think,
to be cut off so at every turn but he
said it softly, and only once, and before
long his face cleared, and taking his
hat, he went to tell the boys that he
couldn't join the camping party.