Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1882-02-09
bret Harte's New Book A Collection Of
Fables

| tables.
NJ Bret Harte has gone TO the author
whom that popular lecturer, Rev. Jack
son Wray, APPLY describes as Rare old
Esop," and has produced a new hook
OF fables whose chief fault is that il i
so small. The letter-pre>s and illustra-
.iohs only occupy iifty-four pages; but.
though the volume is thin. the fun is
not SO, by any means We open the
oooH at the first page. and read the fol-
lowing:
THE GOOD SAMARITAN
\ certain man went from Jerusalem TO Jcri-
enc ana icll among thieves. who beat aim and
! stripped hlI:i and LEFT him for dead A good
samaritan; seeing this, clappnd spurs 10 his
us ana rode away. lest he should be sent to the
House OF Detention rs II witness while The
roobers we're released on bail.
Thief. i '''
IL would have been impossible for any
Lohdoner to have written more apprp-
pirate fable than this, even if he had
Deen reporter at the Clerkenwell Po-
| lice Court. III the constant habit of lis
ening TO the pearls OF ministerial wisdom
| that fall from the lips OF Mr.. Barstow.
Mr. Bret Harte, indeed, seems to have
either the gift Of prescience or of ubiq-
ulty. When we read the following fa-
ole we can almost suppose that he had
been accustomed TO sit at the table of
The London School Board and listen to
the debates on the conduct of the man
ayers of the ST. paurs Industrial
School
| THE KiNo-HEARTED SHE-ELEPHANT.
A kind-heartcd she-eephant, while walking
! through the Jungle where the spicy breczcs
ol0w soft Der Ceyions lsle, heedlcssly set foot
| upon partridge, which she crushed TO death
| within few inches of the nest containing its
! ciillow brood Poor little things" said the
generous mammoth, II have been n mother
| myself, and my affection shall atone for the
| fatal consequences OF my neglect" SO saying
| she sat down upon the orphaned birds
| MoRAi.-Thc above teaches as what home is
| without Il mother: also, that il is not every
person who should be intrlstcd with the care
OF an orphan asylum.
Swindling advertisements, especially
| those of that hcarteSs class of swindlers
| who prey upon simple people that have
little monty and no employment al,-
! pear to be aS common in America as in
| England. Those whose necessities
make them over-contdent would do
well to read the following:
THE rHILssorHER AND THE sIMpLRroY.
\ simplctou, having had occasion to seat
| hmscit, sat down ON q pin; whereupon he
| made an cutlery unto Jupiter. A philosopher,
| who happened to be holding upa hitching-post
| III the vicinity, rcbuhcd him. saying: II can
tnll YOU how 70 avoid autting. yourself by sit
| ting down on pins, and will, If you will set 'em
! up. The simpleton eagerly accepting the
| offer, the philosopher swallowed four fingers
| of the rum which perishcth, and replied:
! Never sit down.. He subsequently acquired
| II vast fortune by advertising for agents, to
whom he guaranteed q week for light and
| easy employment at their homes.
| MORAL.-Thc wise man saith: There is n
| Niger in the fence" but the fool scndeth on
twenty stamps for sample, aud is taken in.
1t is often possible to convey great
moral lesson in such II way that truth
embodied III Il tale may enter in at low
| ~ doors even where truth in closest
words may fall Many years ago Ar
thur Hugh Clough wrote:
| ''The wise man waits; il is the foolish haste:
And, while the scenes are in the slides, would
| And, while the instruments are tuning, dance"
How much more effectively is the lesson
conveyed in Bret Hartes fable of "The
Prudent Tiger
\ THE PRUDENT TIGER.
| \ prudent tiger having observed process
| sion bearing the remains OF Il sainted Brahmin
| to the tomb, communicated the intelligence to
us VIE, VINO sald. MY dear, we are almost
! out of meat. and though the deceased, from the
austeritics of his pious life, was in poor condi-
tion, make no doubt among his surviving
friends we may encounter others more snccu-
| lent" miserable TigercSS,' exclaimed her
| lord, 'cannot you see that if we permit the de-
| ceased to be canonized, pilgrimagcs will be in
| stituted TO his tomb and the producer and con-
sumner will be brought together in accordance
with the true principles of political economy?
Rather lctus, then, Offer chrome for each
new pilgrim" This prudent advice being fol-
IL
end of his days.
MoRAL.-Bcware of breaking the egg that
matches the golden goose.
Some of the fables in the book seem
almost to have been written with an eye
10 passing events. Take. for instance,
he following and read it in connection
| with the extraordinary incidents of the
trial of Guiteau:
THE WOLF AND TUE LAME
A Wolf, one day. drinking from n running
ST am, observed u Lamb also drinking from
the same stream, at some distance from him.
II have yet to learn" said the Wolf, address
ing the Lamb with dignifcd severity, what
right you have to muddy the stream from
which am drinkingr
Lamb, with bland politcness, 'for II you VIII
take the trouble to examine the current criti-
cally you will observe that ii flows from you ITO
would be, so far as you are concerned, entirely
| local"
Possibly you are right" returned the Wolf;
''but, if am not mistaken you are the person
who, two years ago, used some influence
against me ut the University"
"Impossible," replied the Lamb; two years
ago was not born"
All well" added the Wolf, composcdiy II
| am wrong again: but II must convince every
| intelligent person who has listened 10 this con-
| yersation thar am altogether insane, and con-
setluently not responsible for my actions.
With this remark he at once dispafo he'd the
| Lamb and was triumphanty acquitted.
| NoRAL.-This fable teaches MS how errone-
| ots may be the popular impression in regard
| to the distribution of aluyium ana the iofina-
ton of river detas.
One of the chief defects of American
humor is that it is so frequently leav-
ened with u strong dash of profanity.
! From this fault Mr.. Bret Harte is com
paratively free, and even a rigid Scotch
Presbyterian could hardly grudge a
laugh over the following:
! THE SH ARK AND TIE PATRIARCH.
During the Deluge, as Il shark was conduct
| ing a thanksgiving service for an abundant
! harvest II prudent Patriarch looked out ana
- l., Nv fria I'M