News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1885-04-09
Tom Slug.
A STORY FOR YOUNG FOLKS.

'This will never do, Tom," said MI
Benjamin Slug, as he read his SON.
school-report for another term. "Yo1
must really rouse up, or you'll neve
make man of yourself"
Mr.. Slug had got on in the world b,
acting on the motto, Labor conquer
everything" and thus from an office-boy
he had risen to the head of the firm
Justly proud of his own success, an,
knowing its secret, he was very anxiou
his son should follow in his steps. II
this end he had put him to the bes
schools, and given him every chance of
good education. But the burden o.
every report was the same: ''The lat
has good natural abilities, and would
make splendid scholar had he applica
tion"-a polite way of saying that Ton
was lazy.
There was picture il his bedroom o.
a field in wilderness state of briers anC
thorns. Part of it had been originally
inclosed as a vineyard, but it was now
covered with nettles, and the vines were
overrun with foxes, finding ready en-.
trance by the ruined wall. In one cor
ner of the vineyard was lodge, the
latticed window showing the drowsy
keeper within murmuring now and
agsdn; as he turned from side to side :
"YGt little sleep and little slumber,
then will arise and till my field and
trim my vines" In the dim distance,
the grim, gaunt, hungry-lo looking figure
of Poverty was seen stealthily approach
ing. Tom often looked at this picture,
but hitherto had not fully learned its
lesson.
He was a thoughtful boy in his way,
and sometimes philosophical a bit about
his lazy tendencies. Indeed, he was a
philosopher in petticoats, for he would
sometimes argue to himself in this way :
"My name is Slug. Why, it's the
name of that shiny, gliding thing on
the garden walks Wonder if the
family got its name-as Edward Long
shanks got his, from his long legs
from the slowness of some member re-
people of slug? If SO, how
can help being sluggish PITS in the
blood"
He had vet to learn that people are
born into the world like colts, and need
breaking-in to be of full use.
The boy was quick with his eyes,
however, if slow with his hands and
feet. He had picked up great deal, i'll
this way about beasts and birds and
flies and creeping things. On this
memorable afternoon he was fresh from
a book about the termites or ''white
ants" found in Africa, which build
nests twelve feet high, some on the
ground, shaped like pointed haycocks or
huge mushrooms, and some in trees,
shaped like sugar-casks, with a covered
way to them, winding round the trunk,
from the ground.
There was a seriousness in his fathers
tone as he begged Tom to free himself
from the growing slavery OF Incidence
by one grand effort, which made him
feel very miserable and disguised with
himself In this mood he wandered
into the orchard and threw himself
down 1nder tree. It was beautiful
summer evening. The slanting sunlight
barred the grass with long shafts of
green and gold. Hard by, little
stream made music as it ran. The air
was thronged with insects, dancing
away their little day in the sunset hour
Tom could not help feeling the beauty
of the scene. Ard some sense of sweet
ness would mingle with the bitterness
that found vent in his tears. When
these had ceased. his eye chanced to
fall on nest of ants, the inmates OF
which were very busy around him, some
repairing the nest, others guarding It
and others carrying stores into it.
AS he watched them, the nest began
to grow sensibly bigger, until it seemed
as if he could walk up and down in it.
Tom thought this was a splendid chance
of exploring an ant, hill, and making up
to the nest. was about to enter. when
two of the guards rushed out, clashing
their jaws so fiercely that he felt quite
He was still more startled,
however, when one of them asked him
what he wanted. On recovering him
self, he made bold to ask if he might be
allowed to see over the nest. The
guards conversed for a moment, and
then one of them went inside and pres
emily returned with a kindly, motherly-
looking ant, who said: "The queen has
been pleased to grant you your request
and appointed me your guide. Please
step this way"
The entrance opened into a kind of
hall, which again narrowed into lobby,
having pillar at the entrance, midway
between the walls. Seeing Tom look
wonderingly at this pillar, the guide told
him it was to make the Eest easier of
defence when attacked.
"You see" she said, ga couple of ants
could keep whole army at bay here"