St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1886-03-27
SNAKES AND BUTTERFLIES.
How Uncle Ezra Helped George to Break
Himself of n Bad Habit.

How Uncle Ezra Helped George to Break
Himself of IA Bad Habit.
George Sturtevant was sitting COM
fortably by the parlor fire. and he had
just come to the most interesting part
of new book, when his mother en-
tered.
George" said she, 81 want you
to put on your cap and run over to
Mrs. Crosby's for me, and ask her il
she is through with my sleeve-pat-
tern"
"Oh. dear'' said George, dolefully.
:. It's awful cold"
Nonsense. stout little boy like
you. telling about the cold! Put on
YOUR cap and mittens and run along
d" I'm kind of afraid of Jack
Jack is chained. he won't hurt
you bit; come. get your cap"
"He wasn't chained yesterday.
saw him running around the yard, my
self.
Mr. Crosby was with him. Run
along, and don't talk any more about
it,"
I'm real lame, where I tumbled
down, yesterday"
Lame, boy who was out PLAYING
football an hour ago. Don't think up
any more excuses. Get ready and run
right over there. / must go down.
stairs and see to my cake, now"
George sat still after his mother had
gone. He looked injured Uncle
Ezra Sturtevant, who was Georges S
grand-uncle and an old man, looked
sharply Mt him over his newspaper
Three snakes" he remarked, i'm a
meditative tone.
They amt snakes" returned
George quickly, his round face turning
red.
"Oh! well. thought they WERE
George sat a little while longer; then
he rose slowly and left the room.
Pretty soon his fur cap bobbed past the
window. Uncle Ezra laughed.
There he goes said n lady who
was sewing on the other side of the
room. You started him pretty quick.
How very clever children are in con-
juring up bug-bears.
George always runs when l say
snakes replied Uncle Ezra SWe
have little bargain about it. | told
him snake story the other day, and
he has done good deal better since
them
What was it?"
Uncle Ezra laughed and hesitated.
"Well. I'll tell you. 1t isn'tvery much
81,
whom knew who had this same habit
which George has. Every one Of his
tasks and duties seemed to be guarded
for him by a vigilant scarecrow of some
kind. He had brother who was just
the reverse. No Drawer. more willing
and cheerful boy ever lived than this
brother. whom we will call Willie The
other was Tom.
lone summer, when Tom was about
fourteen and Willie twelve, friend of
their fathers came to pay them a little
visit. He came ON Friday and re-
manned over Sunday. Monday he was
to leave for New York, and Tuesday he
was to take the steamer for Europe.
He was very wealthy man. and had
planned quite an extensive pleasure
trip.
..On Saturday, the day after his ar
rival. the mother of these bows asked
them TO take some pals and go up in
the pasture and pick some blueberries
Willie started readily enough. hut Tom
had thousand objections. He was
tired, his head ached, the sun was too
hot, there was vicious COW in one of
the fields he had to cross. However.
he went, finally, but he Jagged behind
Willie, and scolded all the way.
1.-The visitor. whose name was Ames,
MIR. Oliver Ames, was present when
the bows were sent for berries, and
listened attentively to all that passed.
He was present. too. when Tom re-
turned in about half an hour, with the
bottom of his pail scarcely covered with
berries.
when his mother asked him what
he was home so soon for. he sad ne
had seen an awful black snake under
the byeh. where he was picking, and
he dfin't dare to stay there another
minute. His mother asked him why
Willie didn't come, too. and ne nardly
knew what to reply, but ne mumoied