The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1888-07-21
WHAT ROB DID.
And All Because of His Attentive
Hearing.

A&OSsA AA@os
Little Rob was "a queer child"
There could be no doubt about it.
Every one said said so; even his mother.
who always added ''but he is dear
little boy" What could be the matter
with him! he wondered. as he peeped
into the looking-glass to find out All
he saw there was round face. big
brown eyes. large nose which his
brother called pug. and plenty of
dark brown curly hair. Nothing
different from many of his playfellows,
saving perhaps his freckles, which s0ere
plenty, Rob soberly admitted.
When his father said to his mother:
Hush, here's our little pitcher, he has
big ears. you know" Rob thought to
himself: ut must be my ears I'll go
and look" So he gazed at them, turn
ing this way and that, and finally
measured them with his mothers tape
measure, ito know for sure" ne said
to himself. That night he set up in bed
when his mother came to tuck him up.
.Mamma," said Rob, II measured
lots of the fellows ears after school;
Willie STATIONS. Fred Warren's, Ed
Persons and lots of others, and they're
all as big as mine and bigger except
John Willis. His are awful small
and he's real stingy. Now why did
papa call mine pitchersp l asked the
teacher but she laughed and said she
couldn't tell me-"
His mother had hard work to keep
from laughing at the characteristic
question. but the earnest face re-
strained her; and, covering Rob with
warm blankets. she explained the mean
ing Of the proverb and added: my lit
tie boy must use what he hears to help
others, and never repeat any thing
except to papa or me. To hear quickly
and correctly will be great help when
you are man, but now you must 60 to
sleep and be ready for play in the
morning."
Rob had partly guessed it this time.
1t uas his ears which made him queer.
There never were sharper ones to hear
all the speeches older people made
careless. wise. thoughtful and joking
all were caught by his sharp ears and
laid away in the active mind to be
brought out at some unexpected
mo ment. Such an alive little fellow al
he was! From the time he could talk
his lively tongue was the terror of his
older sister and brother, whose dearest
secrets he often made known to the
cold world. At length his father said
his little boy must stop talking If he
could not help hearing, and Danish
ment from the family sitting-room fol.
lowed. This. together with some Low.
ing. reproving talks from his mother,
taught Rob to be silent
But every one loved Rob. Ever
Dash, the dog. who was getting ole
and cross. would wag his tail when Rol
came by. Such willing feet and hand.
he had, and such a generous, tender
heart
But l must tell you what Rob dit
and how he put one piece of knowledg'
to its best use. Mr.. Gray. Rob's father
lived on the main street at the end o
of country village. Near the hous
stretched large meadow crossed by
brisk little river with shelving, sand,
banks. One summer. Rob's two littl
cousins, Bessie and Amy, were brough
there while their frail mother was takel
to the mountains. Rob was delighte,
ut the prospect of constant playfellows
Although he could whistle and halo
rs loud as any boy. climb and jump
tear off his buttons. burst his shoe
and dismay his mother with break
neck pranks, yet he was full of kind
ness and chivalric instincts toward
those younger and weaker than him
self. Bessie was about eight an
almost as tall as Rob. while Amy wa
. tiny blue-eyed child a couple of year
younger. Both were city-bred and shy
timorous creatures, given to quie
plays. Rob was greatly attracted b
their gentle ways and their brav
efforts to smile when their father an
mother went away, leaving them alon
for the first time in their lives. Rob
bright eyes saw just how it was, and the
he heard his uncle say to his mother
Don't let any harm happen to our Iii
tie girls, for the doctor said sudde
shock would kill Alice" From ths
moment he gave himself up to carin
for his cousins all the long summer
Sister Grace dressed them and curle