The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1888-05-26
WHAT ROB DID.
and All Because of His Attentive
Hearing.

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
ine the looking glass to find out. All
he saw there was round face, big
brown eyes. a 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 acre
plenty, Rob soberly admitted.
When his father said to his mother:
flush, here's our little pitcher, he has
big ears, you know" Rob thought to
himself: at 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, "to 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, Il measured
lots of the fellows ears after school;
Willie Stratton's, 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 pitchers? 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 o great help when
you are man, but now you must 90 to
sleep and be ready for play in the
morning"
Rob had partly guessed it this time
1t eOdS 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 as
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 taIbing if he
could moi help hearing, and Danish
ment from the family sitting-room fol-
lowed. This, together with some low
ing, rcproying talks from his mother
taught Rob to be silent.
But every one loved Rob. Even
Dash, the dog, who was getting old
and cross, would wag his tail when Rob
came by. Such willing feet and hands
he had, and such " generous, tender
heart.
But | must tell you what Rob did
and how he put one piece of knowledge
to its best use. Mr.. Gray, Rob's father,
lived on the main street at the end of
of Il country village. Near the house
stretched large meadow crossed by q
brisk little river with shelving, sandy
banks. One summer Rob's two little
cousins, Bessie and Amy, were brought
there while their frail mother was taken
to the mountains. Rob was delighted
at the prospect Of constant playfellows.
Although he could whistle and halloo
as loud MS any boy, climb and jump,
tear Off his buttons, burst his shoes
and dismay his mother with break
neck pranlls, yet he was full of kind
ness and chivalric instincts towards
those younger and weaker than him
self Bessie was about eight and
almost as tall as Rob, while Amy was
a tiny blue-eyed child couple of years
younger. Both were city-bred and shy,
timorous creatures, given to quiet
plays. Rob was greatly attracted by
their gentle ways and their brave
efforts to smile when their father and
mother went away, leaving them alone
for the first time in their lives, Rob's
bright eyes saw just how it was, and then
he heard his uncle say to his mother:
Don't let any harm happen TO our lit
tie girls, for the doctor said sudden
shock would kill Alice" From that
moment he gave himself up to caring
for his cousins all the long summer
Sister Grace dressed them and curled