The Princeton union., 1891-12-03
OUR YOUTHFUL READERS.
MATTERS OF INTEREST AND IN
STRUCTlON TO THE YOUNG.
The Quaker's Gift--Boys VS.. Men,
Oysters on Trees--A Profit
That Is Loss.

Inc Quaker's Gtft--Boys vs.. Menu
Oysters on Trees--A Profit
That Is Loss.
The ouaker.s Gift.
"Levi, can you make up your mind
to live. at home and be 1armer?"
II would rather be a tanner than a
farmer"
Every we'll" responded his father,
who was willing to let Levi follow his
own tastes, as he was now seventeen
years old; ''very well, my son, I will
try and find place for you.''
Very shortly aplace was found for
Master Levi. When the youth pre-
sented himself at the tannery, the
master, an honest Quaker, said:
''Levi, if thou art good lad will do
we'll by thee; if not, will send thee
home again. All the bargain will
make with the is, that thou shalt do
as well by me as do by thee"
Every well, sir; l will do my best"
Levi now went to work with hearty
goodwill. He worked hard, read his
Bible, was steady, honest, and good
natured. His master was satisfied,
and Levi was happy; the years of his
apprenticeship passed pleasantly
away.
One day Lewis master said to him,
"Levi, ! think of making thee nice
present when thy time is OUT
Levi smiled at this pleasant piece
OF news, and said: II shall be very
happy to receive any gift you may be
pleased to make me, SIR"
Then the Quaker looked knowingly
at Levi, and added, II cannot tell
thee now what the present is to be,
but it shall be worth more than a
thousand pounds to thee!'
:'More than a thousand poundsH'
said Levi to himself his eyes spark
ling at the bare thought of such
costly gift. "What can it be?" That
was the puzzling question which puz-
zled about in Lewis brain from that
time until the day before he was out
OF his apprenticeship. Onthe day the
Quaker said to him, "Lev1, thy time
is out tomorrow; but will take thee
and they present home to-day"
Levi breathed freely on hearing
these words. Dressing himself in his
best suit, he soon joined the Quaker,
but could see nothing that looked like
a gift worth over a thousand pounds.
He puzzled himself about it all the
way, and said to himself, "Perhaps
my master has forgotten it," At last
they reached Lewis home. After he
had been greeted by his friends, the
Quaker turned on him and said:
"Levi, Twill give thy present to thy
father" ... -
:'As you please, sir" replied Levi
! now on the very tlptoe OF expecta-
tion. -a4.t.. -. s..t
"Well," said the Quaker, speaking
to Lewis father, 'your son is the best
boy l have ever had" Then, turning
to Levi, he added, ''This is thy pres
ent good name!" s5ss,.. T.. u.s..
Levi blushed, and perhaps he felt
a little disappointed because his gold
| en- visions SO suddenly vanished
away. But his sensible father was
delighted, and said to the Quaker who
was smiling waggshly:
II would rather hear you say that
OF my son, sir, than to see you give
HIM all the money you are worth, for
"a good name is rather to be chosen
than great riches!'
Lewis father was right, and the
| young mans good name did more for
him in after years than could have
been done by any sum Of money
Friendly Greetings.
Oysters on Trees.
The other day I heard somebody
speak Of "oysters hanging upon the
branches OF trees On the border of the
Chesapeake Bay"
'HThat sounds like a fairy tale,''
thought I to myself
| [ determined to investigate. So I
said: II always supposed oysters
grew under water I never knew they
hung in clusters on tree branches like
apples. Curious sort of oysters those
must be which grow on trees along the
banks OF the Chesapeake"
chesapeake Bay has the finest kind
OF oysters" said the Talking Man
''The reason they are sometimes
found growing on tree branches is this.
The spawn OF the oysters floats about
in the water, tossed by winds and
waves. It has the quality Of attach
ing itself firmly to any solid substance
it touches. Sometimes it might be the
bottom of a ship, rock, or a tree
branch. You know the bottom of q
ship often needs scraping on account
of the shell fish adhering to it.
t'Now the branches of trees often
droop into the water. They do it
along the borders of the Chesapeake
the same as on the banks of any other
river or bay. At high tide such
branches will be covered with water,
and when the tide goes back, the
branches come to the surface again.
1.The spawn sticks on those boughs
when they are beneath the waves. In
few days the tiny oyster begins to
develop, and before long at every
low tide the branches can be seen
hanging out with little oysters growing
all over it.
| Sometimes branch which is
often under water will be nearly COW
l s%L 4