The Maryville times. (Maryville, Tenn.) 1884-1944, 1892-06-29
GROWING STRAIGHT.
Lesson Three Little Folks Learned Wall
Walking with Uncle Robert.

A Lesson Three Little Folks Learned Wnile
Walking with Uncle Robert.
Uncle Robert is the professor of botany
In the state university, and "a man of
science, which means he knows great
deal Aunt Annie says he is also very
abscnt-ininded; for one day he set the
baby on the parlor mantel during
romp and came very near leaving her
there
We love to have Uncle Robert visit
us: for he always takes us long walks
into the woods, and tells us all sorts of
curious things on the way. He has
told us how the leaves are rolled in
their little brown blankets until the
winter is over; and how the stem of the
dandelion is shut together like closed
telescope, causing the leaves to grow in
bunch close to the ground: and how
the stem of the May-apple grows under
the ground how the snow-drops push
their little blossoms through the ground
before the snow is all gone; and how
the sap runs in the trees, just as the
blood circulates in our bodies.
Walter and Patty and always go on
these trips. Walter is our big brother;
he is thirteen. Papa says he is ques-
tion-marll in knee pants, because he is
always asking questions. Uncle Robert
says he has IAN inquiring mind"
One bright morning we all walked
out to Bensil's woods, back of the hill
1t mad us laugh to see Uncle Robert
climb the high rail-fence, and tumble
into the grass and weeds
what bent that tree in that shape?"
Walter asked, as we came to great
oak, with its trunk bent out of shape.
'Ahw said Uncle Robert, "when that
oak was young sapling, a broken limb
or rotten trunk Of a tree fell across it,
and bent it down until it became the
unshapely thing you see. 1t will never
stand up straight and tall like the other
noble trees about it, Doyou remember
hearing: AS the twig is bent the tree
inclines?
"Ycs," spoke up Patty, 81 heard papa
say that very thing to mamma when he
was telling her about Jim Burns being
Poor Jim Burns" said Uncle Robert;
81 remember when he was boy. He
went to the same school with your IA
lhcr and myself. He let bad habits
ruin him then. He drowned his sisters
pet kitten in the creek below their
houses, and he loved to kill birds with
stones from his sling, | have seen him
jert, off Il smaller boys hat, and toss it
up into tree, in spite of the little fell
lows tears He would push two boys
together. and thus cause a fight, which
he enjoyed more than anything else.
SO, instead of growing up straight like
the fine trees. ne became bent and out
of shape like this poor crippled oak.
was not surprised to find that the cruel
boy had grown into the more cruel man,
who must spend the rest of his life in
prison Bad habits are the weights that
spoil characters.
We were all thinking of some bad
habit Of our own as we walked through
the woods gathering Johnny jump-ups
and spring beauties
I'm going to let you nurse Rosetta
whenever you want to-" said Patty tc
me that night after we had said oul
prayers and crawled into bed
Rosetta is Patty's finest doll, and she
never lets any one touch her.
have tried my very best not tc
scream und stamp when my hair is
combed, even though the knots hurt
dreadfully.
Walter never calls me "turned-up
nose" any more, and he don't pinch my
ears or pull the ribbon off my hair, Oh
crook his finger at me, as he used to do
We all want to grow. straight.-Bellt
4. rT;,,aC