The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1893-05-28
THE STORY OF A BOY.

Years and years ago there lived over
In Galway. that pretty country town In
New York which the Scotch founded,
and in which we sometimes see the nav
thorn growing from seed gathered IN
dear old Scotland, boy named Joe, and
his home was pretty cottage with great
trees around 1t, in which the birds built
their nests amid the shine and shower
Of April, and through which the winds
made weird music when the winter storms
RACED He lived with his grandmother,
who was of course a dear old, indulgent
grandma, as all grandmas are. How
he did enjoy going to the woods in spring
and gathering for her great punches of
yiolets How useful he made himself
in late summer, as he went merrily out
I'm search Of thoroughwort and other
smples to adorn the garnet rafters,
Though ne shuddered sometimes at the
thought of the bitter drinks in store for
him. And then in autumn what de-
light 1t was to knock the ripe chestnuts
and hickory nuts from the trees, and to
gather the red-cheeked apples for the
winter storage. How much of this readi-
ness was owing to his love for his grand
mother and how much to his love of
outdoors, will not pretend to say.
In one respect Joe was different from
most of his playfellows He had an in
stinctive horror of robbing a birds nest.
or even OF tormenting a woodchuck; in
fact, he had one of the kindest hearts
in the world. And yet, notwithstanding
all his good and lovable traits he was
great trial to his grandmother for he
hated all books except the book OF ma
ture, and wished that schools had never
been invented TO torment him. He learn
ed to read, for he was a bright boy, and
besides the birchen rod sometimes en-
phasiZed the primer. Joe had two little
pets that were worth more to him than
all the books that were ever written.
One was black and the other was white.
One had a sharp beak, and his part in
the conversation always consisted OF a
simple "Caw-caw;" the other had long
ears. a pink nose and little suueaky
voice. Joe would play with these COM
panions by the hour. Master Crow was
fond Of lighting on his shoulder, and Mis-
tress Rabbit was never far off, even
when she was nibbling grass by the road
side or In the woods. Sometimes little
Joe would become so absorbed In his play
that he would forget to go to school.
and whenever his grandmother heard OF
his truant ways, she felt many a dark
misgiving for the boys future, and sleep
sometimes forsook her pillow.
One morning in June he started for
hN-ifois anu HIS grandmother $1,000 Snad
Ing her eyes at the cottage door, as she
watched him out Of sight. Then, before
going on with her work, she knelt and
offered up a silent prayer that God would
make good and useful man Of her some
times hayward boy. We shall see how
that prayer was answered.
Joe was queer-looking little fellow.
as he trudged along, the crow on his
shoulder and the rabbit running on ahead.
"Mary's Little Lamb" would have SEEM
ed quite in place on this journey towards
the school-house, and doubtless Mary her
self would have proved a pleasant addi-
tlon TO the party. Suddenly there was n
whirring Of wings in the air overhead
"Caw-caw," cried the crow I'm answer
20 some signal from the flying troop
and or flew Joe's pet TO Join the flock
OF crows In the wild freedom Of the skies.
in vain the boy called after his fy-away
pet, he came not back from the upper
nelds, and Joe never gazed again upon
the black of his glossy wings
But there was one comfort left. the
dear little white rabbit, who seemed TO
realize that something had happened
as her pink eyes looked wistfully into
her masters face Just then, as IL the
fates were against him, his little SYM
pathixer scented something from afar
and nying on before him disappeared
through an opening In the Foundation OF
church near by. Joe's one THOUGHT was