The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1895-07-28

complete with absolute moral perfection.
and | am more than two-thirds up there.
IL is immense inspiration 10 find yourseit
climbing that way, and have not mucn
further 10 go. | shall have, then, mat
moral perfection. and shall then see my
edince OF moral character standing fair
before the world all complete ! know
that this would produce II. why, the
IN 81 time that | ever stole a waterine-
Ion-I carried that watermelon TO Sc
clu ed bower. You r1ay call it a bower,
and suppose you may not. ! carried
that watermelon TO n secluded bower IN
the lumber yard. and broke 1t open ana
/. was green.
IS the virtual--that is the beginning or
reformation, when you reflect. When
you 40 not reflect, that trarsgression -
wasted on you. | began 10 reflect. ana
] said to myself, l have done wrong; IL
was wrong In me to steal that water
melon-that kind Of a watermelon. Ana
| said 10 myself: Now what would
rght-mnded and rignt-intentioned boy
do. who found that he had done wroi Z.
stolen Ia watermelon like this. what
would he do, what must he do? DO right;
restitution: make restitution. He must
restore that property 10 It's owner, anu
/ resolved to do that, and the moment
made that good resolution | felt that
electrical moral uplift which becomes a
victory over wrOuv-doing. / was spiritual
~ strengthened and refreshed. ana car
RED that watermelon back 10 that wagon
and gave IL TO the farmcr-rcStOred IL
20 him. and l told him he ought TO be
ashamed o. himself going around work
ing off green watcrmelOns I'm that way
on people who had confidence in him, ana
J told him in my rerte city frank manner
it was wrong. | said that II he did not
stop he could not have my custom, ara
he was ashamed. He was ashamed, ne
said he would never do &c again, ana
believe that 1 did that man a good turn.
a..Nl a 4 ref NJ
/ was severe with him little, but that
was all / restored the watermelon anc
made him give ne q ripe one. l neral
" helped him, and have no doubs that
/ helped my self a. the same time. for that
was a lesson which remained with me
for my perfection. Ever since that day
TO this l never stole another one-like
that
IS 20 te2Cl mat when you 90 a thing 60
IL with all your might; 60 IL with al
your heart. I remember a man IN Cali
fOrrid, jim. What-is-his-namc, Bake.
lie was hearty man OF most gentleman
~ spirit, and mad many fine qualities.
lie lived a good many scars IN Calitor'
MA among tho woods and mountains, ne
had no companionship but that OF The
Wild creatures Of the forest To me he
was an Ohs1rvaut man. He watched .hc
ways Of the different creatures 50 that
he got so that he could understand what
the creatures said 10 each Ctler ana
translate IL accurately lie was the cnly
man / ever knew who could do this. |
know he could. because he told me 50
himself and he says that some of the
animals have very slight education and
small vocabulary, and that they are not
capable Of using figures and allcsory, but
there are other animals that have a
large vocabulary. These creatures are
very fond of talking They like 10 show
or. and he placed the bluojay AZ the head
OF that list. He said: Now, there Is
more TO the bluciay than any other ant
nal. He has got more different kinds OF
feeling Whatever a hluciay feels he can
put into language, and not mere COM
out book talk. And there IS such COM
mand Of language. You never saw a
bluejay get stuck for q word. lie Is a
yOcabularized gcyscr. Now, YOU must
call jay. a bird, and so he Is in a meas
ure. because ho wears feathers and don't
belong to any church. but otherwise he
is just as human nature made him.
blueiay hasn't any more principle tnan
am X-COngrcssman. and he viii steal.
deceive. and bctray four times out of
five, and as for the sacrcdness Of an
OBLIGATION you cannot scare him In the
detail of principle. he talks the best
grammar Of all the animals. You may
say "a cat talks good grammar Wei,
n eat does. but YOU let cat get excited,
you let a cat get q pulling fur with an
other cat ON shed nights. and you will
near grammar A hluejay is human, he
has got an a mans faculties and a mans
weakness He likes especially scandal,
he knows when he is an ass as well as
you do.'-clevelard Plain Dearler