Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-09-23
Uncle Sam T slls of the Olden Time

It was a lively conversation the boys and
girls were having. Carts grandfather had
been telling so much about the good old
times that Carl heartily wished he might
have been a boy when his grandfather was
Joe's great uncle, too. always had a way
of saying when was boy
But Joe and Carl had all the rest of the
group against them. All except these two
declared they would rather have things as
they are now than as they were fifty or
seventy-five or hundred years ago.
Think of the schoolsr' said VIII. "Arith-
metic, reading. writing and spelling were
about all the children learned"
What did they have 10 read after they
had learned how" asked another.
Il should like to know what they did for
fun" said Arthur. They must have found
it very stupid"
why exclaimed Lou, II read in one Of
Rileys poems that the reason the past Is
called the good old times is because it IS
dead and gone"
9TH tell you"' said Dorothy. Lets all
go and ask Uncle Sam which really are the
best, the old times or the new.
"Hurrah for Uncle SAM" they shouted
Uncle Sam will know; he has tried both.
Uncle Sam greeted them cheerily as they
crowded about, him.
things in New England seyentyfive or a
hundred years ago-especially in the Win
ter"
Just what my grandfather says" inter
Yes. SIR" added Joe, my Greatuncie
Hiram says one of those boys was worth
three Of u.s.
1T isn't SOL" retorted VIII. and the others
cried, ''Of course. it isnt!
Uncle Sam went on: IN those times the
boys would rise before daylight, dress In a
cold room, pull on heavy cowhfde boots, and
lantern in hand, sally forth to the barn to
feed the stock. Perhaps they had to shovel
their way through deep snow.
in the barn the cows and horses bltnked
their eyes, half blinded by the lantern $
light; the chickens roosting here and there
craned their necks and tried shakily TO
stand up on their perches. What fun 1t
was to mix the hot water and chopped hay
and bran. and with what relish the cattle
pushed their noses into the steaming mix
ture! The managers were well stuffed with
nay and the boys hurried back to the
kitchen, one of them carrying a bounteous
pailful of warm. fresh milk.
Then. smoking hot on the breakfast ia
bile, stood the real country sausage, ana
the delicious, brown cakes made from buck
wheat raised at home"
But they had no oatmeal and other de-
licious cereals" said one.
Nor bananas, nor oranges, nor Califor-
MIA grapes. said Lou
Didn't need them,' Carl replied.
Uncle Sam continued: Then came the
tramp through the snow to the district
school, the tasks in their simple studies
the rugged, rollicking. outdoor games
snowballing, fortbuilding, coasting. skating,
and finally the tramp home again, with
many cut behind.
"Once more at home, the evening chores
kindling to split, great armfuls of wood to
carry and pile high beside the fireplace;
the milking. the feeding and the call at each
nest for the new eggs. When the very cold
weather began there was great care to
make the barn snug; the cracks and crew
ices were carefully stopped up, and how
generous the boys were with straw and
leaves for bedding! Then it was that a
boy came to have a fellow feeling in his
heart toward the dumb creatures.
After supper there was the wide open
fireplace, with corn to pop, nuts to crack.
plenty of luscious apples from a we'll
My opinion is that boys and girls who
know nothing about old-fashioned life
miss great deal"
But. Uncle Sam. isn't whole library
better than the half dozen books most
families had in the olden times?"
Yes. hundred books are better than
six. And yet who of you cares for any
book the way the boy Lincoln cared for
rowed and read by the light of a tallow
candle? The simple life people lived in
the olden times made them easily con-
tented.
Yet. the present is a most wonderful
time. You young Americans are wiser
than the schoolmasters were a century
ago. You read, you learn. you travel
But let me give you one thing to think
about:
There is a homely story in very
old-fashioned book about some men who
received certain money to invest In bust
ness. Some received more, others less.
But when the time of reckoning came
the most gain was expected from the
one who had received most
ha al frN,n mo 10 nd I'D
men and women, what may your Uncle
Sam expect of you? By the way, when
you clean sidewalks and shovel paths
this winter see how we'll you can do it.
The best citizens will make the best
paths.