Year: 1865

hen | first knew Mr. John Horsly, he
was white haired man and very rich. He
seemed never to have been in any great busi-
ness, such as merchants and spectators noa
engage IN, and be was never accused of be-
ing dishonest man, it was always a mystic
ry 20 me how he came 10 be so rich j knew
that MS father was poor country clergyman
and that John could have received no prop
erty from him. Meeting my friend one day
when our conversation happened to turn on
the subject OF gathering property, j ven
tured to ask him how it was he had been SO
successful in life.


when I was boy z he said, my father
was poor minister. We lived 7erv plain
and dressed very plain. but that never ,l, trorl-
bled US. We always had enough of some
thing to eat. and my mother was one who
contrived to have her children dressed pret-
tily if not richly. One day when I was a
little fellow, several little boys and girls came
along on their way to pick whorteberries.
They invited me to go along with them, and
when | saw their bright faces and little bas-
kets, and the bright afternoon, wanted to
go with them. So went into the house
and asked my mother [ saw she sympa-
thIzed with me, but she said must go and
ask father


And where is father?"


UP In the study, OF course.


Up bounded hat in hand, and gently
Knocked at the door. He babe me come
in


We'll, johnny, what is your wish?''


want, SIR, to go with the children and


w here are they going r.


0nly TO johnson S hill, SIR.


How many children are there ?''


Seven, besides myself Please let me


well you may go. Be good boy, and
use no bad words


Away scampered, and just got to the
bottom Of the stairs when my father called
me back. O dear, it's all over now. He's
going to take it all back, / said to myself
Trembling, | again stood in the doorway,
expecting to have the permission with
drawn.


'.Johnny, . said my father, with a peculiar
smile, Il have word Of advice to give you.
lou viii find berries growing in clumps all
over the lot The children will pick a few
minutes at one place and then go off to an
other, in hopes of finding better picking,
and thus they will spend half of the after
noon In roaming from one place to another.
Now my advice to you is, that sohea youtnd
pretty tar picking, stick to that spot and
frN-fAGA8 It'll A Jul bdShNL &L AAEub
viii show whether my advice is good or
not.


'1Well, sir, followed my fathers advice,
and although the children would wander
about and cry out "Oh, Johnny here's a
world of them and there's splendid pick
ing, and here you can ELL your basket in
no time, and yet / stuck to my fair picking
place. When we got through at night, to
the astonishment of every one, and my own
no less, it was found that / had nearly twice
as many as any other one. They all won
dered how it came. But knew. And that
was the lesson that made me rich man.
Whenever have found fair picking / have
stuck to it. Others have changed occupa-
tions and business, but | have never done
so, and attribute all my success to the les
son BY which | learned to pick whortleber-
ries.


| have recalled this conversation, and the
form of my old friend, who has long since
passed away, to impress it upon the parent,
and upon the teachers, that single sentence
of instruction may shape the course of the
whole life Of the child now under his care.
Not only did property and success hang on
the old minister hint, but the shaping of
his som s whole character for life, and per-
heps forever. How much wisdom we need
to be able to say the right thing and at the
right time.