Year: 1874

owy past-when the human mind was
satisfied with the most, crude and una
dorned forms of language-ere the in
tellect had received the stimulus of the
modern methods of education and been
developed into that higher sphere of ac-
tivity which is only satisfied with the
most elaborate and ornate styles of liter
ary expression, the leisure moments of
the youth of the period used to beguiled
by the narration of fables or myths,
based on familiar topics which were de-
hvered by those versed in the method
then in vogue in a gentle rylhmical flow
of the simple words in common use at
the time, in a manner which, in that
rude and cultivated age, seems to have
proved very fascinating. Some of these
fables or melodious myths have come
down by tradition or otherwise to the
present day, and, although now inger-
ing in dim and nebulous condition, IN
the brain of older inhabitants, yet there
is reason to believe they may be brought
back to memory, and that many of the
most striking of these early literary
efforts may still be saved. Thinking
that the essence of this literature is
worthy of being rescued from oblivion
and brought before an intelligent public
in more enduring form, we have pre-
vailed upon a friend whose mind is well
stored with many curious literary relics,
and who is comparatively well versed in
the ancient lore TO which we have al
luded, to furnish us, for the qualification
of our readers, characteristic speci-
men. In presenting this effort, however,
it is but justice to the narrator to say
that he does not pretend to give it YER
baton, but is confident that although
he may have failed to preserve through
out the severe simplicity of the original
version, he has yet retained the spirit;
and that, although the imagery may be
clothed in more modern garb, he has
so faithfully portrayed the leading idea
conveyed by the old narrative that the
readers of the present day will have no
difficulty in comprehending its attractive
| features. With this brief and necessar-
lily incomplete introduction we will now
present to our readers the antique gem
he has furnished, which, as we are in
formed, was entitled by the author in the
simple language of the day:


MOTHER HUBBARD AND HER DoG."
The aged and venerable maternal rep


resentative of a family which descend


ed from an ancestral progenitor known


in his time by the patronymic appel


lation of Hubbard (perhaps from his
having been one of the early poets or


bards of the Hub),


WendPd her way to the small apartment


ordinarily devoted to the storage of


crockery and such portions of the


family provisions as were left unused


at the prandial meal,


To obtain for the qualification of her fa-


vorite but emaciated specimen of the


genus canis fragment of an osseous


nature once composing an integral por-


tion of the skeleton of an animal


whether bovine, poreine, or otherwise,


the narrator was not able to determine


satisfactorily from which she had


reason to believe her petted quadrup-


ed would obtain ailment,


When by continuous progressive motion


she had arrived at the end of her brief


journey, and in fact had reached the


objective point, and the goal of her


desire,


Her fond anticipations were not realiz-


ed, and her calculations came to


naught; for the family receptacle, be-


fore alluded to, proved to be entirely
denuded of everything in the way OF


that sustenance which tends to pro-
long life when received within and
) assimilated by the animal organism
Consequently this indignant and long.
suffering member of the higher class
of vertebrates called mammals, but
Familiarity as the Npoor dog" failed or
this occasion to obtain anything what
ever to appease his unsated and vorac
ious appetite, which there is reason tc


believe had previously been whetteG
by the anticipation of the favorable
result to the visit of his friend anc
protector to the usual storehouse o
his supplies.


The severe and continuous strain upol
the brain power of our friend, involves
in the resurrection, the partial recon
struction and the rehabilitation of tha
portion of the work which we have Civ
en- above, proved so great shock hi
nervous system that he has felt himsel
. obliged to give up all thoughts of pro
ceeding further with his task until tn


summer vacation. But we have the sat


isfaction of knowing that "what's don
is donev as Macbeth says.