Year: 1879

Once upon time there was little boy
called Alfred, who thought that life was u
great deal too slow that it was too bad to
be such II little boy for SO long, and to
actually have II nurse to look after him -
like II baby.


One day as Alfred was grumbling about
all this. over slice of bread and molas-
ses, he felt IL kind of shock quiver through
him, which made him blink his eyes, and
when he opened them again there was u
genius!


He knew that he was genius, because
he did not look like anything else, and
therefore he must be that and nothing
more.


Little boy, said the genius, /" know
what you are grumbling about. and l am
going to give you your wish. Here, he
said, showing him spool of thread. here
is the thread ofyour life. Now, whenever
you want to get older, and make time
pass, Just pull this thread, and days,
months-years, even,will fly like minutes.
Alfred redeemed with delight as he grasped
his life; he couldn't speak for astonsh-
ment, but he made low bow, and when
he looked up again the genius had van
ished. Now, he thought gladly, I'll soon
grow out of Mary AIMS reach, and he
pulled the thread.


Immediately he felt himself growing up,
and when he looked in the glass he found
that he had grown into boy of sixteen.


His Joy at being rid ofhis nurse was not
very long-lived, for soon stern looking
tutor made his appearance, and desired
him to come instantly and read chapter
of Greek. Now this did not please Alfred
any more than his earlier trials, and after
a few days, although he always pulled the
thread at lesson time, he got very tired Of
having u tutor always with him, scolding
him for not making any progress in his
studies he decided that it was II great
bore, and that he would be u young man
in business. I'll pull again, he said. No
sooner said than done. On raising his hand
to his mouth he felt IL moustache there,
and Immediately became very proud.
Then he found himself in business. For
a short time his new life was very pleasant
to him, but when few weeks had passed
he began to envy his employers, and wish
that he were married man with a fine
position Soon the desire to pull his
thread became irresistible; he pulled
again, and 10! there he was, in q beautiful
house of his own, with family of pretty
children around him and Il charming wife; !;
but the children made such noise and
took up so much of his wile's time that he
soon wished that he might have quiet
home, with his children all grown up and
settled. Again he pulled, and when he
looked in the mirror his hair and beard
were streaked with gray!


"Oh,p he sighed, /" am getting old! |
wish that | could retire from business. l
long for the quiet days when | shall have
made enough to spend IL peaceful old age"


One day, when he was very much wor-
rcd with business, he found the spool in
his hand, and could not resist pulling the
thread with such impationce that only a
tiny cord remained, and he found himself
II white haired grandfather.


But, alas great difficulties surrounded
him now, and kept him from enjoying his
retired ease, for he had no teeth left with
which to eat apples and fried potatoes; his
sight was dim and his step uncertain, and
in very little while he was lying on his
bed tortured with rheumatism. and groan-
ing bitterly, as he repenled losing the
many years that he might have enjoyed.


Many times his trembling hands took
up the spool with its tiny bit of thread,
and he wished that he had courage to give
one more pull, that IN end might be put
to his sui1erings. But he was terribly
afraid of doing it, for what would become
of him then?


At last, after many days of pain and re-
grct, one evening he was looking at the
spool, and had hold of the little remnant
of his life-thread, when suddenly q spasm
of pain made him start so that he jerked
off the remaining bit of life, and fell back,
at rest forever!


Thus Alfred managed his life for HIM
self, and ran through it all in Just two
months from the day on which genius had
given him the spool.-N. Y Erening Post.