Year: 1872

ALTHOUGH Ine country boy IeelS llttle
joy when school breaks up las he does
when anything breaks mp, or any change
takes place., since he is released from the
discipline and restraint of it, yet the
school is his opening into the world, his
romance. Its opportunities for enjoy
ment are numberless, He does not exact
ly know what he is set at books for he
takes spelling rather as an exercise for
his lungs, standing up and shouting out
the words with entire recklessness of con-
sequences he grapples duggedly with
'rithmetic and geography US something
that must be cleared out of his way be-
fore recess, but not at all with the zest he
would dig a woodchuck out of his hole.
But recess Was ever any enjoyment so
keen as that with which boy rushes out
of the schoool-house door for the ten
minutes of recess? He is like to burst
with animal spirits he runs like deer /;
he can nearly fly, and he throws himself
into play with entire self-forgetfulness,
and an energy that would overthrow the
world if his strength were proportioned
to it. For ten minutes the world is abso-
lutely his; the weights arc taken of, re-
straints are loosed, and he is his own mas
ter for that brief time--as he never again
will be if he lives to be as old as the
King of Thule, and nobody knows how
old he was. And there is the incoming, n
solid hour, in which vast projects can be
carried out which have been slyly matured
during the school hours expeditions are
undertaken, wars are begun between the
Indians on one side and the settlers on
the other, the military company is drilled,
without uniforms or arms, or games are
carried on which involves miles of run
ming and an expenditure of wind sufficient
to spell the spelling-bOok through at the
highest pitch.


Friendships are formed, too, which are
feryent if not enduring, and enmities
contracted which are frequently "taken
OUT on the spot, after rough fashion
boys have of settling as they go along;
cases of long credit, either in words or
trade, are not frequent with boys; boots
on jack-knives must be paid on the nail;
and it is considered much more honorable
to out with personal grievance at once,
even if the explanation is sneaking re-
venge on some concealed opportunity.
The country boy at the district school is
introduced into a wider world than he
knew at hon In many ways. Some big
boy brings TO school copy of the Arabi-
an Nights, dog-eared copy, with cover,
title-page and the last leaves missing,
which is passed around, and slyly read
under the desk, and perhaps comes to the
little boy whose parents disapprove of
novel-reading, and have no work of FIG
tion in the house except pious fraud
called six Months in Convent" and
the latest comic almanac. The boys eyes
dilate as he steals some of the treasures
out of the wondrous pages, and he longs
to lose himself in the land of enchant-
ment open before him. He tells at home
that he has seen the most wonderful book
that ever was, and big boy has promised
to lend it to him. SIS it true book, John?"
asks the grandmother. because if it
isn't true, it is the worst thing that boy
can read" (This happened years ago.
John cannot answer as to the truth of the
book, and so does not bring it home;
but he borrows it nevertheless, and con-
ceals it in the barn, and lying in the hay
NOW is lost in its entertainments many an
odd hour when he is supposed to be doing
chores. There were no chores in the
Arabian Nights; the boy there had bat
to rub the ring and summon genius,
who would feed the calves and pick up
chips and bring in wood in minute. 1t
was through this emblazoned portal that
the boy walked into the world of books,
which he soon found was larger than his
own, and filled with people he longed to
know.-C ID. Warner, in "Work and
Play"


AT Manhattan, o., on Christmas Eve, q
young man from Toledo joined q small
party for the purpose of spending the
evening in social manner, and enjoying
the pleasure of tripping the light fan.
tastic toe" During pause in the dane
ing, male friend bantered him in regard
to his power to charm the fair sex and
win their affection, finally declaring that
he would wager 81 that nc young lady
present in the room could lie induced un-
der any consideration to marry him. The
young man declared he knew better, and
accepted tho wager, when young lady
who had overhead the conversation said
she would marry him. The novel offer
was not made quicker than il was accept
ed. A Justice of the Peace who happened
to be present responded to the CALL and in
the presence of the astonished witnesses
pronounced the couple man and wife.
The husband, who, by the way, is not
liable TO be driven - insanity by reason
of surplus wealth, cnuckles over the fact
that he won the wager so easily, and that
thus far he has had no cause for repent
ance in regard to his hasty exit from the
path leading to old bachelorhood.


"a LARGE roll of unpaid bills in the
breast pocket of Floridian, recently
saved him from the knife of an assassin ,
SO says an exchange The inference is
natural. Never pay bill.