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Carolina people, except what I sec in
Jones himself, it is very much like what
I have heerd of them, to be eating all sorts
of queer things.”
«I Jo not know how believable that
story of the dinner is, when told of a
North Carolina man,” said Magruder;
(< for, if lam not mistaken, it was told me
soon after I landed at Quebec, live years
ago, about somebody not far from the
lines.”
“ Well,” returned Jones to these inuen
does, “ I didn’t give the story on my own
knowledge, but only as I got it from oth
ers. I know that it was told in my neigh
borhood about the man I mentioned, and
as for Magruder’s having heard it in Can
ada, I don’t see why a good thing of the
kind happening in North Carolina might
not travel to Canada, and be told of some
one there, as well as that it should have
happened in Canada and traveled
to North Carolina. It certainly
is no farther from North Carolina
to Canada than it is from Canada
to North Carolina.”
This closing argument of Jones
was so like a demonstration that
the discussion stopped rig li t
there.
Thompson was now called up
on for his story; and, evidently
aiming to animate the drooping
spirits of the company by some
thing light, he gave an account
of himself, of which a brief ab
stract will be furnished in the fol
lowing chapter.
Singular Promptness.
A boy borrowed a tool from a neighbor,
promising to return it at night. Before
evening he went on an errand and did not
return until late. When he went he was
told that his brothers would see the tool
returned. He was much distressed to
think his promise was not fulfilled, and
was finally persuaded to go to sleep, and
rise early and take it home. By daylight
he was up, and nowhere was the tool to
be found. After a long and fruitless
search he set off for his neighbor’s in
great distress to acknowledge his fault.
But how great was his surprise to find the
tool on his neighbor’s door. And it ap
peared from the prints of little bare feet
on the mud, that the lad had got up in
his sleep and carried the tool home, and
went to bed again and knew it not. Os
course, a boy who was so prompt in his
sleep was prompt when awake. He livdd
respected, had the confidence of his neigh
bors, and was placed in many offices of
trust. —Bible Class Magazine.
B U RKE’S AV E E KEY.
Written for Burke’s Weekly.
COCK ROBIN AND JEANNIE WREN.
» DOUBT if there is one of
my little readers who has
not read the history of Cock
Robin and Jeannie Wren, as
related by that wonderful
favorite of the juveniles, Mother
Goose. Robin Redbreast was a
gallant bird, Jeannie Wren was
** young and beautiful, and of course
Robin lost his heart. Here you have a
'picture of Master Robin, with his hat un
der his wing, making that memorable
speech to Miss Jeannie, in which he prom
ised that she should “dine on currant pie,
and drink nice cherry wine,” besides
dressing “ like a gold finch, or like a pea
cock gay.”
But, says one of my little readers, “ I
O* —V
never heard of a bird eating currant pie
and drinking wine.” Perhaps not, but
3'ou know this all happened long ago, and
times are sadly changed. However, Miss
Jeannie seems to have been more fond of
the good things to eat than of fine
clothes, for, after accepting Master Robin
and naming the day, she sings:
“ Cherry pie is very good, and so is currant wine,
But I will wear my brown gown, and never dress too
fine.”
Well, to make a long story short, they
had a rare wedding. Parson Rook per
formed the ceremony, the Goldfinch gave
away the bride, the Linnet acted as brides
maid, and the Bulfinch as groomsman.
“ The Black bird and the Thrush, and the charming
Nightingale,
Whose sweet song sweetly echoes through every grove
and dale;
The Sparrow and the Tomtit, and many more were there;
All came to see the wedding of Jeannie Wren, the fair.
The wedding dinner over, the company
began to sing, and the concert is said to
have been a very fine one, all doing their
best in honor of the bride and bridegroom.
This merry beginning was doomed, how
ever, to have a tragical ending; for, in
the midst of their glee, in came the
Cuckoo, who acted in the most shameful
manner. Cock Robin became angry, and
so did the Sparrow, who, in a great liur
ry> brought in his bow and arrow. But
he was either frightened or excited, for
he aimed so badly that, alas! alas !
“ The Cuckoo he missed—but Cock Robin he killed!
And all the birds mourned that his blood was so spilled.”
[Bins was a sad ending to poor Jeannie’s
married life; but our little readers will
see, by referring to the poem in this num
ber, that she was not inconsolable, as she
afterwards married again, and became the
mother of a large family. —Editor of the
Weekly .]
JBST* Nothing gives more freshness to
existence than the consciousness of bein
O
useful to others.
Nettie’s Wish.
“ I wish I were a fairy,
And had a magic wand:
I’d make you all so happy!”
Said little Nettie Bond.
“ I'd change this cot so humble
Into a palace fair,
And fill its walls so lofty
With treasures rich and rare.
‘‘ Papa should leave his work-shop;
Mamma should live at ease ;
And Ben should go to college,
The dariing roguish tease !
AVe’d have such heaps of silver,
With gold in plenty, tool
0, would we not be merry,
AVith no more work to do?”
“ My dear, the best of fairies
My little girl may be.
And she can bring us daily
Rich gifts most fair to see —
Kind looks, and smiles so loving,
And duties promptly done;
0, these would make our home-nest
As cheerful as the sun.
“ Better than kingly palace,
Better than gold, my love,
These precious plants of kindness,
AVhicli take their root above;
They'd lighten father’s labor,
And soften mother’s care;
And, twining round our heart-strings,
They’d bloom in beauty rare.”
" I thank you, dearest mother;
I’ll try your magic wand,
And be a real home-fairy,”
Said little Nettie Bond.
“ And if we can’t have riches,
AVe'll have what’s better far —
Hearts full of love and sunshine.”
“ My pet!” chimed in mamma.
Fashion. —A Quaker gentleman, riding
in a carriage with a fashionable lady
decked with a profusion of jewelry, heard
her complain of the cold. Shivering in
her lace bonnet, and shawl as light as a
cobweb, she exclaimed :
“ What shall 1 do to get warm ?”
“ I really don’t know,” replied the Qua
ker solemnly, “ unless thee should put on
another breast-pin .”
God gives every bird its food, but
does not throw it into the nest,
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