A Governor's Gift 



implement in his hands with an im- 

 pressive adjuration as to its indefinite, 

 indeterminate use. 



Thus opened one of the first im- 

 portant epochs in a child's early years ; 

 thus did the gospel of work and self- 

 dependence receive its first parental 

 preachment; thus was one boy's hand 

 placed upon the ladder of labor, up 

 which all, save those who are so un- 

 fortunate as to be born with a gold 

 spoon in their hands, have to climb 

 by their own efforts, or ultimately fall. 

 And it was not long before he had to 

 hoe for the wherewithal to maintain 

 himself properly on certain occasions 

 in this little town of Boyville; and he 

 has not yet seen the time when the 

 hoeing could be altogether stopped, if 

 pace with modern civilization, and 

 present-day standards of living, is to 

 be maintained; and he is beginning in 

 his later years to question somewhat 

 the soundness of a social state that 

 compels this endless grubbing, when 



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