182 UP AND DOWN THE BROOKS. 



to see what is transpiring upon the face of the 

 earth," than to have no more tenderness for the 

 creature than to pierce its vitals with a pin and 

 leave it to endure agony. 



But there is small use in lecturing boys. An- 

 other day I came across two of them trying their 

 slings on a polliwog in a pool. They " smashed " 

 him, as one of them stated, and, on my express- 

 ing a wish to know why they did such deeds, one 

 of the boys informed me that the polliwog had 

 no business to be there. 



" Why, yes, he has," I said. " He was hatched 

 here." 



" How do you know where he was hatched ? " 

 queried one youngster. 



" Well, it was in this brook," I responded. 



And then, proceeding in a severely virtuous 

 vein, I said, u You would n't like it, if you were 

 a polliwog." 



" Yes, I should," said the Incorrigible. " I 'd 

 sneak away where they could n't find me." 



" Maybe you would n't have sense enough to 

 do that," I answered, preparing to leave such a 

 reasoner. 



" Yes, I should," answered he, with perfect 

 faith in his own powers. 



And, as I climbed the bank, he sent after me 

 this awful threat, " If you 's a polliwog, we 'd 

 smash you, too." 



Would he, indeed ! Depravity, thy name is 

 Boy. 



