256" 



THE GENESEE FARMER. 



Misnllaumts, 



An Indian Story. — There is an Eastern story, which 

 has its version in many languages, of a beautiful damsel, 

 to whom a genius of surpassing power desired to give a 

 talisman. He enjoined her to take herself across a field 

 of standing corn ; she was to pluck the tallest and largest 

 ear she could find ; but she was to gather it as she went 

 forward, and never pause in her path, or step backward 

 in quest of her object. In proportion to the size and ripe- 

 ness of the ear she gathered, so would be its power as a 

 talisman. She went out upon her quest, says the legend, 

 and entered upon the field. Many a tall stalk of surpas- 

 sing excellence met her glance, but still she walked on, 

 expecting always to find some one more excellent still. 

 At last she reached a portion of the field where the crops 

 were thinner and the ears more stunted. She regretted 

 the tall and graceful stalks she had left behind, but dis- 

 dained to pick those which fell so far below what her idea 

 was of a perfect ear. But, alas ! the stems grew more 

 ragged and more scanty as she trod onward ; on the 

 margin of the field they were mildewed, and when she 

 had accomplished her walk through the waving grain she 

 emerged on the other side without having gathered any 

 ear whatever. The genius rebuked her for her folly, but 

 we are told that he gave her an opportunity of retrieving 

 her error. We may apply this mystic little Indian fable 

 to the realities of daily life. 



Civility is a Fortune.— Civility is a fortune itself, for 

 a courteous man always succeeds well in life, and that 

 when persons of ability sometimes fail. The famous 

 Duke of Marlborough is a case in point. It was said of 

 him by one cotemporary, that his agreeable manners often 

 converted an enemy into a friend ; and by another, that 

 it was more pleasing to be denied a favor by his grace, 

 than to receive one from any other man. The gracious 

 manner of Charles James Fox preserved him from dislike, 

 even at a time when he was, politically, the most unpopu- 

 lar man in the kingdom. The world's} history is full of 

 such examples of success obtained by civility. The ex- 

 perience of every man furnishes, if we recall the past, 

 frequent instances where conciliatory manners have made 

 the fortunes of physicians, lawyers, divines, politicians, 

 merchants, and indeed, individuals of all pursuits. To 

 men, civility is what beauty is to women — it is a general 

 passport to favor — a letter of introduction, written in 

 language that every one understands. 



A Big Apple Pie. — An old lady in the country had a 

 daudy from town to dine with her on a certain occasion ; 

 and on the table was an enormous apple pie. 



' La ! ma'am," said the exquisite, " how do you manage 

 to make such a pie?" 



" Easy enough," was the quiet reply; "we make the 

 crust in a wheelbarrow, wheel it under the apple tree, 

 and shake the fruit down into it." 



The Wives op Clever Men. — "Clever men," said Lady 

 Selina, " as a general rule, do choose the oddest wives|! 

 The cleverer a man is, I do believe, the more easily a 

 woman can take him in ! " 



A Moral for Yocng Ladies. — "Listen," said I, "list* 

 and attend, and you shall have a moral and exampl 

 When the wasp now on the window entered, you flew 

 it with a kind of violence. I wonder it don't sting eve 

 one of you. Now in future, let a wasp, when it comi 

 have its little bout and make its little noise. Don't stii 

 muscle — don't move a lip — be as quiet as the statue 

 Venus, or Diana, or anybody of that sort, until the wa 

 seems inclined, as at this moment, to settle. Then do 

 I do now." Whereupon, dipping the feather end of t 

 pen in a cruet of salad, I approached the wasp, and in t 

 softest and tenderest manner possible, just oiled it up 

 the body — the black and yellow, like grooms' waistcoats 

 when down it fell, turned upon its back, and was dead 

 a minute. " There girls," said I, "see what kindness a 

 a little oil does. Now here's my moral and example : 

 when a husband comes home in an ill-humor don't c 

 out and fly at him ; but try a little oil — in fact, treat yc 

 husband like a wasp." 



"More' Hay." — An old gentleman who was alws 

 bragging how folks used to work in his younger da 

 one day challenged his two sons to pitch on a load of I 

 as fast as he could load it. The challenge was accept 

 the hay wagon driven around, and the trial commeno 

 For some time the old man held his own very creditat 

 calling out " More hay ! More hay ! " Thicker and fas 

 it came. The old man was nearly covered ; still he k 

 crying " More hay ! more hay?" At length, struggli 

 to keep on top of the ill-arranged heap, it began to r< 

 then to slide, and at last it went off from the wagon i 

 the old man with it. "What are you here for ? " cried 

 boys. " I came down after more hay ! " answered 

 old man, stoutly. 



A Scotchman having hired himself to a farmer, hai 

 cheese set down before him that he might help hirns 

 The master said to him, "Sandy, you take a long tim< 

 breakfast." "In troth, master," answered he, "a che 

 o' this size is nae sae soon eaten as ye may think." 



A Small Present. — " I will give you my head," s 

 Montesquieu, " if every word of the story I have rela 

 is not true." " I accept your offer," said the presid< 

 " presents of small value strengthen the bonds of frie 

 ship, and should never be refused." 



" It seems to me I have seen your physiognomy soi 

 where before," said a swell to a stranger whom he i 

 the other day, " but I can not imagine where." " V 

 likely," was the reply, " I have been the keeper o: 

 prison for the last twenty years." 



Some malignant slanderer says, " Woman needs 

 eulogist — for she speaks for herself ! " 



Thinking. — No one learns to think by getting rules 

 thinking, but by getting materials for thought. 



A Man full of compliments is a dedication— a man 

 of learning is a register. 



What fruit does a newly married couple resemble ? 

 green pear. 



