154 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
Comer. 
COUNTRY VS. CITY CHILDREN. 
COMFORT TO ASPIRANTS AFTER CITY LIFE. 
Among all the grateful gifts of summer, 
none, I think, has been deeper and more va¬ 
rious, than the sight of the enjoyment of the 
children. I do pity children in a city. 
There is no place for them. The streets are 
full of bad boys that they must not play 
with, and the houses of furniture that they 
must not touch. They are always in some¬ 
body’s way, or making a noise out of proper 
time—for the twenty-fifth hour of the day is 
the only time when people think children 
should be noisy. There is no grass for their 
feet, no trees for climbing, no orchards or 
nut-laden trees for their enterprize. 
But here has been a troup of children, of 
three families, nine that may be called chil¬ 
dren, (without offense to any sweet fifteen,) 
that have had the summer before them to 
disport themselves as they chose. There 
are no ugly boys to be watched, no danger¬ 
ous places to fall from, no bulls or wicked 
hippogriffs to chase them. They are up and 
fledged by breakfast, and then they are off 
in uncircumscribed liberty till dinner. They 
may go to the barn, or to any of three orch¬ 
ards, or to either of two woods, or to either 
of two springs, or to grand-ma’s, (who are 
the very genii of comfort and gingerbread 
to children.) They can build all manner of 
structures in wet sand, or paddle in the 
water, and even get their feet wet, their 
clothes dirty, or their pantaloons torn, with¬ 
out its being reckoned against them. They 
shuffle along the road to make a dust in the 
world, they chase the hens, hunt sly nests, 
build fires on the rocks in the pastures and 
fire off Chinese crackers, until they are sur¬ 
feited with noise ; they can run, wade, halloo, 
stubb their toes, lie down, climb, tumble 
down, with or without hurting themselves, 
just as much as they please. They may 
climb in and out of wagons, sail chips in the 
water-trough at the barn, fire apples from 
the sharpened end of a limber stick, pick up 
baskets filled with brilliant apples in competi¬ 
tion with the hired men, proud of being 
“ almost men.” Their hands, thank fortune, 
are never clean, their faces are tanned, their 
hair is tangled within five minutes after 
combing, and a button is always off some¬ 
where. The day is a creation especially 
made for children. Our Noble has been 
at least equal to one hand and one foot 
extra for frolic and mischief, to each of the 
urchins. But grandest of all joy, highest in 
the scale of rapture, the last thing talked of 
before sleep, and the first thing remembered 
in the morning, is the going for a-nutting. 
Oh! the hunting of little baskets, the irre¬ 
pressible glee, as bags and big baskets, into 
Avhich little ones are to disembogue, come 
forth ! Then the departure, the father or 
uncle climbing the tree—“ oh! how high !”— 
the shaking of limbs, the rattle of hundreds 
of chestnuts, which squirrels shall never 
see again, the eager picking up, the merry 
ohs! and ouches! as nuts come plump 
down on their bare heads, the growing heap, 
the approaching dinner by the brook, on 
leaves yellow as gold, and in sunlight yel¬ 
lower still, the mysterious baskets to be 
opened, the cold chicken, the bread slices 
—ah! me ! one would love to be twenty 
boys or a boy twenty times over, just to ex¬ 
perience the simple, genuine, full, unalloyed 
pleasure of children in a wood, with father 
and mother “ a-nutting !” [Independent. 
Fortune when once let go is seldom 
caught. 
Keep good company or none. 
FORTUNES OF A PIN. 
In the year 1789, a boy, called Lafitte, first 
appeared in Paris. He was poor, and greatly 
desired to obtain an inferior place in a bank¬ 
ing-house. Furnished with a letter of intro¬ 
duction, he went to the house of a rich 
Swiss banker to ask for employment. He 
was friendless, timid, and care-Avorn, and the 
banker thinking him unfit for a clerk, told 
him he had no room for him in his office. 
The lad left the banker’s richly gilded 
room with a sad heart. While crossing the 
court-yard, with droopinghead, he saw a pin 
on the ground ; he stooped down, took it up, 
and placed it carefully in the corner of his 
coat. He did not think at the time that this 
act, so trifling in itself, would be the turning 
point in his life, and the means of his future 
splendid success. 
The banker saw from his window what 
had taken place, and, attaching great import¬ 
ance to trifles, he was impressed by the cir¬ 
cumstance. This simple action gave him a 
key to the character of Lafitte. It was a 
proof oforder and prudence. And he thought 
that a young man who could thus take care 
of a pin, would surely make a good clerk, 
and merit the trust and good wishes of his 
employer. 
The same evening Lafitte received a note 
from the banker, offering him a situation in 
his counting-house, and asking him to come 
and fill the place at once. 
The discerning banker was not deceived 
in his hopes ; for he soon found that the 
young pin-saver possessed all the good qual¬ 
ities he expected. From a clerk Lafitte soon 
advanced to be cashier, and at length was 
received into partnership, and afterwards be¬ 
came the owner of the largest bank in Paris, 
and one of the richest men in the world. 
He was not only rich, generous, great and 
powerful, but was chosen a deputy of the 
people, and made President of the Council 
of Ministers, and was in every respect the 
most influential citizen of France. 
Credit Lost. 
STOLEN FRUIT. 
In Gunning’s “ Sketches,” a new English 
book, he tells this story of Dr. Ogden, Pro¬ 
fessor of Geology : 
The Doctor had taken a great fancy to a 
lad who had been in his service three or 
four years ; he was much pleased with his 
management of a garden which was attached 
to his house, and of which he was particular¬ 
ly fond. A cherry tree which had been 
planted some time, which should have pro¬ 
duced very choice fruit, had constantly 
failed. To the Doctor’s great delight it at 
last showed signs of bearing, and about a 
dozen cherries after a while began to assume 
a tempting appearance. Returning one day 
from his ride, he missed some of his cherries 
and accused the boy of having taken them. 
“ I have not touched them,” replied the boy, 
“ as true as God’s in heaven,” (a very com¬ 
mon mode of assertion among inferior peo¬ 
ple at that time,) “ That’s a good lad ! sit 
thee down, and I’ll give thee a glass of wine, 
for thou wouldst not tell me a lie !” Going 
to a closet he put a pretty strong dose of an- 
timonial Avine into a glass Avhich the boy 
drank off, and Avas preparing to leave the 
room but his master kept him in conversa¬ 
tion. At length the boy was making a hasty 
retreat, saying he did not feel well. “ Do 
not quit the room,” said the doctor, “ sit 
thee down thou wilt soon be better ; and 
ringing the bell, he ordered a jug of warm 
water, which he administered very freely, 
at the same time providing a basin. The 
cherries soon made their appearance, as the 
Doctor anticipated, to the great consterna¬ 
tion of the lad. “Where’s the God in hea¬ 
ven 1” said the Doctor. “Thou miscreant' 
get thee out of my house !” He quitted it 
the same day, but not till the Doctor had 
shown him his will, in Avhich he had left 
him two hundred pounds. 
MY MOTHER KNOWS BEST. 
A party of little girls stood talking beneath 
my window. Some nice plan was on foot; 
they Avere going into the woods, and they 
meant to make oakleaf trimming, and pick 
berries, and carry luncheon. Oh, it Avas a 
fine time they meant to have. “ NoAv,”said 
they to one of their number, “ Ellen, run 
home and ask your mother if you may go. 
Tell her Ave are all going, and you must.” 
Ellen, with her green cape bonnet, skipped 
across the way, and went into the house op¬ 
posite. She Avas gone some time. 
The little girls kept looking up to the win¬ 
dows very impatiently. At length the door 
opened, and Ellen came down the steps. 
She did not seem to be in a hurry to join her 
companions, and they cried out: “ You got 
leave! You are going, are you!” Ellen 
shook her head and said that her mother 
could not let her go. “ Oh,” cried the chil¬ 
dren, “ it is too bad! Not go ! it is really 
unkind in your mother.” “ Why, 1 would 
make her let you.” “ I would go, Avhether or 
no.” 
“ My mother knoAvs best,” was Ellen’s an¬ 
swer, and it Avas a beautiful one. Her lip 
quivered a very little, for I suppose she 
wanted to go, and Avas much disappointed 
not to get leave ; but she did not look angry 
or pouting, and her voice was very gentle, 
but firm, when she said : “ My mother knoAvs 
best.” 
There are a great many occasions when 
mothers do not see fit to give their children 
leave to go where and do what they wish to ; 
and how often are they rebellious and pout¬ 
ing in consequence of it. But this is not the 
true Avay, for it is not pleasing to God. The 
true way is cheerful acquiescence in your 
mother’s decision. Trust her, and smooth 
down your ruffled feelings by the sweet and 
beautiful thought, “My mother knoAvs best.” 
It will save you many tears and much sor- 
roAv. It is the gratitude you owe her, who 
has done and suffered so much for you. 
LEARN ALL YOU CAN- 
Never omit any opportunity to learn all 
you can. Sir Walter Scott said, that, even 
in a stage-coach, he always found somebody 
who could tell him something he did not 
know before. Conversation is frequently 
more useful than books for purposes of 
knowledge. It is, therefore, a mistake to be 
morose and silent, among persons whom 
you think ignorant, for a little sociability on 
your part Avill draw them out and they will 
be able to teach you something, no matter 
hoAv ordinary their employment. 
Indeed, some of the most sagacious re¬ 
marks are made by persons of this discre¬ 
tion, respecting their particular pursuit. 
Hugh Miller, the Scotch geologist owes not 
a little of his fame to observations, made 
when he was a journeyman stone mason and 
Avorking in a quarry. Socrates Avell said 
that there Avas but one good, Avhich is knoAvl- 
edge, and one evil, which is ignorance. A 
gold digger takes the smallest nuggets, and 
is not fool enough to throw them away be¬ 
cause he hopes to find a hugh lump some 
time. So in acquiring knoAvledge, Ave should 
never despise an opportunity, however un¬ 
promising. If there is a moment’s leisure, 
spend it over a good or instructive talking 
Avith the first person you meet. 
Judge not the rich by their wealth, or the 
poor by their poverty. 
