BOYS AT PLAY.—A MODERN PARABLE.

Marlborough Express, Volume III, Issue 142, 31 October 1868, Page 4

BOYS AT PLAY.—A MODERN PARABLE.

To the Editor of the Marlborough Express. Sir, —Living in a community remarkable for its brotherly love, and not being one of its most favoured children, I hope that will be sufficient apology for intruding my reminiscences of some of my experiences. Having unfortunately been persuaded against my will to join some more boys to do certain works in the playground—beingduly selected—me and my colleagues started with all the characteristics of the happy family. Of course there was the fox and chicken, the cat and mouse, the goose and gander, and all these antagonistic natures had to be kept in seemingly lamb-like order, notwithstanding sundry ebullitions (according to nature) at times would make themselves manifest. The wiseman of the (y)East was very gaseous ; poor hops did not know how he came there; cheap bargains thought it all right; the emerald thought there was more colors than green; the navvy thought that to read and write was not essential to a man’s knowledge. First, manifestation, the wise man’s friend, derived no emolument. Secondly, emerald’s friend was an injured man. Thirdly, all the promises were not reduced to writing, consequently they were not read, nor yet performed. The navvy’s verbal boasts to his friends, who felt himself very much aggrieved that old dame Nature did not think fit to await our pleasure or convenience, but decreed that more pocket money would be required. The happy family looked glum, but arrived at the conclusion that we would spend a little more than was in our pocket at present, agreeing that as plucky boys we would stick together, and replenish our exhausted exchequer. When the extra pocket money was required, renegades sprung up in the model family, all the docility was annihilated ; consequently the head schoolmaster called order, and summed up. our .delinquencies : —“Harry, my boy, you can say what you like; butl Will hold-the cane over some of the others.” ' V Well; sir, 1 did not tell them to do anything, T only looking on ; you know that 1 only played bally and my corpulent friend did just as 1 told him; it was the other boys did it.” “ Well you boys, what have you got to say?”. “.Please sir, Harry said that if us two said what he told us, you would punish the, other boy, because we would; bo five to one, which we thought ..was. long odda.”. '- ‘‘ I see, I see that will to-morrow ; I willinform, you of your jmnishmOnt.’.’ u Schoolmaster, (feelingly) : “ Harry, you.lara a t good boy;; in consideration ojj your , being capable of. sttgtp,hing i^,i pqipt.:m: twoLwhanteiquired ; also your ]i&.yqybial hvijpoUE, welLknowm to those you , are most. intimately. acquainted with; also because yoit gqt.jth.9it large, letter written upon and jfci my emergency, I ‘ ifllow yojt .and two. : pf j&ur friehds to 1 gbttrlwUphnishtHe OTherfe' I’’ 1 ’’ that OK. THi^Bovs.-