332

THE YOUTH’S CABINET.

 

Dick, says I. It was the first word I had
spoken to him for a month or more. He
didn’t expect such a thing, and seemed a
good deal surprised ; but I looked him in
the eyes for a while, and presently, sure
enough, he began to smile, and said, ‘T
wish you would, Tom, for I am mightily
pestered about this lesson.’ So we sat
down together, and I read the lesson over
for him; and by the time I had got
through, all my hate was turned into pure
good-will. We both felt that we were
good friends again, and we’ve been on the
best terms ever since.”

“Well, Tommy, that’s a very pretty
story; and what’s more, it is an excellent
commentary upon the very word about
which you have sought information this
morning—I mean magnanimity. You
wished to have a more perfect idea of
what is meant by it, and now you have
got it in such an attractive shape, that
you will never forget it.”

“ How is that, papa ?”

“ T mean, my son, that you yoursell have
been practicing this virtue without know-
ing it. Boys generally think that it is no-
ble in them to return acts and feelings of
unkindness in the same coin. Their pride,
they think, is enlisted to be stiff and stub-
born—to be unyielding and unforgiving.
But such is not the true spirit of a noble
heart. Such is not the spirit of the Gospel.
Such is not the spirit of magnanimity.”

“Then our talk about magnanimity
may be made of some use. I often think
it so strange, papa, that there is hardly
anything but may be turned to some
good account.”

“Yes, my son, if we are disposed to
see the truth in all things, and if we have
a simplicity of heart, so as to learn from
what we do see.”

A Cunning Fox.

ounnine fox!” But are not
this whole race of animals cun-
ning? They are so represented.
How common it is to hear a
person say, “as cunning as a fox!” Yes,
they are all pretty sly fellows I admit;
but I have just heard a story about one,
who seems to have been smarter even than
most of his species. The story was told
me by aclerical gentleman of my acquaint-
ance, whose name, wherever he is known,
commands the highest respect. A colored
man in the employ of this gentleman,
took it into his head to catch a fox, whom
he knew to be residing in the neighbor-
hood. So he proceeded to set a trap for
him. After having for several days placed
some dainty morsels of food for the fox,
in a particular place not far from his hole,
he set a steel trap in that place, taking the
precaution to cover it carefully with earth,
so that it was entirely out of sight—the
bait being scattered in that vicinity, as be-
fore. The next morning after that, the
colored man found the trap sprung, but
instead of the fox, there was a stick in it.
The trap was set with the same care, for
several evenings in succession, with the
same result. Every morning the trap was
sprung, and there was a stick between its
jaws. It was thought that some mis-
chievous boy must have done the deed.
Still the trap was set again, and once more
the colored man, though with less hope
than ever, went to the spot in the morning.
This time the fox was caught by the nose.
But, as before, a stick was found below
the trap. The whole mystery was ex-
plained. The fox had sprung the trap
himself, by means of a stick which he held

iT)

( between his teeth !