THE YOUTHS CABINET.

 

The Contrary Boy.

o you Know what a contrary boy

is? Iwill tell you. He is one
who is never satisfied with what
he has, but always wants some-
thing different. If I were to say to you,
“Come James, and see what a pretty pic-
ture I have got here;” and you should
say, “No, I don’t want a picture, you said
you would bring me a pretty book,’”—
that would be being contrary. If your
father should bring you home a little cart
to draw about the room, and you should
say, “I don’t want a cart, I don’t like
carts, I want a horse and whip, like Wil-
liam’s,” that would be very contrary.
Now I knew a little boy once, who was
very unhappy a great deal of his time,
because he would not be pleased with the
play-things he had, but always wanted
another kind, or something else. This
fittle boy had a very kind father and mo-
ther, who loved him very much, and who
tried to make him happy. They bought
him good clothes to wear; they gave him
good things to eat, whenever he was hun-
gry ; and they bought him a great many
pretty play-things. But though they were
so very kind, this boy was some times so
naughty as to cry when they gave him a
new play-thing, because he had wanted a
cart, or a whip, perhaps, instead of a
pretty box of wooden blocks. If they
had bought him either of these, he would
have wanted the blocks or something
else. Nobody liked to give Charles any
play-things, or sugar-plums, or anything
else, because they did not make him hap-
py; and they did not make him happy
because he would not be pleased, but al-
ways thought of something else which he
fancied he would rather have.

 

One day Charles’s mother came into
the room where he was playing, and said,
“Charles, your little brother William is
going to walk with Susan; would you
like to go too ?”

“Yes,” said he, “but I shall want to
wear my new cap.”

“But I told you the other day,” said
his mother, “that you could not wear it
for a whole week again, because you threw
it upon the floor when you came in yes-
terday, instead of hanging it on its nail.”

“Then I don’t want to go,” said Charles.

“Very well,” said his mother; and
calling to Susan, she told her she need
not to wait any longer.

“But I shall want to go,” said Charles,

. beginning to cry.

“You must not go now,” said his mo-
ther, “for you said you did not want to
go, just because you felt contrary, and out
of humor.”

His mother then sat down to work.
Charles, finding it was useless to cry,
dried his tears, and began throwing his
play-things about the room.

“Don’t do so,” said his mother; “ you
will break that pretty box, and your white
cards, with the pretty colored letters, will
get soiled, and not fit to be used.”

“J don’t care if they do,” said Charles;
“it is not a pretty box, and I don’t like
the cards.”

His mother rose, took away all his play-
things, and left him sitting upon the floor,
with nothing to do. As she took no no-
tice of his cross looks, he presently went
to the window, and stood on a little stool,

looking to see the horses and carriages

passing, and soon he began to feel good-
humored again.