The Rebuke Of A Child.


THE evening that the news of the surrender of

Fort Donelson reached Albany, a striking 

incident occurred at the Delevan House. The

city was wild with joy. News-boys gathered

a rich harvest. All purchased papers.

Quite late in the evening a small lad, about 

seven, entered the reading-room, and cried, 

"Fort Donelson surrendered! Evening papers

 three cents.”

His extreme youth and intelligent, pleasing 

manner, attracted attention.

A gentleman caught the boy, drew him to his

side, paid him a liberal price for a paper, and, 

with repeated oaths, pronounced him a "man," 

a "fine boy;" and that "he would make a general,

 and, for aught he knew, a president." The lad

 replied, "My father is dead." "Well, well," said 

the gentleman, "I must adopt you as my boy;" 

and with renewed oaths declared he would make

 a "lawyer; and, may be, sir, we'll make a 

governor of the State of New York of you."

His frequent profanity, yet earnest and 

affectionate manner, quite silenced the lad, 

and he submissively yielded himself to the force

 that held him.

The gentlemen saw his depression of spirit, and

kindly stroking his head, inquired, "Say, my son,

how will you like that, to go and live with me, 

and become a man in the world?"

The little boy kindly, but firmly, replied, "I

shouldn't like to live with a man that swears so!"

The swearing gentleman was hit. Scores of

 bystanders heard it all, and saw his 

mortification. The boy was released, and quickly

 left the wounded gentleman to pocket as best 

he could the cutting rebuke of an orphan child 

that he had failed to corrupt by his thoughtless

 and wicked profanity.