Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1868-01-08
1t was this fertility and happiness, If =!


NAV saw so. of invention, that prevented
me from being entirely detected over my
sons behavior at this period. Sometimes
the temptation to seize him and shake MN
was too strong for poor human nature
But | always regretted it afterwards.
When l saw him asleep in his tiny bed
with one tear dried on his plump velvety
cheek, and two little mice teeth visible
through the parted lips, could not help
thinking what little bit of fellow he
was, with his funny little fingers and his
funny little nails and it didn't seem to
me that he was the sort OF person to be
pitched into by man like me.
when Johnny grows older" l used to
say to his mother, I'll reason with him.
Now I don't know when Johnny will
grow old enough to be reasoned with.
When l reflect how hard it is to reason
with wise, grown-up people, if they hap
pen to be unwilling to accept your views
of matters, am inclined to be very peni-
tent with Johnny, whose experience is
rather limited, after all, though he is six
years old, and naturally wants to know
why and wherefore. Somebody says some
thing about the duty of " blind obedience !"
can't expect Johnny to have more wis
dom than Solomon, and to be more philo-
sophie than philosophers.
At times | have been led to expect this
from him. He has shown a depth of
mind that warranted me in looking fer
anything. At times he seems as if he
were a hundred years old. He has a
quaint, bird-like way of cooking his head
on one side, and asking question, that
appears to be the result of years of study.
If could answer some of those questions,
| could solve the darkest mysteries of life
and death. His inquiries, however, gen.
orally have grotesque flavor. One night
when the mosquitoes were making lively
raids ON his person, he appealed to me,
suddenly: "How does the moon feel when
skeeter bites it?' To his meditative
mind, the broad, smooth surface of the
moon presented a temptation not to be re-
sisted by any stray keeper.
| freely confess that Johnny is now and
then too much for me. l wish l could
read him as clearly as he reads me. he
knows all my weak points, he sees right
through me, and makes me feel that | am
helpless infant in his adroit hands. He
has an argumentative, oracular air, when
things have gone wrong, which always up
sets my dignity. Yet how cunningly he
uses his power 1t is only in the last ex-
tremity that he crosses his legs, puts his
hands into his trouser pockets, and argues
the case with me. One day last week he
was very near coming to grief. BY my
directions, kinding wood and coal are
placed every morning in the library CRATE,
in order that [ may have fire the moment
| return at night Master Johnny must
needs apply a lighted match to this ar
rangement early in the forenoon. The
fire was not discovered until the blower
was one mass of red-hot iron, and the
wooden mantle piece was smoking with the
intense heat.
When | came home, Johnny was led
from the store-room, where he had been
imprisoned from an early period, and
where he had employed himself in eating
about two dollars worth of preserved pears.
Johnny said |, iii as severe tone as
one could use in addressing person whose
DON'T Won remember @lth tn,1 syrup" Johnny:
told YOU to never meddle with matches :"
1t was something to see Johnny trying
to remember. He east one eye immediate
ly up to the ceiling, then be fixed it abb
stractedly on the canary bird, then he
rubbed his ruffied eyebrows with sticky
hand but really, for the life of him, he
couldn't recall any injunctions concerning
matches
." can't papa, truly" said Johnny at
! length. Il guess | must have forgot it. =
We'll, Johnny in order that you MAJ
not forget it in future
Here Johnny was seized with an idea
He interrupted me.
I'll tell you what to do papa you
just PIT it doacn IN ,critin.' y
With the air of man who has settled
the question definitely, but at the same
time is willing to listen politely to any
crude suggestions that you may have to
throw out, Johnny crossed his legs, and
thrust his hands into those wonderful trous-
ers pockets | turned my face aside, for |
felt Il certain weakness creeping into the
corners of my mouth. | was lost In an
instant, the little head all covered over
with yellow curls, was laid upon my knee,
and Johnny was crying, I'm so very,
very sorry"
l have said that Johnny was the terror
of the neighborhood | think | have not
done the young gentleman injustice. If
there is window broken within the radius
of two miles from our house, Johnny s
ball, or stone known to come from his
dexterous hands, is almost certain to be
found in the battered premises. l never
hear the musical jingling of splintered
glass, but my portmannaie gives convul-
sive throb in my breast pocket. There is
not door-bell in our street that hasn't been
rung and run away from at least three
hundred times Scarcely day passes
but what he falls out of something, or over
something, or into something. A ladder
running up onto the dizzy roof OF an un-
finishod building is no more to be resisted
bv him than the back platform of horse
car. when the conductor is collecting his
!, fare in front.
I should not like to enumerate the
battles that Johnny has fought during the
mast eight months. 1t is physical i'm
possibility, should judge, for him te re-
, fuse a challenge. He picks his enemies
ont of all ranks of society. He has
fought the ash-man's boy, the grocer's boy.
the rich boys over the way, and any num-
, her of miscellaneous boys who chanced to
, straw into our street.
can't say that this young desperate is
alwavs victorious. l have known the tip
, of his nose to be in state OF unpleasant
redness for weeks together. l have known
o him to come home frequently with no
br;m to his hat once he presented him.
+ self with only one shoe, on which occasion
IL nj IN a m q N.