Abbeville press. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1860-1869, 1868-04-10
MUST IS A HARD NUT TO CRACK.

I'D, and had learned to read very we'll;
" that he could understand all tho
title books that were put into bis
hands. Yet he had not learned to be
strictly obedient. Though Bonnie,
with this one exception, was as good
! little boy as any other, and great
deal better than some, he did not al .
ways SEQ fit to do just what his pa
rents told him to, and he sometimes
made them feel very sorry and caus-
ed them much trouble. His mother
used to say to him-"If you will do
every day as We direct you; my dear
child, you will soon SEQ how much hap.
pier you will be, whether you are at
work, or at play, alone, or in company.
And you will find too that every body
will love you the more" Each timo
his mother talked 10 him in this way,
Bonnie would say-"I will try to do |
as you teach me, mammal" but ho
soor forgot all about it. And if he
was told that be mustn't do 80 and 80,
it seemed to him that they had hit
upon the very thing ho had, set his
heart upon doing.
When forbidden to play on his why
to school, it always fretted Bennie,
and he didn't see why he couldn't have
little fun; as we'll as other boys.
Sometimes he did stop and take few
turns down tho hill on one of his
companions sleds. Thon perhaps he
would be tardy, and: got demerit
mark; for Bennie never told an un-
truth, even to shield himself from
punishment or disgrace. I had al
most forgotten to say that he lived
on a farm about a mile from town.
But Bennie's father had made path
across the fields, and the schoolhouse
was between that place and the vii
lage, SO that the distance to it was
only a short walk, and there was no
reason for his being late to school any
morning, unless he fingered on the
way. .....
One Friday evening when the rest
of the family were seated at the tea-
table, Bennie came running in, almost
out of breath, exclaiming-"1''ve been
q good boy all this week, and I've
brought home the medal for boing
tho best boy in school"
"Wen, 1 hope thatyeu will continue
, to be 80 my son." replied his father
i aanq, ,by tho way, Bonnie, your m9ott
er aud paysolf, are going out directl!
, after slipper, and you must, stay q
, homo this: evening, and not be abou
l the barnyard, when James goes ther
0 to feed the cattle. =,
Bsppia readily promised to stay i
, doorss AadLhis. father and mother bot
Q went away never thinking that an
harmswohfd befall their little son: dur
ing their absence. ..> ".''"" 80
- But they wero hardly out of sigh
down the road until Bennie began t
II to consider: @Father said l mustn't 6
% to the barn, and that just makes m
10 want to 60 all the moro. L thin
i must is very hateful word anyho'
- Father shouldn't have said that to m
h for he knows I'd rather see the hors
Is and COWS eating than almost any
y. thing else."
I'd 'Bonnie said all this to himself, as
n, swung backwards and forwards
~ the garden gate, and when he Sc
,r. James, tho hired man, going towar
,e- the barn, he could no longer resist t
us desire to jump dowa and run af'
ay him: But no sooner had he got tai,
lie into the yard, than old "Brindle,"
ny cross COW, came towards him, and
ill fore Bennie had time to reach
,th fenco she had him on her horns, a
cir tossed him into the air, and the
in broke both his legs. She was abb
me- to toes him again whom James ca
with the pitchfork and drove |
away. BE picked up poor little Bs
il ME, who was now insensible, and q
ack ried him into the house. His fat
the and mother ard the doctor, were
nor ent for in hot haste. His kind
it rents were almost heart broken VI
ep- they came home aud found their d
ans, child in such bad condition. Ber
;lies had revived . little before the ph.
een eianr got there, and was suffe'
tho drendfuily: Though the good
IONS was used to seeing persons in ag'
in be felt very sorry for Bennie'; and
1eak. the time he was examining the ex
aore of the injuries the little fellow
At received, great tears kept rol
.ndv down his own weathsr.bssten che
80 It Finally tho doctor doeidedto adr
Q Of ister ehloroforp to his patiens
then proceeded to set tho b
Bensie.dia pe..teel any pain du
u.v. tho operation, bat when It was
.nov he awoke to fnf, both legs sect
o.tIv fastened to. pieces Of boards, an