The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1871-02-01
How Johnny was Lost-A Story for
the Children.
From the Springfield Republican,

old. One Sunday last August his father,
being at liberty from his work, got team
to carry his mother and the baby to ride,
and Johnny went, too. They rode out IN
the country few miles to the house OF a
friend, who treated them to watermelonS.
Johnny gnawed out the sweet, juicy inside
of his slice, and, looking at the rind,
thought what a nice little boat 1t would
make. "I'm going down to the spring to
sail my boat" he said, and of he ran, bare
headed rs he was.
The spring was some distance from the
house, but there was a good path all the
way, and johnny had been down to 1t once
when he was there before. But there were
other paths branching off, and somehow
Johnny struck into one Of these, and kept
running on, expecting every moment TO
come to the spring. But the path dWlnd'ed
away, and finally disappeared entirely, and
then Johnny, in wandering on and trying
to find it again, got completely bcwidered,
for the house was out OF sight, and what
was he TO do!
ANY one who has never seen the western
prairies can hardly imagine the tiresome
lengths in which they stretch out, with the
most tedious sameness. This was not lever
prairie, but rolling-a swell, then ravlne,
another swell, and another ravlne, ana SO
on, all looking much alike. Among these
Johnny wandered till he was tired, trying
to tind the house and calling for father and
mother.
When long time passed, and he did not
come back to the house, his parents grew
uneasy, and fearing he had fallen into the
spring, bis father went down TO look lor
him, but found neither Johnny nor his
boat. They went out to hunt for him, and
called in every direction, but he wis by
this time too far away to hear them.
Poor little fellow The sun beat down
so hot on his head. and the coarse pralie
grass hurt his bare feet, but still he wan
dered on, all sweaty, and dusty, ana tear
stained, until the sun set and darkness came
on-for in those prairie countries tne Two
events are very near together. lie WasVert
hungry and tired, but there was neither
supper nor bed for him; 50 he lay down
among some bushes in Il dry ravlne, anu atc
the watermelon rind which he had carried
in his hand all the while, and he was so
hungry that the rind tasted better even
than the inside did i'll the afternoon. lie
sat up and stared about IN the o'rEleSs,
and ielt afraid. 50 Father! mother" lie
c,lled rs loud rs he could in his terror; but
there was no one to answer, and, the DIG
tears rolling down his checks. he lay down
again, and cried till he fell asleep. But he
did not sleep very WE'LL Tor the night deWS
went through his thin cotton clothes, ana
made him SO chilly that time ana AGAIN
through inc lOIlH uISub Noht Wy
ing. and seeing the stars SHINING over MS
head, remembered where he Was, ana lay
trembling rs much with fear rs with cold.
When his parents could not find him, his
father rode quickly back to town and spread
the alarm. The men and boys started out
with dogs and guns, and torches ana horns
and ali that night, and Monday anu MONDAY
night. and part OF Tuesday, they kep' op
the search.
And how do you suppose Johnny Jared
all this while: He was glad when day
light came Monday morning, Tor thch nc
was not afraid, and he Thought he Hl'%ht
find his way home before night, for he was
hungry enough, and kept sharp lookout
for something to eat. All he could find was
an occasional bunch OF the little sour Wlid
grapes, and sometimes on Wild goose
berry bush he would lind Il ripe gooseber-
nv, half dried up. As the sun grew hot he
became sweatv, which made him very
thirsty, but he could seldom find any water,
for il had been such a dry season. When
he did find any he had nothing to drink
from, so he would lay down fiat, and, put
ting his mouth to the water, drink Us well
as he could.
Just before night or Monday he saw
boy on horseback away in the distance.
JOHNNY forgot how tired he was, and ran
toward him with all his might, calling as
loud as he could, "Wait for me wait for
me-" But the boy was too far away, and
neither saw nor heard him, but kept riding
on. Johnny ran the faster and called the
louder, till he stumbled and fell headlong,
and when he got up again the boy was out
of sight. Then all Johnny's "tircd" I'LL
came back to him, and lying down in the
grass, he cried till he went to sleep, for
he thought he must wander about till he
starved to DEATH and never see home any
more. When morning came, after another
long, shivering night, he was so lame and
tired he could hardly stir, but finally. got
up and wandered about in u weak, slow
way. lie grew thirsty, and found some
water in u rayine ; then he wandered up
and down for something to eat, for he was
never halt so hungry in his lite before. |
think he would have been glad to eat even
the chicken skin which this very morning
funny little boy pulled off from the drum
stick he was gnawing the meat from at
breakfast. Mamma" said this little boy,
as he pulled OFT the skin and laid it on bis
plate, I" Pm not going to eat all those
ieather-pins !" No one could blame him
for not wanting to swallow so many feath-
er-pins, Tor the man that dressed the
chicken didn't half do it. l think Johnny
would have been glad to swallow it..
"feather-pins" and all.
About noon man on horseback came
upon party who were hunting for john
n.y. HOW aDOut ohO Ou
and fifty men and boys.
"What is going on?" he inquired.
"We are hunting for lost child" said a
dozen at once.
"That reminds me-" said the man, "that
about a mile and half back here l rode
into raYine to water my horse, and | saw
little child's tracks all about in the soft
ground. thought strange of it at the time,
as there was no house near"
The company took the direction and made
for the rayine rs fast as possible. Arrived
there they separated in two parts, one com
pany going up and one going down the
ravine. One man at length came in sight
of Johnny, sitting down in the grass, his
yellow head just showing over the top, He
rode up quietly, not wishing to frlghten
him, and Johnny did not look up till he
heard the horse. Then he rose up and look
ed very earnestly ut the man.
"Do you know where my father IS ~ ne
asked, IN q weak, trembling voice, the big
tears standing in his blue eyes.
There were loud shouts of rejoicing, fir
ing of guns, and blowing of horns, to let |
the rest Of the company know he was
found, and Johnny's father, almost beside
himself with joy, took him up in front of |
him on his horse, and carried him home. |
He had brought along food for him, so the |
poor little boy did not have 10 wait till he |
got home for something to eat, and Pll
warrant Johnny never knew before bow
good bread and butter could taste. itWould
be hard telling who was most glad, Johnny |
or his family, when he was brought home
alive and well. Nj. W.B.