Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1871-12-08
DONKEY J0HN--.A STORY FOR
YOUNG FOLKS.
nY LArRA sorrnaArE

ny LAURA souTnoArE.
'CoME Bernard, don't work any longer
supper is nearly ready"
Bernard looked up when his mother
spoke; he knew by her pleasant smile
she thought his days work had made the
little garden look very nice. Then Ber-
nard went in to his supper of bread and
milk. While he cit he sat by the win
dow and wished he had two or three
n pairs of hands that he might keep the po-
tato patch and the whole of the garden
looking great deal nicer yet
Bernard was twelve years old, and the
house, where he lived with his father and
mother, very little brown house
they had hardly any money, for Mr.. Bar
ton, Bernards father, was old and had the
, rheumatism great deal of the time; he
could not work at all, and then themother
-G b --when BERNARD thought of his mother, so
vgPy pale, and SO often sick, he would wish and
wish that he was man, so that he could
do more work and take care of his father
and mother
Often up in his little room he would sit
by the window and think about the nice
house lie should build when he was grown
up, and how his mother should have a
beautiful chair to sit in, and his
father horse and wagon, so that when
ID he had the rheumatism he need never
'-'' Now It happened this evening that I
NO amteling you about, after Bernard had
te-,eu eaten, his supper, he went up, a! ho
la .s often did, and sat by his little
- window then he began thinking
''i. and wishing he could do something to
f.N W. help his father and mother And there
- tI".r he sat until two or three stars Came out
-..qqs and then pretty soon the moon shone out
so bright and beautiful, that Bernard could
see--not only down into the little garden,
where lie had been hOeing the corn and
potatoes all day, but he could see ever so
far away.
While Bernard sat there in the cool,
s pleasant evening he heard a strange sort
~ of u noise coming from little hollow
DlaCp where q brook went ALONG There
were many trees and brushes growing
there that Bernard could not what
should make the noise, but that he heard
something he very sure SO pretty
soon, after he had listened awhile longer,
he thought he would go softly down the
stairs not to wake his father or
mother, and be would find out what could
be donw there among the bushes.
e He ran along the road and over one or
two fields, till he came to the place. and
now he heard the noise very plainly, and
he knew, too pretty well, what it was
that there by the brook. But he
pushed along through the small trees and
through the bushes and then he climbed
down a steep place, and there was just
what he expected to find-a donkey, that
belonged to Squire Preston, who lived
over the hill.
The. donkey didn't try to run away
when he saw Bernard coming, and it wis
u just as well he didn't try, for he couldn't
move at ALL Arope around his neck had
Z ~ got caught in little tree, and it was
b b., donkey could move only very little way,
Y and l rather guess he didn't want to run
away Perhaps he thought Bernard
would get the rope loose for him, and
Bernard did, and then he started with the
donkey TO take him home to Squire Pres
tons.
But after he had gone little way, Ber-
nard thought that all the people at Squire
PTestOns might have gone to bed, and
that he had better take the donkey home
with 9m to keep III morning 50. he
turned back, and when he got home he
4 put the donkey under little shed near
4 theacoM And then he said: - Now don
key, there is no kowng, perhaps, you
haven't had anything to eat all day So
Bernard got some hay for the donkey to
eat, and some water for him to drink, and
then he shuttle door of the shed, and
went in, and softly up the stairs to bed
The first thing in the morning. Bernard
81 showed the donkey to his, father and
~ mother and ten,he gave some hay for
Az his breakfast, aud then he started OFT with
= a. ~ him 20 Squire PrestOn's. "a N-s ~
Bernard found the Squire with his man
Sam, very busy at work in the field, so he
went up to him, leading the donkey by
the rope.
"Oh, there he is, is he ?" said Squire
Preston, when he saw the donkey /
stheHght he had gone of on a journey,
travelling round somewhere
"a Well, .John,p hoj said to the donkey,
so you've come home, have you !"
John stood half asleep, winking and
---r o1blinking, as though he didn't care whether
he was ut home or somewhere else
SIS his name John {" asked Bernard.
Eyes" said Squire Preston, a. his name
is John A Good Christian name and
it's alltha is Christian about him, and
seems to me you're Mr.. Barton's boy, the
other side of thehill ant you ~
'oYes sir 4" said Bernard and then he
told how he had found the donkey the night
before down among the bushes. But while
he was telling the Squire aboutit ho put
his hand on Johns neck and patted him
" Are YOU the boy that see hOelng the
corn and potatoes, when | go over that
way gometimesP1 = asked Squire Preston, on
only son his father had,
sTGG =. * g Wen said Sgnire Preston 9 that po:
tato patch of yours looks pretty well |
guess now you are pretty smart boy, and
your father has the rheumatism and can I
n. ealS %aNSSSeE} SSS1E sSut8, S&f B Bernard said 4
80 "Well now, said Squire Preston, ,"l
.O ct sxsS xS yJ %ea nSy II AaSEs S9Y & &SP aS guess a
I've had about enough of him. ~
vrooIsU " n Bernard had begun to Ike y nm very
90 mssh and ThsnsgSiIe IHsrt9n not t2d IN INN 1d ae
how delighted he was John stood all this
-,'r-r.T time Just the sanieI hali asleep, but Ber
u f.s.H1 nsrd thanked Squire Preston oyer and
over again, he was so pleased to have
0iua a'fAnd then he started to go home, and
John trotted along, Winking and blinking
as though it was az the same 10 mn
whether nc lNCu WIN piAlAN 4 'N''"N W
.S18l YtRa1 YR15GS53 @8y9s33 co home Bernard tied 5oeg
.- under n tree. and then he went TO tell hi
,..i M father aud mother that Squire Preston ha'
-s., l-.a given him the donkey His father sal,
- fl that if the donkey had learned to draw
49,, l.,e cart, he could help Bernard about work
40 OG ,r1a ling In the potato patch 'fe
so 'RernnrA hadn't hhoupht Of this but nov
~ 1'' lle began at once to think that he woul'
-l' '" ' make a cart and harness for John; anl
.urf ? outshe ran, for he wanted 10 see John al