Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1873-06-18
JOHNNY BRANDS DECISIONS.

JOHNNY BRANDS DECISIONS.
Johnny Brand dreaded that opening day
of school. In the first place. his clothes
were not quite what he would have liked.
The cloth was coarse and faded, and on
each elbow of the jacket were spots,
which looked remarkably like patches;
while the knees Of his trowsers were what
some would call threadbare. Then his
shoes seemed so thin and out of season for
the deep snow which had just fallen. If
he could only have had a pair of nice,
thick boots a
Then again, he had no reader such as
they were to use that term, and his mother
had just told him that she had no money
to buy one then, ts9re{ s3a
And last, though not the least of his
troubles, there was new teacher-a stran-
ger, and man! His former teachers had
all been ladies, and so very kind but this
man! Oh dear! how he did dread it!
Mrs. Brand saw it all and once or twice
when he looked up into her face with such
pleading eyes, she felt like telling him
that he need not go; but she wisely held
back the words, and kept about her work
as though she had noticed nothing
At last the school bell rang Johnny
tip-toed across the room to where his
mother sat- -eHa 3
"Mother, must [ go?" eH
Oh, it is SO hard, sometimes, to resist
| the pleadings of the little ones, even when
we feel that to grant their requests may be
productive of harm to them Mrs. Brand
found it so extremely difficult, that morn
ing, to say to Johnny that he must go, that
she compromisedst the matter
J. decide for yourself, my son."
| No advice, no words Of encouragement,
| or of warning. She had been giving him
| lessons of wisdom and truth ever since he
had been old enough to receive them, and
/ his decision in this case would show
| whether her teachings had been treasured
up or lost. ar
Decide for yourself, my SON."
| Johnny hesitated only moment-only
while he was recovering from his sur
prise. gsH In *aoa4 81 roo
ooh, mother!' then he stopped But
| he spoke again Immediately, and this
| time his voice was strong and unyielding.
81 will 90, mother" H.5
i Dear reader, if you have ever been
placed in like position, you know how
much courage Johnny needed in making
this decision; if you have not you never
can comprehend it. But you can imagine
what it is to be laughed at, sneered at,
ridiculcd and insulted by your school
mates, or rebuked by your teacher, when
you deserve praise; or worse, unnoticed.
This was what Johnny Brand expected
yet he decided to 90, and he went
Nearly all the scholars were at the
| school-house when Johnny arrived in
sight of it, for you know there are so many
reasons for being early on the first day
| There are the nice. seats to select-not
always retained, it is true, but there is the
fun of choosing them-then there are play
mates to greet, whom you have not seen
during the long vacation, perhaps; and
sometimes, as in this case, a new teacher
Johnny had thought of all this, but
when he saw the yard full Of boys, he did
so dread to go in before them all. He
stopped and peeped through the iron
fence, wishing they would go in, or that
something would turn up to draw thei1
attention while he went by. All! he hao
not quite conquered.
While standing there, the very thing be
had wished for actually happened. A lit
tie apple peddler, with his basket Of nice
apples, turned in at the gate, and the boys
huddled round him in a twinkling.
"Now is my time" spoke Johnny, hal
aloud. "They won't see me-"
I He ran for the gate, almost holding hi!
breath, he was SO eager, and darted up thu
walk, No one had noticed him, and h.
began to feel quite safe; but just then h
heard the little apple-vender cry out:
ooh, don't steal 'em, don't steal my ap
ples!"
The cry was followed by such an up
roar Of voices that Johnny could not dis
tlnguish another word.
: ooh, pshaw! that's nothing to me,
said Johnny, without stopping, yet slack
ening his pace. He ought to hav
known better than to come in. If stop
they'll all see me, and make fun Of M,
clothes; and I don't know as I could hell
him any I'll go in and get me a seat;
| don't, perhaps | shan't get one at ALL
: Johnny knew better than that, but h
was trying to find good excuse for no
helping the lad in distress.
He could not quite ease his conscience
! however
Il wish I knew whether I ought to sto
+ and help him." he unused. They'll &C
, all his apples [ can see a dozen boy
who each have one. I wish | knew whs
, to do"
Just as if he didn't know.
| He took another step toward the schOo
s house-a slow and hesitating step: the
2 he turned quicker than a fash His mott
| er's words, "Decide for yourself, my son,
v had come to him, and quicker than the
coming was the decision that followed.
IN help him."
The noisy group of boys had entirel
i surrounded the little peddler, who ha
fallen flat on the snow, with his bask'
under him, vainly striving to save b
stock IN trade, but Johnny did not thin
then OF superior numbers. He was sto'
a and active, and better than all else, he WI
o in the right
e Johnny pushed the boys right and lei
and reached the frightened apple-vende