American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1874-08-01
WHAT JOHNNY DID ON THE
FOURTH.
BY ROSE TERRY COOKE.

BY ROSE TERRY COOKE.
"DoNNY is mishpit," lisped little Sue
when the kitten came in with a yellow
bow tied on the end of her black tail, and
the dolls new red earrings in her ears
iingling like little bells. Johnny was a
mischief, doubtless. His mother knew il
by heart, for never did she let him out OF
her sight without the thought, What
will he do before he comes back" Al
the early age of a year and half, instead
of being Il remarkable or even a respect
able baby he was always getting into
mothers work-basket and making great
tangle and muss: upsetting the water
pitcher if by any chance 1t was left on
the floor; throwing everything he could
handle into the fire or out of the window
pulling the old cats Italian amusement
kitty put an end to very quickly by
scratching his hands and arms till he
cried. Perhaps mamma might have end
ed her troubles by good tingling slap
on the mischievouS hands; but she
did not believe in slapping She
expected to persuade Johnny to be
Il good boy-to show him when he
grew older how hateful it is to be
naughty; but he did not grow old very
fast, and mischief grew faster than he
did 1t would have saved Johnny some
trouble afterward to have made the mis-
chief sting as smart as pussy did By
the time Johnny was three years old he
was into and out of every place on the
farm-head first or not, as it happened.
He fell into the cistern; but there was
only little water in it, and he was
brought out by Hiram, all mud and very
wet; he turned tub of maple sirup all
over himself and the kitchen floor, try
ing to spread the legs of the stool it
stood on "A little wider with his hammer
the leg he worked at was loose to begin
with; then he fell down into the horses
manager from the NOW above, and scared
old White almost out of his wits. An
other day he slid off the barn roof, and
did not break his bones, but got well
bruised He fell into the brook, got his
apron burned in the spring bonfires, and
his little finger sheared off in the hay
cutter. His head was always bumped
his hands full of cuts and slivers, his
feet blistered and bruised; but
Johnny didn't care.
It'll take "A heap to take the conceit
out of ye," said IIirem; and he was pref
ty nearly right, for. because he had never
been hurt seriously, Johnny thought he
never could be, and was not afraid of
anything. He was strong, healthy,
happy boy; ready for fun always, never
ready for lessons, never ready to be
talked to.
ooh, dear" said he Jagged eight, in
talk with Hiram, who loved
the little fellow dearly, and had helped
him out of countless scrapes and into
as countless Pleasures oh, dear, Hi /
wish mother wouldn't talk to me forever.
If l could get good slap or even a whip
ping, and be done with it but talk, talk,
talk. l get awful tired, and then l think
about something jolly and don't hear
her"
YOU'RE hard case, J Johnny" returned
Hiram. " It's mighty easy to talk about
whippin'; but guess you wouldn't han
ker artcr it eff yur knew more about it.
] ehosaphat, an all fired lickin' amt sugar
nor pie, | tell ye."
Now JOhnny's father was away from
home almost all lifetime. He had to live in
New York; but his wife was always sick
there, so Mr.. Blake bought farm in the
and only came home Sundays,
except in the summer, when everybody
almost has vacation. Johnny always
behaved better when his father was at
home. He had an idea from the look in
papa's eye that he would not get off
quite SO easily if he was naughty as he
did with mamma; and he found out his
dea was true, after while. Johnny had
always had Il very nice time on the Fourth
Of July. Papa came home and took
and the children out on the lake
10 stay all day They had fire on the
little island and roasted clans, boiled
cotlee, and sometimes fried fish, which
hey caught from the boat as they sailed
about before dinner. Then they had a
ire crackers, to make Susy jump and we
'queal, but not half AS many as Johnny
He had a great wish in his
small head, which he had never told
and that was to go out in the
street the night before the Fourth and
see the boys fire Off crackers and 'orpc-
loes, the cannons blaze and The muskets
at lc He had lain awake many Il night
about it; for almost every Fourth
ince he could remember he had been
walked in the middle of the night with
hese delightful sounds. He could hear
he boys shout, the in horns blow, the
Id cannon roar, and the guns go ping.
,ing, And how he did want TO get up
md see the fun; though he knew just as
veil as he knew anything that he would
lever be allowed to do so. But when |
ohnny was nine years old there hap |
,cned to come a July that found papa |
detained out in Ohio by business that he
ouid neither leave nor finish i'll time to |
re home on the Fourth. He sent more |
than ever home to Johnny |
nd torpedocs besides; and wrote to
that they would only put Oft the |
,icnic 1t should come by and by, when |
lie came back. 1t happened, too, that |
here was moon shining about the mid
lie of the night that week, and Johnny |
made plan in his naughty little head that,
fter all, did not turn out Just as he eN- |
,cctcd He went to bed with his precious |
ire crackcrs on chair close by |
i'm. Mamma laughed, when she came |
Up to kiss him goodnight, to see the red |
Quarcs put where he could see them the |
minute he woke up Johnny felt little |
Shamcd when mamma kissed him and |
allied him her precious boy; but he soon |
ell asleep and forgot all about every |
hing except his plan, and never woke |
III till the HoNton bells began to ring |
md the cannon to fire, just at twelve |
o'clock. Then he woke very wide, and |
umpcd out OF bed as softly rs cat.
'oor mammal She had Il dreadful head
Ichc and SuSy was cross besides; so she |
lever went to see if Johnny was dis |
urbcd by the noise, for she knew he |
liked to hear it generally, and she did |
lot once think that the little fellow had |
dressed himself quietly. and, with his
hoes in his hand, had slipped down
tairs-crackers, cap and torpcdoes all
n a basket on his arm-gone through the |
,arlor, into the kitchen, and let himself