The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1874-10-09
Two Sides of a Joke.

Two Sides Of n Joke.
Tommy came home from school one
summer afternoon, and went out into
the woodshed to do some carpenter work.
He had a few pieces of board. some
nails, a saw, Ratchet, and jack-knife.
He worked industriously for some time.
until, after much labor and bruised
fingers, he succeeded in fashioning q
sort of rude box with movable top or
lid. Having done this, he stopped for
O moment, and viewed his work with
great satisfaction then picking up a
piece Of soft pine, he began to whittle.
Present Mile came out for basket of
chips.
What are you making?" she asked,
putting down her basket and looking at
the box.
Making a squirrel trap" answered
Tommy ''going to set her down in the
woods. This is the trigger I'm making
now to touch her off, you know. Oh,
there Plague ont %
Why, Tommy Jennings !" exclaimed
Mile, severely. "You oughtn't to
talk that way. Mamma said you must
never talk slang"
"That isn't slang but then 1 cut my
finger" replied Tommy, holding up the
wounded member as an excuse. didn't
cut it much, though" he added, as ne
discovered he was more frightened than
hurt. I'm glad it wasn't my jugger-
naut vein.
"What's that ?"
"Oh, that'a a vein way up in the
neck" answered Tommy, in patronz.
ing way. If you cut into that you're
a goner, sure 1 heard Uncle Hiram
tell about it.
Mile was just going to ask another
question, with a view to obtain more in
formation, when Bridget's voice called
from the kitchen door
"Ceme, Mile, it's meself is waitin't
for thin chips to be maxim the fire"
Mile hastily filled her basket, and
hurried into the house. She came back
Immediately, however, and stood watcll-
ing Tommy as he worked.
"That kind of trap isn't one bit like
the one Jack the Giant killer made to
catch the giant in" she observed, as
Tommy, after finishing the trigger, be-
gan to place it in position.
"Ho of course it isn't" answered
Tommy, "Jack the Giant-killer just
dug a deep hole, and covered it over
with sticks and leaves. You couldn't
catch the squirrels in such q trap as
that !; they'd just Jump out as soon as
they fell in"
Mebbe, though, if we made one
down in the woods, we might catch a
little Indian girl. or little bear, or
something" urged Nellie "Wouldnt
it be real nice if we could I'd like best
to catch real live Indian girl, wouldn't
you ?" And the blue eyes sparkled
under the sun bonnet at the thought
Tommy shook his head doubtfully.
CT don't believe there's any Indians or
bears round here now," he said. "They
are all gone long ago. But then-Oh,
Mile ! I know what we'll do we'll
sudden thought.
Mile did not reply she only looked
up with a questioning glance, for she
felt perfectly sure that whatever Tom
my proposed must certainly be just the
thing TO do.
"Why, you see," exclaimed Tommy
"we'n make n trap down in the path
that leads up from the factory, and
then we'll hide in the bushes and see
the factory boys and girls come
along, and they'll tumble into it like
everything. It'll just be lots of fun,
won't il ?"
When will we do it ?" asked Mile.
"Why. right away we'll have plenty
of time before the factory stops" an
swered Tommy, so full of mischievous
plans that the squirrel trap lost all in
terest Just then, and he ran away to the
barn to hunt mp the spade.
Now. think Tommy and NIilly did
not intend any wrong they did not stop
to think of what effect their fun might
possibly have. And right here I
would like to give you little boys and
girls piece of advice. Whenever you
think of playing joke on any one, ask
yourselves this question:" Would be
willing to have the same joke played on
me ?" If your answer is no, then
Won may consider it tolerably certain
that the playing of that joke would be
wrong
Tommy soon found the spade then
he and Mile hurried down toward the
grove, through which small footpatl
wound up from the factory to the vii
lage. 1t was somewhat difficult finding
a good spot to dig, for the ground il
the path was so hard that Tommy
small strength could hardly make am
impression. But after several trials
they found a place they thought woult
do, and then Tommy began to worl
very Observation-Disclosures 80, I think
than he would had it been some good
useful work-and at last completed {
hole about two feet deep.
"There !" he exclaimed, throwing
down the spade and wiping q very rec
face with his jacket-sleeve, "I guess
thatn do ne well get the sticks ant
things"
A quantity of sticks and leaves were
speedily brought and placed over The