The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1875-09-03
" Do Unto Others as You Would Have
Them DO Unto You"

"Do Unto Others as You Would Have
Them DO Unto You"
Johnnie sat perched up on the barn
yard fence, his hands thrust deep down
in his pockets, his blue eyes wide awake
with wonder. A novel position for John
ME; ordinarily, his brisk little body
bobbed to and fro like windmill; and
no wonder Aunt Martha regarded him,
amazed, from the kitchen window.
The fact is Johnnie was thinking-as
only boys can think when some great
surprise is upon them. His soberness
dated back to the early morning.
"Come down to the meadow" Uncle
Job had said, "when the clock strikes
3. L am going to make you present.
Such future to an Swear old boy
Johnnie's joints stiffened instantly; he
could not eat his dinner, much less exc
out the interval with his usual sports;
his life seemed lost in that speck of after
noon. So up on the fence-post he
perched, his blue eyes wide open with
wonder, his fingers hammering great
holes in his trousers pocket.
Clang, clang, clang-the town-clock
struck 3 The fence that had known
Johnnie suddenly knew him no more;
straight westward he trotted his brisk
little body, till, GREATNESS, he stood in
the meadow, where Uncle Job was dill
gently stacking hay.
Johnnie approached the hay-rifts with
q kind of awe.
"Please, Uncle job"
That gentleman looked up with q
smile: it seemed like dinner TO John
ME, when he was impatient for dessert.
"On time, ell, my boy Z" said Uncle
Job, cheerily; and then throwing down
and continued:
81 was to make you a present, be-
ieve, Johnnie. And so L will-the
grandest one you ever had III your life.
You mayn't like it at first. 1t amt a
top, nor jack-knife, nor anything like
that; but it is so beautiful, that it shines
all over; and, though its easy broken,
you can break it ten times a day, and
yet use it again whenever you like. It's
meant for use, too; it thrives by wear
and tear; the only trouble is to keep it,
Johnnie"
Here Uucle Job paused, but Johnnie
was too absorbed to notice it. A pres
ent he mightn't like, perhaps, though
it was so beautiful it shone all over; a
present he could break ut will, and yet
use it whenever he pleased; q present
it was hard to keep-neither top nor q
a jack knife
"What can it be 2" he exclaimed at
last aloud.
cts rule" broke in Uncle Job,
softly. ga golden rule"
Johnnie stared straight down into
Uncle Jobs eyes. No mischief there
rather an earnestness deap and solemn.
The boy seemed bewildered. He was
familiar with rules masculine, feminine
and neuter, but golden ones were strange
to his experience. For, you see, John.
ME was little waif that Uncle Job had
recently adopted, and his native atmos
phere had not favored these extra buds
and blossoms Still Johnnie knew what
gold was, and after minute he turned
his blue eyes trimming with curiosity
"Show it to me, Uncle Job, please.
Uncle Job made no movement TOWARD
his pocket, though Johnnie eyed It close
ly. He said simply:
Do unto others as you would hav,
them do unto you. ;"
Johnnie's lip quivered. There was NJ
beauty to him i'll the unfamiliar words
He seemed lost in the belief that a grea
disappointment was III store for him.
"But the present" he gasped.
A big tear rose in Uncle Jobs eye
He frightened his arm around Johnnie
and kissed his sad little face.
"My boy" he said, twill you sa,
those words with mel"
Johnnie complied, wonderingly; an,
out upon the summer foated like
hymn
"Do unto others as you would hav'
them do unto you.
Then continued Uncle Job softly:
"Johnnie, this is all L have for 20,
to-day-these dozen words. No gift q
all, you think it, now but If you re
solve to keep it, it'll make you so ricl
and happy that you won't wonder Uncle
, Job thought it worth half-mile trip t,
the meadow. And, Johnnie-you know
one gift don't hinder another-there ar,
hosts of tops and jack-knives yet to get
and hosts of days to get them in, ant
Uncle Jobs eyes twinkled so myste
riously that Johnnie was moved to
merry laugh.
johnnie had great faith in Uncle Job
He could not understand it, yet he be
lieved implicitly all he had heard, an,
that, if he kept the golden rule, he coul
be the richest and happiest boy in tn
! world. So he listened eagerly to Uncl
/ Jobs explanations, and resolved to tr
always to act toward others just as Ii
i would like to have them act toward him
L wish L could tell you all the wor
drous trials he made, and how bravel
he strove to reap the promised gooo
For it was not always smooth walking i
: Johnnie's path he had his trips an
. tumbles he turned sometimes to til
right and left. But by effort he gre
strong, and his reward was rich indeed
| No boy was loved liked Johnnie /; non
had so many friends. And, to manhoo
grown, no gift does he reward MOI
gratefully than the one Uncle Job CAV
him that summer afternoon.
The Two Men and the Bear.
Two men had to go through n gref