Lyon County times. [volume] (Silver City, Nev.) 1874-1907, 1875-04-04

VI "Ah thS idi IL was III q luCuuOW
by the river, where the bobolinks sang so
gayly. He never liked to hear the bobo-
links sing, however, for he said it always
reminded him of the whetting of scythe,
and that reminded him of spreading hay
and if there was anything he hated it was
spreading hay after the mowers. 81 guess
you wouldn't like it yourself" said John,
with the Stubs getting into your feet,
and the hot sun, and the men getting
ahead of you, all you could do"
Towards evening, once, John was COM
ing along the road home with some stalks
of sweet-fag in his hand; there is sue
culent pith in the end of the stalk which
is very good to eat, tender, and not so
strong as the root; and John liked to pull
it, and carry home what he did not eat on
the way. As he was walking along he met
a carriage, Which stopped opposite to him
he also stopped and bowed, as country
boys used to do in Johns days. A lady
leaned from the carriage and said:
"What haye you got, little boy?"
She seemed to be the most beautiful
woman John had ever seen, with light
hair, dark, tender eyes, and the sweetest
smile. There was that in her gracious
mien and in her dress which reminded him
of the beautiful castle ladies with whom he
was we'll acquainted in books. He felt
that he knew her at once, and he also
seemed to be sort of young prince him
self. fancy he did not look much like
one. But of his own appearance he
thought not at ALL as he replied to the
lady's question without the least embar-
rassment.
ats sweet flag stalk; would you like
some9"
"Indeed l should like to taste of it,
said the lady with most winning smile.
II used to he ever so fond of it when
was little girl"
John was so delighted that the lady
should like sweet-fag, and that she was
pleased to acceptit from him. He thought
himself that it was the best thing to eat
he knew. He handed up large bunch
of it. The lady took two or three stalks.
and was about to return the rest when
John said
''Please keep it all ma'am. / can get
lots more. | know where its ever so
thick"
Thank you, thank you said the lady;
and as the carriage started she reached
out her hand to John. He did not under
stand the motion until he saw a cent drop
in the road at his feet. Instantly all his
illusion and pleasure vanished. Some
thing like tears were in his eyes as he
shouted:
| 81 don't want your cent. don't sell
flag" ...
| John was intensely mortified. ~ sup
pose" he said, "she thought l was sort
of beggar- boy, To think of selling flag -
| At any rate he walked away and left the
cent in the road, Inundated. boy. Jim
said he was green not to take the money !;
he would go and look for it now, if he
would tell him where it dropped. And
Jim did spend an hour looking about in
the dirt, but he did not find the cent. Jim,
however, had an idea; he would dig sweet
flag and see if another carriage wouldn't
come along.
Johns next rebuff and knowledge of the
world was of another sort. He was again
walking in the road at twilight, when he
was overtaken by wagon with one seat,
upon which were two pretty girls, and
young gentleman sat between them, driv
ing. 1t was a merry party, and John
could hear them laughing and singing as
they approached him. The wagon stopped
when it overlook him, and one of the
sweet-faced girls leaned from the seat and
said quite seriously and pleasantly:
"Little boy, how's your MARI"
John was surprised and puzzled for a
moment. He had never seen the young
lady, but he thought she, perhaps, knew
his mother; at any rate, his instinct of
politeness made him say:
''She's pretty well, thank YOU" m
"Does she know you are out2" I'LL.
And thereupon all three burst into a
roar of laughter and dashed on. 1t flashed
upon John in moment that he had been
imposed on, and it hurt him dreadfuliy.
His self-respect was injured somehow, and
he felt as if his lovely, gentle mother had
been insulted. He would like to have
thrown stone at the wagon, and in rage
he cried:
"You're nice"-but he could not think
of any hard, bitter words quick enough.
Probably the young lady, who might
have been almost any young lady, never
knew what cruel thing she had done :
TbuyIps D,1Ieu IVOrner