The Grange advance. [volume] (Red Wing, Minn.) 1873-1877, 1877-03-14
How Charlie Ran Away.

81 declared s too mean for anything,
mamma" said Charlie, angrily, his
forehead knit into thousand cross
little wrinkles. eff I can't do like
other boys, I'll just runaway alto
gether.'' ..
His mother looked very sorrowful,
for Charlie was her only boy, and his
naughtiness sent a sharp pain through
her heart. He was only nine years
old, but of late had become so head
strong and willful that he was almost
beyond her control, and that threat of
running away had been oft repeated.
That night she went to sleep, and
sudden idea came into her mind. It
was very curious plan by which she
hoped to cure Charlie of his willful
ways.
The next afternoon her boy came
| rushing in after school, dashed his
! books down, land was rushing off again,
| when his mother called him back. r
"Where are you going, Charlie -
'Only out for a row on the pond,
with Jack, mother; I'll be back by
tea time"
''But it's beginning to rain, laid your
throat is still sore, my son. Suppose
you ask Jack to come in and take tea
with you instead. I'm afraid to have
you go while it is so Damp
Charley's face flushed angrily. He
threw his cap down and muttered:
''No, I won't have him come at all!
It's shame I'm so tied down. I've
mind to run away, have s0.''
His mother did not speak for min
ute, then she said quietly, but very
| firmly: "YOu cannot 60 out again to-.
night, my son.
Charley went to his play-room very
suiki]y. At tea he did not say a word,
and after tea he studied his lessons
gloomily, without the usual bright
questions and talks with his mother.
He rose to go bed, but his mother call
ed him back.
''Charley, she said gravely, taking his
hand in hers, "you have talked good
| deal lately about running away, and
| now I think that, as you don't seem
very happy at home. perhaps you had
better go. So I've told Charlotte to
have an early breakfast so that you
can start at seven, and I'll tie up some
clothes in a bundle for you. You can
take your fathers knotted cane, and
Charlotte will, give you some cold bis
cults to put in your pocket. I'll call
you at half-past six
Charlie could hardly believe his
ears. Was his mother in earnest
That wasn't the way boys ran away!
He felt very tight and queer in the
throat, but he was too proud to cry, so
he only muttered in a shaky voice:
every we'll, I'll be up in time,'' and
went to bed. She called him back to
put his school. books in the closet, as
he wouldn't need them any more.
This was almost too much, but the
child obeyed without a word, and then
went slowly upstairs.
That night his mother lay awake
many hours, full of anxious fears as
to the result of her experiment.
Charlie felt very sober about the pros
pect for the next day, but it was too
late now to retreat, and he determined
not to give in. Nevertheless, he was
sound asleep when his mother
came to give the forgotten
goodnight kiss. She saw the mark of
tears on his face, and her heart grew
little lighter.
Charlie was up early in the morning,
AOA6 OCAo4O LID 04OOuC1 C1llCN uAlus IL
was a cloudy, chilly DAY, and the
warm breakfast would have tasted
very good, if he had thought about it,
but he never could tell what he ate
that day. When it was over his moth.
er said in a very commonplace way
"Now, my son, you had better be
starting. Your best clothes are tied
up in this bundle and have put some
of Charl0tte's soda biscuits in with
them. Goodbye. and be a good boy,
wherever you co. ~
They were on the front steps. His
mother kissed him very affectionately,
exactly as ii he was going on a long
journey, watching him 60 down the
steps, and then went in and closed the
door, and Charlie was left to 20 his
way alone.
He walked very slowly down the
street to the corner, stopped there,
and looked up and down. 1t was early,
and nobody seemed in sight. A great
feeling of loneliness and longing for
dear loved home came over Char.
lie, and he would have given worlds
to be back again in the warm sitting
room, looking over his lessons before
school. He turned the corner and
walked block, then turned once
more and went slowly along, his head
down, and feeling of entire forlorn-
ness, getting worse and worse all the
time. What was his mother doing
now! Washing up the glass, no doubt;
he hoped they would not forget to feed
Billy, the little Scotch terrier. All
he would probably never see Billy
again! &
Just then Charles came plump