The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1879-03-07
Wanted 1t.

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One day Johnny came home from
school crying very hard. His mothe
thought the teacher must have whipped
him, or expelled him from school, O
that some big boy must have STONED
him.
"Why, what is the matter, m,
dear?" she asked, with concern anl
compassion.
Johnny returned nc answer except t.
cry harder.
"Why, my sweet" she persisted
drawing him to her knee, "tell me what
it is"
"There's no use telling said Johnny
scarcely able to speak for tears and
sobs. II can't have it,
"Have what? Tell me. Perhap:
you can have it," she answered, in @
tone of encouragement. "Tell me what
it is"
mo, no, no." said Johnny, in tone
of utter dependency. Il know can't
have it," Then he put his hands to his
face, and cried with fresh vehemence.
"But tell me what it is, and, if it's
possible, I'll get it for YOU"
"You can't! you can't oh, you can't!
Johnny answered in despairing accents.
"Isn't there any of it in town?'
asked mamma.
"Lots of it," said Johnny, "but You
can't get me one"
"Why can't ~"
"They all belong to other folks" said
Johnny.
But 1 might buy some from some
body" the mother suggested.
ooh! but you can't" Johnny in
sisted, shaking his head, while the tears
streamed down his face.
Perhaps L can send out of town for
some," said the mother.
Johnny shook his head in slow, de-
spairing way.
"You can't get it by sending out of
town." Then he added, passionately !:
ooh, / want one so bad They're so
handy. The boys and girls that have
'em do have such good times!"
"But what are they? Do stop cry
ing and tell me what they are" said the
mother, impatiently.
"They can just go out every time
they want to, without asking the teach
er," he said, pursuing his train of re-
Election on the advantages of whatever
it-was. Whenever the drum beats
they can go out and see the band, and
when there's an organ they can get to
see the monkey and they saw the dane
in bear; and tomorrow the circus is
comm by, and the elephant, and all of
'em that has em will get to go out and
see 'em, and me that haven't got 'em
will have to stay in, and study the mean
ole lessons. Oh, it's awful" and
Johnny had another passionate fit of
sobbing.
What in the world is it, child, that
you're talking about?" said his mother,
utterly perplexed.
But the child, unmindful of the ques-
ton, cried out: ooh! I want one SO
badp
want what? If you don't tell me,
I'll have to lock you up, or do some
thing of the kind. What is it you
want?"
Then Johnny answered with per-
feet wall of longing: cts a whoop-
ing-cough-I want whooping-cough."
"A whooping-cough!" exclaimed his
mamma, IN utter surprise. "a whoop-
ing-cough!"
eyes" said Johnny, still crying hard,
81 want awhooping-cough. The teach
er let's the scholars that have got the
whooping-cough go out without asking
whenever they take to coughing; and
when there's funeral, or anything else
nice going by, they all go to coughing,
and just go out so comfortable; and we
that hayen't any cough don't dare look
off ur'books. Oh, dear! oh, dear!"
Never mind" said mamma, soothing.
well go down to Uncle Charley's
room at the Metropolitan tomorrow,
and see the circus come in. The per-
formers are going to stop at that hotel,
and we'll have fine view"
At this point Johnny began to cough.
II think" said his mother, nervously,
you're getting the whooping-cough
now. If you are, you may learn les
son before you get through with 1.-THE
lesson that there is no unalloyed good
in this world, even in whooping-
cough. st. Nicholas for March.