Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1881-06-30
THE MASTER KNEW BEST.

A certain young mastiff being near dogs
estate, his master Judged best to trim and
shorten his ears. This the mastiff thought
hard, and complained accordingly. But as
he grew older and met dogs OF various tenn
pers, he was Of ell obliged TO fight for him.
self and his rights: then his short ears gave
great advantage, Tor they furnished no mold
10 the enemies teeth, while the long-eared
from the fray torn and suffering. "Ahav'
said the masiiff, my master knew better
than what was good for me. "-Ud Faot,.
"But why mustn't I?'' said Towser.
Towser was not dog, as you might sup
pose, but the nickname OF boy. Exactly
why his school fellows should have chosen
this nickname for Tom Kane 1 don't know;
perhaps because his brown, short-nosed
face was little like q dog's-perhaps be-
cause he was bold and resolute, good
fighter, and tough in defense of his rights
and opinions. hardly think it was this last
reason, however. Boys are not much given
to analyzing character, and are apt to judge
things and people by a happy.go-lucky in
stinct, which sometimes leads them right
and sometimes wrong. But whatever the
reason may have been,. Towser was Toms
school -name, and stuck to him through life.
Even his wife called him so-when he grew
up and had n wife-and the last time saw
him, his little girl was stroking his hair and
saying, % Papa Towser,o in imitation Of
her mother. Towser isn't pretty name,
but it sounded pretty from Baby Mays lips,
and never heard that Tom objected TO the
title, either as man or boy.
But to return to the time when he was n
boy.
Why mustn't Ip' he said again. "All
the fellows are going except me, and I'D
like to, ever so much.'
at isn't a question of like" answered
his father, rather grimly. elisa question
Of can and can't. All the other boys have
Gath rtn fhaxr
poor like me. It's well enough that their
sons should go of on camping parties.
Twenty five dollars here and twenty there
isn't much to any OF 'em, but it's great
deal for you. And what's more, Tom,
rnefes TINS; !nat onod ssn ta ake you ior
way YOU fix it. I pay for your schooling,
and 1 paid for those boxing lessons, and
may be, another year, I'll manage the sub
scription to the boat, for / want you to
grow up strong and ready with your fists,
and your mind, and all parts Of you.
boy, and I want you to turn out true grit
when the tussle comes. But when its a
case Of camping out week, or extra holt
days, or spending money for circuses and
You'll be all the better of in the end with
out this fun and idling and getting your
head full Of the idea of always having q
good time.' Works what you're meant
for, and If you don't thank me now for
bringing you up tough, you will when you're
Mr.. Kane was silent, gruff, long headed
man, who never wasted words, and this, the
longest speech he had ever been known to
make, impressed TOwser not q little. He
"Pretty hard, think, to be cut off so at
every turn" but he said it softly and only
once, and before long his face cleared, and,
taking his hat, he went to tell the boys that
he couldn't join the camping party.
"Well, say it's COMPOUNDED shameW
declared Tom White.
az call your pa real mean," Joined in
YOU'D better not call him anything of
the kind while Pm around" said
Towser, with an angry look In eyes,
more. Tom was vexed and sore enough
at heart, but he wasn't going to let any boy
speak disrespectfully of his father.
sT say, though" whispered Harry Blake,
getting his arm round Tom 8 neck and lead
old fellow. Couldn't it be
I'd lend you half the money"
Harry's mother was widow, well of, and
very indulgent, and he had more pocket
money At command than any one else in the
Towser shook his head.
"No USE" he said. Father don't want
me to go, for more reasons than the money.
He saws I've got to work hard all my life,
and I'd better not get into the way Of having
good times; it'd soften me, and I'd not do
so well by and by"
Show horridW cried Harry. with q shud-
der. ''I'm glad mother doesn't talk that
way"
Harry Blake was fair and tender, with
auburn hair, which waved naturally, and a
delicate throat as white rs . girls.
Tom looked ut him with Q sort of rough,
r,ifvfUO fendQrUeaa.
sI'm glad, 100, - he said. "You'd die IL
you had to rough IL much, Harry. Pm
tougher, you see. 1t won't hurt me-"
A sturdy satisf sction came with these
words that almost made up for the disap-
pointment about the camping out.
Still, 1t was pretty hard to see the boys
start without him. Ten days later they re-
turned. The mosquitoes were very thick,
they said, and they hadn't caught so many
fish rs they expected. Joe Bryce had hurt
his hand with gun-lock, and Harry Blake
was half sick with q cold. Still, they had
had pretty good time on the whole. Mr..
Kane listened to this report with q dry
twinkle in his eyes.
"Two hundred dollars gone in giving
twenty young fellows pretty good time,"
be said. well, all the fools aren't dead
yet. You stick to what you're about, Tow
ser, my boy"