The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1881-02-02
About Johnny SlyboOts.
RY EREE. +. RRXFORD.

About Johnny Sly boots.
BY EBEE. f. REXFoRD.
His name was Johnny Jones, but the boys
in the neighborhood all called him Johnny
Slyboots, because he was always getting
into mischief and was so sly about 1t that
it wasn't often that he got found out.
81 lust wish he'd get come up with some
time" said Joo Lane to another of "the
boys" Hes always doing mean things,
and, nine times out OF ten, we get blamed
for them
Joe was right about this. The boys
knew how mischievous Johnny was, but
other people did not.
Somebody must do the mischief, the
grown people argued, and as the other
BOYS were often caught in mischief-doing
it was quite likely they were the authors of
much of the mischief at which no one was
caught.
AS this mischief was generally of mean,
low-lived kind, and Johnny was-nine
times out of ten-the doer of it, the other
boys were out of patience with having it
laid to them. So it was not to be wondered
at that they wished Johnny might get
caught at some of his misunderstanding
One day he was going by old Widow
Larra5ees. Aunt SOphrony, as everybody
called her, was very poor, Woodworking
Old woman, with a crippled grandchild
dependent upon her. She was always at
work, when there was anything to do, but,
work as best she could, it was but poor
living that she succeeded in getting.
In summer, she raised vegetables and
sold them in the VILLAGE. In her garden
she had some grspe-vines, and from
these she sold few dollars worth of
fruit in the fall. What they brought her
in was but small amount, but to her il
seemed considerable, and to have gone
without it would have deprived her of many
little comforts and necessaries.
On this morning, when Johnny was
going by her house. he CHANGED to catch
sight of these grapes, hanging in great
purple, misunderstanding clusters on the
vines.
81 like grapes" said johnny Slyboots to
himself They're awful good wish had
somel"
Then he crept up to the fence and took
survey of the garden and the grape
vines.
IL bleeve I'll come here tonight and
get some,' he said. "I'll bring big basket
along, and I'll fill it with 'em. 1 can
hide it som'ers about the barn, and l can
have grapes to eat s'long's want 'em. I'll do
itp
Now, most boys would have gone to
some Of their boy-friends and got them
planned but that wasn't the way with John
ny Slyboots.
He didn't dare to hint about it to any
body, for he knew that there wasn't a boy
in the neighborhood, excepting himself that
was mean enough to steal from such u poor
old woman as Aunt Sophrony was. They
might get into ''scrapes" that were anything
but creditable, but not one of them would
be guilty Ct what he planned to do.
He waited until everybody had gone to
bed. Then he got up, dressed himself,
crawled out of his bedroom window, and
taking the big basket that he had hid under
the Characteristics, so that it would be ready
for use, when needed, he set off on his
thieving trip.
He climbed over the fence and crept slyly
toward the grape-vines. When he got to
them, he set down his basket and listened.
There wasn't sound TO be heard about the
house, so he fell to work.
He cut off the lunches with his knife, and
laid them down carefully in the basket.
taking pains to pack them snugly so that
the basket would hold as many as possible.
He meant to have all he could take away,
and what he could eat besides Now, it
would have been very mean thing to do,
if say boy had stolen only what be wanted
to eat. But Johnny had no notion of stop
ping here. He didn't care if Aunt Sophrony
was poor. lie liked grapes and here was a
chance of getting enough TO last him for a
long time, without their costing him any,
thing
He was such a stingy, misery fellow,
that L think the fact that he was getting
something that cost nothing, in money
value, would have induced him to steal
green persimmons. And, too, there was
something about this way of getting what
did not belong to him that seemed sharp
and cunning.
When he had filed his basket, he be-
gan eating the fruit from the vines. He
ate as long as he could swallow, then. he
shouldered his basket and started for the
road.
About halfway between the grape-vines
and the road were two hives of bees Johnny
Slyboots knew they were there, but he had
about them.
he ran against one, and fell over 1t, head !