St. Landry democrat., 1881-11-05
JOHNNY'S COMPOSITION.

JOHNNY'S COMPOSITION.
Johnny didn't like to write compost
tons. There was roaring Wood-hre
in the fire place, and Johnny had
brought up from the cellar a bashettul
of pine cones, and it was such jolly fun
to toss them into the flames, one by
one. Who woudn't rather do this than
write compositions?
Il hate 'em." said Johnny.
Bv-and -by-jumping up so suddenly
that Malta the cat, curled up on the
mat, opened her great eyes in wonder
he began to search tor his slate and
pencil. -. -,
"Seen my slate and things, Minnie?'
he said to his sister.
But Minnie was reading and did not
reply. Johnny drew near and looked
over her shoulder at the picture OF a
pretty girl and a young gentleman
gazing most intently into each others
faces.
.Guess I'll write story, toon' he
remarked.
It was easy enough to begin.
"Once upon time,'' wrote Johnny,
"there was a girl named-named-'
(here he paused to think a minute)
s.named Maud Mudford. Her father he
wanted her to go to the post office one
afternoon; so she got on her horse, and
off she went a-hyIng'. Pretty soon she
came to the woods, and, just as she was
ridin' by. robber grabbed her off her
horse. and she was screechin' fearful
when young gentleman, who was
hidin' in the bushes, took the robber
by the neck and stabbed him dead
with his penknife. Then the girl she
fell in love with this young man, and
he married her. But they were so
dreadful poor that he got tired sup
portin' their seven children, so he
Strung his wife and all OF EN- up on the
clothes-line like beads, in the dead of
night, and they caught him, and he was
hung at Rockaway Beach on the Fourth
of july"
"That's a tip-top story said John
ny to himself, feeling quite proud OF
his evenings work.
"Why, Johnny Miller, what horri-
BILE storyn' exclaimed his sister Minnie.
You fairly make me shudder You
mustn't take that to school. Write
about something that's happened at
home. Write description OF your ride
to the Falls"
"Think I'm goin' to write another
one?" said indignant johnny. Its
awful hard work, tell you! Why don't
you like it? It's nice story"
"But it isn't natural enough, John
n.y."
"Why not?"
Because people don't do such ridicu-
lous things in real life. You don't in
tend to kill your wife when you grow
up and are married, do you:9'
Amt goin' to get married. said
Johnny, stoutly. "What would l
spend my money on a strange woman
for? Guess I've got mamma and Aunt
Susie. l don't want strange woman
round me.''
"Well, go and write your compost
ton now,S said Minnie, laughing.
So Johnny seated himself again on
the mat in front of the fire, crossed
his little fat legs and began to think.
"She said I'd better write a 'scription
of my ride to the Falls" he said to him
self. dispose I've got to tell some
thing bout it so it II be natural
'sLast Tuesday mornin'," he began,
mamma and Minnie and me and Jim
Merrill, Teller that comes to see Min
ME most every night, we all went over
to the Falls. I sat on the front seat
with Jim, and Minnie sat behind with
mamma, and Jim kept lookin' round
at her all the time. He was fearful po-
lite to mamma, too, but he wouldn't
talk to me much. 1t was pretty near
three o'clock when we got there. We
walked round the woods while and
Minnie and Jim kept laggin' behind,
and when hollered to 'em to hurry up
mamma told me to be still. When we
got home Minnie told Jim she had had
a eharmin' ride, and ate four biscuits
for supper. The Falls was tip-top.''
just here .Johnny's mother called
him to 20 to bed, and he forgot to ask
Minnie if this was natural enough, but
went off to school the next morning
with his composition safe in the leaves
of Colburn's mental arithmetic. The
schoolmaster was a young man, and he
smiled so often as he read Johnny's
production that the young writer said
to himself, complacently:
"Guess he likes it first rate" y
Golden Days.
N