The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1881-09-24

ing, rosy chez led, bright-eved littls
body of eight summers, putting himself
in the third person.
"What should you thinkP' he would
ask, "of a boy who should travel oil,
you know, and see awfully grand
sights, and go to foreign places, and
get rich, and come home and huv up
lots of houses and marry somebody's
And Bessy Lee, listening, entranced,
said she thought it would be SDicndid,
and never wearied of talking about the
fabulous adventurer.
One morning nobody answered to the
call of johnny! johnny The cocks
had done Growing, the cows were wait
ing to he MIXED, the baby had Kicked
his stockings off, and screamed till he
was purple in his efforts to waken his
tagging brother. There was no response
from Johnny. His bed was found UNI
touched, save by the " Bandits Bride
which he had left on the pillow. The
bows best clothes were gone, and
note on the bureau read rs follows:
"Gud by, muther, greuy, pa and the Baby.
hHV koukluded to 20 away. When | cum
back shall b growed Mann! and will bring
you lots of mummy. kepc a gud heart. !
meme to Is CRATE trdvel.Or
"Yures, Johnny"
His mother sat down and cried as il
her heart would break for her pretty,
curly-headed boy, but his father threw
back his head and laughed.
The young scoundrelr' he said.
l wish l had known it. A good ropes
ending would have set him all right.
didn't think the little fellow had so
much grit in him. Now don't YOU
L,o1 4
and seventy miles to walk to the highest
seaport town.
But he's got ten dollars" sobbed
the mother.
"No, he amt. took that out and
put a bogus piece in the box some time
ago. put it in the bank for him.
So he'll find out fore long that that's
no good"
80, Lisha, how could you?" moaned
Johnny's mother
Il know-'twaS kinder mean, but |
never thought the lad would want to
use it. Now don't you feel bad. Let
the young man have the benefit of his
experience. tn do him good. No
body Il harm him, and he's not goin'
to starve on the road. Let him travel.
Won t he be glad to git back agin-
that s alp
Two DAYS passed. Johnnv's mother
cried herself almost blind, but Johnny's
father and the baby behaved like stoics.
The baby contemplated its toes, when it
was not crying, with an air OF comOla.
cency. Johnny s father-nobody knew
what he felt inwardly, but outwardly
he was as calm as summer lake, and
never went further than the end of his
own acres to see if the boy was coming
back.
Hell stop at his Aunt Sady's,' he
said to his wife, ''and she'll send him
hOme.n
He was right. The third day a
soiled and bedraggled specimen of bov
forIornness came limping along the
path that led to the farmhouse. His
mother saw him first, and, throwing the
baby in granny's lap, just flew down
the road.
There wasn't much said, but good
deal of hugging and kissing was
going on when Johnny father appeared
on the scene.
"Well, sir, what you want to COM
pete the cure is good logging" he
said in his sterneSt voice, but his lips
ifembled, and there was something
suspiciously like a tear standing in his
eyes.
Come here, You young rascalrn he
called; and wEAle the mother silently
dried her eyes with the corner of her
apron, he took the boy up and squeezed
him little. =
Poor Johnny's head fell on his faith
er's shoulder, and before they got to
the house he was fast asleep
When he awoke ON the following
morning in his own bed, never hal he
listened to sweeter music than the old
familiar crow 1t wasn't the least
trouble to do all his chores. The baby
behaved like an angel, and granny was
all smiles Little Bessy came to see
him, nobody tainted him about his
experience, and he came to the con-
clusion that home was about as good a
place for ten-year-old youngster as
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