The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1881-09-30
WHAT ALLIED JOHNNY.

Grandmother Harding, as she sat down
beside the stocking basket.
"Why, what do you notice about
himP' asked her daughter. moving to
and fro as she picked up the breakfast
dishes.
"Oh, don't know, except that he
used to be such little chatterbox. and
now he skercely answers body when
you speak. Besides, TIERS an anxious
expression on his face, and he seems
reading things in his bread and milk,
and gifts away from folks. My mind 8
Oneasy."
"He's growing more of a boy, that 8
the reason, more quiet and thoughtful.
hope. l notice he often has book
in his hand"
"What sort of books?" asked grand
ma, who could recite whole pages of
watts HYMNS" and had the old
New England Primer at her tongue 8
end. besides being able to place any
text in the Bible from Genesis to Reve-
lation, only give her time.
"Oh, good enough. l guess the boys
lends 'em to him; brings home stack
at time Almost. You can't be always
running after a boy like Johnny. Pm
rather glad he likes reading keeps
him out of the way, like"
Grandmother looked dubious.
'Depends on what he rea u.s." she
said, and went on with her darning-a
pair of Johnny's red stockings out at
knee as well as heel.
Meantime what had got into Johnny?
The brightest visions that were ever
heard or read of. Grottos of pearl,
mountains of gold, rocks of crystal.
gateways of precious stones. the pal
aces of Kings. the romance and the
glory of adventure. No wonder John
ny was lost in dreams; that he never
heard when the baby cried, or his moth
er called him. No wonder he thought
the old farmhouse about the meanest,
prosiest place; the same things over
and over; COWS to milk, shoes to brush,
wood to split and school to attend, no
matter what the weather was
Gradually the desire to see these
glorious things took possession OF John
ny's mind. He stared at the fire longer
than ever, and answered granny's ques-
tions with vacant nod. He hardly
knew that the baby was crying when
that abused innocent demanded his
services, and he upset and broke SO
much that his life was embittered by
the seedlings and whippings he got
from day to day.
Il amt a-going to bear it, NUT
tered Johnny. 'Pl 90 of like Alex
ander LIE Baron, who went away Just
my age with bundle on a stick, and
came back twenty years after with mill
ions of money and made everybody he
knew rich.'
Johnny made up his mind at last,
after a great deal of thinking, that he
would leave home to seek his fortune.
Most of the heroes in his books had
started early to see the world; why
shouldn't he?
Johnny's books were generally slyly
put under his pillow, and were read at
night as long as the candle, which he
also concealed. would hold out. One
of these, ''The Bandits Bride" was q
great favorite. as it described caverns
where treasures of gold and silver
were hidden. and made the bloodthirsty
hero marvel of intelligence. q chief
of great ability and an accomplished
gentleman. This was the book that
led him at last to the determination to
seek his fortune. He had ten.dollar
gold piece that his uncle had given
him, and which he had saved with the
laudable desire of purchasing house
some day. He took no one in his con-
fidence. though he did talk the matter
over to his nearest neighbor. q charm
ing, rosy-cheeked. frightened little
body of eight summers, putting himself
in the third person.
"What should you think?'' he would
ask, ''of boy who should travel of.
you know. and see awfully grand
sights. and 60 to foreign places, and
get rich. and come home and buy up
lots of houses and marry somebOdy?"
And Bessy Lee. listening, entranced,
said she thought it would be splendid.
and never wearied of talking about the
fabulous adventurer.
One morning nobody answered to the
call of Johnny! Johnnyr' The cocks
had done Growing. the COWS were watt
ing to he MIXED, the baby had kicked
his stockings of. and screamed till he
was purple in his efforts to waken his
Tagging brother. There was no response