The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1883-02-24
EXAGGERATIONS.

ExAGGERATIONS.
I'm almost dead. 1t is as hot as fire.
and I've been more than dozen miles
after that colt"
Andrew threw himself at full length
on the lounge and wiped the perspiration
| from his forehead.
"Where did you co. asked his father.
II went over to Briggs corner and
back by the bridge
| THAT is less than a mile and half.
1t is SO very warm, Andy? 1t seems quite
cool here
No, not so dreadful, don't suppose,
if I'd taken it moderate. but ran like
lightning and got heated up
"Iou started about five o'clock, my
son, and now it lacks quarter of six, ~
said his father, consulting his watch"
Yes, sir, just three quarters of an
hour, answered Andrew, innocently.
Does it take lightning forty five min
utes to go mile and half?''
81 didn't mean exactly that, father,
but ran all the way, because expected
the whole town would be here to night
to see my new velocipede," explained
Andrew, reluctantly.
"Whom did you expect, Andys l
wasn't aware such a crowd was to be
here9 What will you do with them alp
i
be round after school. and | wouldn't
wonder if Ike came, too: that's ALL
1.-THE population of the town is five
thousand, and you expect three Of them;
well, as you are very sick, I'm glad no
more are coming. You couldn't play
with them a. ALL
"Sick?' cried Andrew, spring to his
feet. "who says I'm sck?'
"You are so particular, father. about
my talking. don't exactly mean what
| say, of course. wasn't nearly dead,
to be sure, but did some tall running,
you bet. There were more than fifty dogs
after me, and don't go much on dogs"
''Quite band of them. Where did
they allcome FROM
There was Mr.. Wheeler's sheep dog,
and Rush's store dog. and two Or three
more, and they made for me, and SO l
ran as fast as could"
Five at the most are not fifty, Andy
There looked to be fifty. any way"
replied Andrew, somewhat impatiently,
Carter ten acre lot was full of dogs just
making for me, and guess you'd thought
there were fifty if it had been you
"Ten acres of dogs would be great
many thousand: have you any idea how
many
Andrew did not like to calculate for
it occurred to him what a small space ton
or fifteen thousand sheep would occupy
when camping and ten acres of dogs
would be past calculation.
But" his father continued, ~ know
no better way to break you Of the foolish
habit of exaggeratiou than to tell the
children the trouble you had in going
after the colt. You ran like lightning,
encountered ten acres of dogs, which
would be hundreds of thousands, travel
ed more than dozen miles to get one
aud half miles in 4 straight line, ex-
pected to find five thousand people here
to examine your new velocipede, and
when you reached home we've nearly
dead"
"Please don't, father, the boys and
girls will all laugh themselves to death,
and l won't exaggerate again if live to
be as old as Methusalah'
d" Laugh themselves to death at a SIM
pie story like this9 Hope not. But that
it will rather set them to watching their
own manner of telling stories, so to be
sure they do not greatly overstate things.
Habit, my son, grows with years, and
becomes, in time SO deeply rooted that
it will he impossible for you, when you
become a man, to relate plain, unvarnish-
ed facts. unless you check the foolish habit
you indulge in every day Of stretching
simple incidents into the most marvellous
tales