The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1883-02-17


Czrisfian x,iyIIor.
"rm almost dead II is as hot as fire,
and I've been more than dozen miles
after that colt"
Andrew threw himself a, full length
on the lounge and wiped the perspira-
tion fIom his forehead.
"Where did you gor' asked his
father.
al went over to Briggs corner and
back by the bridge"
THAT is less than a mile and a half.
IL Is so very warm, Andy1 Il seems
quite cool here"
"No, not so dreadful, Idon' suppose,
If I'd taken il moderate, but ran like
lightning and got heated up"
"fou started about five O'Clock, my
son, and now il lacks quarter of SIX"
said his father, consulting his watch.
"Yes, sir, just three.qnarters OF an
hour" answered Andrew, innocently.
"Does il take lightning forty-five
minutes to 60 mile and half3"
al didn't mean exactly that, father,
but ! ran all the way, because i expect
ed the whole town would be here to-
night to see my new velocipede," ex-
planned Andrew, reluctantly.
'Whom did YOU expect, Andy? I
wasn't aware such crowd was TO De
here? What will you do with them all 2"
Jim, Eddy and Tim told me they'd
be round after school, and ] wouldn't
wonder II Ike came, too that's all"
"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 AT all"
"Siok ?" cried Andrew, springing to
his feet ''who says I'm sick ?"
"Why, Andrew, you said you were
almost dead doesn't tina, mean very
sick -
You are 50 particular, father, about
my talking don't exactly mean what
| say, OF course. ! wasn't nearly dead,
to be sure, bu, did some tall running,
you bet , There was more than fifty
dOgs after me, and don't go much on
dogs"
"Quiie band of them. Where did
they all come from ?"
There was Mr. Whecler's sheep dog,
and Rgsh's store dog, and two or three
more. and they made for me, and so I
r1n fast a. could D."
''Fivea the most are not fifty, Andy"
There looked TO be fifty, any way"
replied Andrew, somewhat impaiiently,
Carter's ten-acre lot was full Of dogs
Just making for me, and guess you'd
thought there were fifty il it had been
YOU"
''Ten acres Of dogs would be a great
many thousand have you any idea how
many ?"
Andrew did no; like TO calculate, for
j; occurred TO him what small space
ten OF fifteen thousand sheep would oc-
cupy when camping and ten acres Of
dogs would be past calculation.
''But, his father continued, "Tknow
10 better way 10 break you of the fool
Ish habI OF exaggeraiion than to tell
the children the trouble you had In
lightning, encounieredten acres or dogs,
which would be hundreds OF thousands,
travelled more than dozen miles to get
one and half miles in a straight line,
expected 20 md hve thousand people
here to examine your new vclocipedc,
and when YOU reached home was nearly
dead"
Please don't, father, the boys and
girls will all laugh themselves TO death,
and I won, eXaggeraie again il ! live TO
be as old Is Methusalah -
Laugh themselves TO death at a
simple story like this hope not. But
thar u will rather set them TO watching
their own manner of telling stories, so
10 be sure they do no, greatly overstate
things Habit. my son, grows with
wears. and becomes, in time. so deeply
rooted th1; it will be impossible for you,
when Won become man. to- relate plain,
unvlrnished facts. unless you check the
foolish habi, YOU indulge in every day
OF stretching simple incidents into the
most marvellous tales"