The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1883-01-25
Stretching Thingss

I'm almost dead! 1t is as hot Is
fire, and I've been more than dozen
miles after that colt. !"
Andrew threw himself at full length
on the lounge and wi ed the persprd-
ton from his forehead.
Where did yoa goP'' asked his
father.
"I went over to Briggs corner and
back by the br dye
THAT is less than m lie and half.
Is it so very warm, Andy? 1t seems
quite cool here"
1" No, not so drea ]fttl / don't sup
pose. if I'd taken it n o lerate, but ] ran
Ike lightning and got heated up"
" You started about five O'Clock, my
son, and now it lacks a q arter OF six,
said his father consulting his watch.
- Yes, sir, Just thrce-quarters of an
hour" answered Andrew, innocently.
docs it take lightning fOrty-hve
minutes to 90 a mile and a halff"
Il didn't mean exactly that, father,
but | ran all the way, because ! expect
ed the whole town would be here to-
night to see my new velOc pede," eN-
planned Andrew, reluctantly
Whom did you expect, Andy? /
wasn't aware ch a crowd was to be
here? What will yo1 do with them
aI?''
Jim, Eddy and Tim told me they'd d
be round after school, and | VOL n t
wonder if Ike anne, too; that's ALL
"The population of the town is five
thousand, and you expect three of them;
well, as you are very sick, pm glad no
more are coming. You cOuldnt play
with them at all.
"Sickr' cried Andrew, springing to
his feet; ''who says / m sickP
'Why, Andrew, you said YOU were
almost dead; doesn't that mean very
sick?'
"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 was IN ore than fifty
dogs after me, and [ don 60 much on
dogs" 49,,
they all come 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
ran as fast as / could"
Give at the most are not fifty, Andy
"There looked to be fifty, any way
| replied Andrew, somewhat impatiently,
| Garter 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 a great
many thousand; have you any idea how
| manyg'
Andrew did not like to calculate, for
| it occurred to him what a small space
| ten or fifteen thousand sheep would oc-
| cupy when camping and ten acres OF
no CT nIp
But" his father continued. 1"
| know no better way to break you of the
| foolish habit of exaggeration than 10
| 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.
| travelled more than dozen miles TO get
one and half miles in straight line,
expected to find five thousand people
| here to examine your new vclOcipede,
and when you reached homo was near
| ly dead
"Please don't, father, the boys and
| girls will all laugh themselves t. death.
! and | won t exaggerate again if ! live
| to be as old as Methusalah!n
Laugh themselves to death at q
simple st Try like thisP hope not. But
/ that it will rather set them to watching
J their own manner of telling stories, (
to be sure they do t greatly overstatC
| things. Habit, my son, grows will
] years, and becomes. in time, 50 deeply
rooted that it will be impossible for YOU
when you become a man, TO relate plain
| unvarnished facts, unless you check the
| foolish habit you indulge in every day
of stretching simple incidents into the
most maryelou5 tales" Christiaa
/ Ne50bbOr