Mexico weekly ledger. (Mexico, Mo.) 1855-1956, 1883-02-22
A PLEASANT SURPRISE.

My brother Johnny says he would
do for a first-cfass bumbIe-bee; he's
as hot all over as if had forty stings.
We've been talking through the stove
hole to comfort each other. This
is in the wall at the side of my bed
so, if / put chair on the bed and
then climb up and stand on tip-toe
can see into Johnny's room, and we
can have good talk.
We're in trouble, and this is how
Iit-happened:
One day last week our teacher read
us a story about good little girl who
had a sick father, and he was going
to starve to death cause he hadn't
any money to buy oranges, and ev-
erything had gone wrong inside.
Well, the good little girl heard that a
dentist wanted some teeth, and would
pay well for them. The little girl
had fine teeth, so she went to the
dentist and asked him to take some
out and pay her the money they were
worth, for her poor father. Then the
dentist made her tell him all about
her father. and he wouldn't take the
teeth, but he gave her the money all
the same, and went to see her father
and got doctor for him, so he did
not die.
1t was beautiful story, and made
me cry. Johnny said it wasn't any
thing to cry about; stories like that
were for examples and when We had
chance we must just 60 and do like
wise.
Well, this morning, when father
was putting on his overcoat, Johnny
and asked him for penny. And
father, he said we were always want
ing pennies, and he wasn't made of
money, and then he went out.
Sister En- began to cry, cause
father said she couldn't have a new
dress this Easter. Every thing was
going wrong, and he didn't know
what would become of him, and he
was sick of everything.
Johnny and 1 didn't cry; we only
looked at each other.
While We we going to school, John
ny said this was our chance. Now
we could do like the good little
girl and be support to our parents.
Dentists always wanted teeth, and
we'd go the dentist right away after
school and have it over.
"And then," said Johnny, ''if we
have made five dollars for father, per-
haps he'll give us our penny, cause
1t will be such a pleasant surprise to
him.
We couldn't hardly wait for school
to be out. l got black mark in
arithmetic, cause when Miss Stevens
asked me if you mad an apple, and if
Samuel Smith ate it up, what had you
left? l said: "Your teeth
After school we walked about till
we came to a dentists, and we went
IN and asked him if he wanted some
teeth. And he said: "Why? Did
we want to lose some?'' and we told
him, "Yes.''
We thought he would sit down and
ask us all about it, just as the other
dentist did with the good little girl,
but he only said:
"Let's look at EN-
Then he made Johnny climb up in
the high chair, and tip his head back
and then he said: ''You want these
two out that crowd the rest.' Their
he put an iron thing into John
ny's mouth, and pulled out one tooth
and then he pulled another. And h.
said Johnny was brave boy 'caus,
be didn't holler.
j l asked Johnny if it hurt, and HI
said: ''Not much, and don't vol
disgrace the family, Kitty White, b,
howling.
''Now, my little lady," says thu
dentist, "get into the chair, and II
be as easy as l cam So he helped
; me up, tipped my head back ant
looked.
"YQur teeth are crowded just lik
, your brothers," he said, and then h
, began to pull.
My, how it hurt. And didn't
make a noise! l thought my hea'
was coming off. But it was all owe
in minute, and the dentist toll
Johnny not to laugh at me, 'caus
my teeth came harder than his did.
; When our teeth were out. we
thought the dentist would pay us.
, He asked us whose little6oy and girl
. we were and where viewed, and said
q this was pleasant wather for young
folks.
After While he said: ats foul
dollars" We thought he had foul
. dollarsfor us, and held out our hands
. but le didn't give us anything. In
o sted of that, he said: "Haven'
, you got any money!"
Then Johnny explained to him thai
we thought he would pay US for oul
teeth, so that we could help our poo
father.
The dentist began to laugh, ant
!, said be didn't nav for teeth huf n,