The Wellington enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 1867-188?, 1884-03-26
TOMMY's WHIPPING.


He was seven years old, lived in Chey-
enne, and his name was Tommy. More
over he was going to school for the first
time in his life. Out here little people
are not allowed to attend school when
thew are five or six, for the law says:
"Children under seven must not go to
school,"
But now Tommy was seven and had
been to school two weeks, and such de-
lightful weeks! Every day mamma lis.
tened to long accounts of how ''me and
DicltRay played marbles, " and ''us fel-
lers cracked the whip" There was an
other thing that he used to tell mamma
about, something that in those first days
he always spoke Of in the most subdued
tones, and that-I am sorry to record it
of any school-was the numerous whip
pings that were administered to various
little boys and girls. There was some
thing painfully fascinating about those
whippings to restless, mischievous little
TOMMY, who had never learned the art
of sitting still. He knew his turn might
come at any moment and one night he
cried out in his sleep: "Oh, dear, what
will become of me if l get whipped !"
But as the days passed on and this pos
sible retribution overlook him not, his
fears gradually forsook him, and instead
of speaking pitifully of "those poor chill
dren who were whipped" he ment' oned
them in a casual, offhand manner as
"those cry-babies, you know" One
afternoon mamma saw him sitting on
the porch, slapping his little fat hand
with strap. Tommy, child, what in
the world are you doing" she asked.
Into his pocket he thrust the strap,
and the pink cheeks grewpinker still as
their owner answered:
"I-I-was Just seeing-how hard l
could hit my hand-without crying;"
and he disappeared around the side of
the house before mamma could ask any
more questions.
The next day Tommy's seatmate,
Dicky Ray, was naughty in school, and
Miss Linnet called him up, opened her
desk, took out little riding-whip-it
was bright blue one-and then and
there administered punishment. And
because he cried, when recess came,
Tommy said: "Isn't Dick Ray just a
reglar cry-babyP" Gle had learned
that word from some of the big boys
but, mind you! he never dared to say
it before his mother.)
Dicks face flushed with anger.
"Never you mind, Tommy Brown, "
said he, 'iust wait till you get whipped
and we'll see truly girl cry-baby then,
won't we, Daisy"
And blue-eyed Daisy, who was the
idol of their hearts, nodded her curly
little head in the most emphatic man
ner, and said she "wouldn't be one BIZ
s'prised II he'd holler SO loud that they
would hear him way down in Colo
RADIO"
Tommy stood aghast! for really and
truly, he wasn't quite so stony-heartcd
little mortal as he appeared to be; he
had been secretly rather sorry for Dick,
but-he wanted Daisy to think that he
himself was big and manly, and he had
the opinion that this was Just the way
to win her admiration. But all this
time he didn't knoW i0hdt Daisy did
that Dicks pockets were full of sugar
plums; tip-top ones, too, for Daisy had
tasted them. and knew that little pack
cts of them would from time to time
find their way into her chubby hand
All the rest of the morning Tommy
kept thinking, thinking, thinking. One
thing was certain: the present situa'
ton was not TO be endured one mo
ment longer than was absolutely neces
sary. But what could he do? Should
he fight DickyP This plan was reject
ed at once on high, moral grounds
Well, then, supposing some dark nigh
he should see Daisy on the street, jus
grab her, hold on tight and say
"Now, Daisy Rivers, / won't let yol
90 till you promise you'll like me |
great deal betterer than you do Dicl
Ray" There seemed something nice
about this plan, very nice; the NOR
Tommy thought OF 1t, the better h
liked it; only there were two objection
to It. Firstly: Daisy never venture,
out doors alter dark. Secondly: Meth
er did Tom.
Both objections being insurmounta
BILE, this delightful scheme was reluc'
antly abandoned, and the thinking pre-
cess went on harder than ever, till g
last oh, oh! IL he only dared! What
triumph It would bel But then h
couldn't-yes, he could, too. Didn
, she say that she wouldn't be one b
, s'prised IL he hollered so loud that the
: would hear him way down in Colo
adoP" Colorado, indeed! He'd sho
her there was one boy in the school WI
was not girl-cry-baby!
Yes, actually, foolish Tommy had d
, cided TO prove his manhood by beir
whipped, and that that interesting lit
event should take place that very afte
noonl
What did he dop He whispered s
' times!
> Had It been any other child, he wou
. surely have been punished; but Mi
Linnet knew both Tommy and h
mamma quite well, and therefore 81
|, knew also, quite well, that only fe
y days ago the one horror Of Tommy
: life had been the thought that he mig
Q possibly be whipped. Then, too, it W
!, his first term at school, and hitherto
had been very good. So she decided
d keep him after school and talk to hi
Of the sinfulness Of bad conduct in &c
! eral, and Of whispering in particuls
+ This plan she faithfully carried out, Al
Q the little culprit's heart so melted wit
q, hi,,, that ba clin,had nm nm hia toac