St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1884-04-05
JOHNNY's FUNNY MISTAKE.

Johnny went with his mOtner 10 see
some fine paintings which were at the
house of u gentleman who invited his
friends to come and enjoy the beautiful
things with him. He thought he should
take a great deal more pleasure in the
things which his money could buy if ne
shared the pleasure with Others, and if
any little boy or girl who reads this is in
the habit of dividing good things with
playmates, either will be able to assure
you the gentleman was right. If you
ask little girl about it. she will smile
up at YOU and say: Il think so.' And
if YOU ask little 10y, he will be pretty
pure to put both hands down in his
sockets, and set his foot down and say:
"Yes, sir-ee.'
Johnny thought he should like the
pictures. and he did at first, but soon
got tired of them and began teasing his
mother.
Mamma. can't l go down to papa's
Office, and ask him for five cents to buy
some peanuts. and look out of the win
dOw?"
"Tn take YOU there soon, Johnny"
she said.
81 want to 60 alone"
81 couldn't let you cross the streets
by yourself, dear. Wait little.
Johnny scowled and whimpered.
"But want TO go nO,c.'
just then he happened to look through
a door which opened into another room.
People were walking about there and
looking at pictures and talking just IS
they were in this room. Among them
he saw boy about as big as himself,
and that boy looked right at Johnny,
and made very ugly face at him.
Of course Johnny scowled back as
hard as he could, and the boy scowled
harder than before. and Johnny thought
he surely had never seen such a sour,
cross, grabbed, hateful face in his life.
He doubled up his fist and shook it at
him. The boy shook his at Johnny,
and Johnny tried to draw his hand from
his mothers TO go and see if that boy
wanted fight. She held his hand
firmly, and Johnny opened his mouth
for a big bawl.
But he stopped. astonished at seeing
a dreadful hole just then appear in the
other boys face. The other boy shut
his mouth, too. and Johnny pulled his
hand from his mothers (who let him 60
rather than he should make noise in
company, and walked towards the boy.
The boy came TO meet him, and both
boys scowled. Then Johnny stopped
before little marble shelf, which was
between him and the boy, and saw all
at once that he knew the boy very well
indeed
Hello !" he said, in great amaze
ment.
1t was his own grabbed little self.
What he had taken for doorway
was the frame of great looking-glass,
and he had been all the time making
faces and shaking fists at himself. But
there was one thing in which he had
made no mistaken thinking his own
face the crosse>t which could be found.
He could not help laughing little to
think what funny mistake he had
made. And then he was astonished
again to see how very different his face
looked when there was a smile on it.
He stood looking at the dim
pies which came i'm the rosy cheeks, and
at the white little teeth which peeped
through the red lips, and began won-
/ dering whether such pretty things were
not made to be used in making smiles
and laughs, rather than frowns. Then
he tried the scowl again -wrinkled his
forehead, puckered his lips into pout,
In fact tied his whole face into knot
and did not like il ut all.
1t is pleasant to be able to say that
Johnny did not soon forget the lesson
he had learned of the boy in the glass.
He had never before realized how badly
his face looked when he gave himself up
to bad temper. and he felt ashamed of it.
Dear little children. do not let Satan
sow his seeds of evil passions in your
hearts, for they VIII spring up and
leave his hateful mark on your pretty
bright faces. Ugly wolves will look
fiercely out OF eyes of blue or of brown,
which should be softened by the in.
dwelling of the dove of peace and the
lamb of gentleness, fcstered by the
Masters own hand. Try the power oi
a CHEEKY smile and loving word
wherever you go, and see if your own
way is not always made bright by the
Light you cast on the way of those
around yCu.-Sdney Dayre, ia ~ J.
Observer.