The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1884-02-20

home, Johnnys mother sent his little
brother to call him home to dinuer. But
the little truant was now here to be found.
He must have gone to Grandpa's to
dinner" said mother, and nothing more
was thought about it. Johnny often
spent Saturday at Grandpa's.
When supper time came, mother asked
again, Where is Johnny p.
He hash come home from Grapdpa's
vet, some one replied.
When bedtime came, mother began to
feel so worried that she sent Ben, the
hired man, to bring Johnny home To
the great surprise OF the family, the boy
had not been there all day.
Then father and mother called on the
neighbors, but no one had seen anything
of Johnny The men all turned out to
look for him. They searched over the
farm, through the woods, along the shore
in every possible and impossible place
but no one could find Johnny
His poor mother cried all night, and
his father wandered about with lantern
until he was wearied and worn out At
midnight the men concluded to go home
to get some rest, promising to come again
in the morning and look for the lost child.
The next day about eight o'clock, a
fisherman coming down the lake was
obliged to pass the island on which poor
Johnny was prisoner. What was his
surprise to hear some one calling him,
TON Hill Tom Hill oh, do come
here. Stop, Tom Stop, Tom T.
Tom looked around, aud there on the
shore stood Johnny, waving his little
handkerchief, which was tied to the end
of stick.
Tom Hill at once turned his boat to
the island, and soon it grated up on the
peb5ly beach
How in the world did you get here,
Johnny Barber p asked Tom.
"Oh, Tom, I've been here a week,
sobbed Johnny. I'm Almost starved,
an I'm a'most dead, an I'm lost, an
nobody came for me, an l spec I'll die,
| will. Oh, dear There amt nobody
what cared for me- o, I'll die with hun
ger =
Tom could scarcely keep from laugh
ing at the little figure on the beach. He
was wet, and dirty, and grimy from the
mud. into which he had several times
fallen. His tears had washed the dirt
into little channels on his face. His hair
was full of dried leaves and twigs, for
his hat was lost
But Tom was kind hearted fisher
man, and he lifted the little fellow ten
derby into his boat, telling him that he
was going to the big hotel, that it WASH t
much out of his way, so he would take
him home before he crossed the lake.
Tom, however, could not understand
how it happened that Johnny had been
so long on the island for every time he
talked about it the longer it seemed to
him, until finally Johnny began to think
nay, to be sure-that he had been a
whole week on the islandl
Haven't you eaten anything for a
week ? asked Tom Hill, in great surprise
No." sobbed Johnny again, =" not
since ever 1 got shipwrecked, and I'm
sure it's more'n a week T.
Tom, seeing how excited the child was,
began to soothe him as well as he could,
and finally opening basket in the bot
tom OF mis- boat, he took out some bread,
and Johnny began to eat with evident
relish.
As soon as they drew near the shore
they saw some men walking towards the
L NCc1Oh, anu OLlC nSWo was SOOn
that Tom Hill had Johnny in boat, and
was rowing towards the land.
All the men, women, and children
from the neighborhood focked to the
landing, and with loud hurrah from
the crowd, the boy was placed on the
beach.
1t was long time before Johnny could
be made to believe that he had only been
one day and one night on the island.
After this Johnny lost his boastful
spirit. His conceit had brought its own
punishment. Whenever he talked about
being able to me- mage boat, or being able
to do things better than other people,
his brothers and sister would begin to
ask him abont that week he spent on a
desert island, until he had learned to
feel how foolish he had BEEN Children s
Friend.