The new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1876-1904, 1885-11-07
a BITE II OFFt"
Tho Good Advice Given to Johnny, and
How He Profited Therefrom.

rang out in the old building that had
been barn through the day Of his
Uncle Solomon whom Johnny was vis-
ting, and half through Grandfather
Earle's life time. Such cosy old tool
room IN the corner, in whose stove
fire would be kindled on days
when a cold rain from the sea beat a
dismal tune on the dusty window-panes,
and there Uncle solomon would mend
his tools and his boat, and at the same
time, perhaps, tell Johnny some story
OF his school-days on land and his iish-
at sea. Then the hay-mowsl
Were ever such mows, so bulky, known
to rise anywhere elsep They took you
so high that you could reach up to the
rafters, where bat might be clinging
for ..dear life,n and the hooks where q
swallow might be hiding away, and
and out they fly with a whir-r-r-r, and
down you would go in terror, On
how many generations of MIR. and Mrs.
Bats family, also Mr.. and Mrs. Swal-
lows, had lived in that old barn!
when am grown up l am going
to build me an old barn." declared
Johnny None of your new ones for
me-"
1t was on Uncle Solomon's hay-mows
that Johnny and his cousin Sam were
playing.
Sam, I'll stump your
To do whatP"
I'm take one hay-mow and you the
other. Well start away back at this
end of the barn and then walk-mind
YOU, uatk-to the o.her side. and let s
see who will get there first. Pound
when you get there. y
Come on
The boys climbed the mows, and
amid growing and laughing, began
their walk. II was now up-up, then
downtown, perhaps into some nest
from which an old hen would ny
squawking, then up again to bump
ones head against rafter, then down,
vet always on; when, suddenly. Johnny
looked across the deep gulf that sep
arated the mows and saw Cousin Sam
runningl Johnny was about to vigor-
ously object when he heard a loud =
bang! ~
I've struck the other side! No
doubt of that Feels so anyway
shouted Sam.
Johnny was indignant and screamed
out: "You mean old a He stopped.
Somebody was speaking. Glancng
over the edge of the NOV, he saw
sweet-faced lady looking up from the
barn floor. 1t was Miss Mary Carr,
who was boarding in the neighborhood
| that summer.
"What did you sayp" he asked.
Il thought you were saying some
thing to Sam, and l said: Bite II of
Johnny, bite it off, meant those
words-to bite them of. "
Obj
Johnny blushed and dropped hi
head.
..Sam run when he ought not to, Mis-
Carr"
"Well, Jahnny," explained Sam, ca
gerly. and looking down from his hay
NOW. "I-I-couldn't help it. Thi
NOW fell off all of sudden and ha'
to run, and ] went bang against tn
wall. l wasn't going to count it, and
don't feel like doing any counting for
week. My head has either driven
shingle-nail into the wall, or else tn
nail has been driven into my head!'
TOO bad, Sam. I'll take back wha
I said"
"And I'll put some plaster on you
head" said the plying Miss Carr.
..Such nice looking lady," though
Sam, 81 wish l had another head to u
up"
Miss Carr proved an excellent docte
and Sans small wound was soon care
for.
MAY say a word to you, johnny
asked Mis-, Carr, for Johnny, after Il
Young lady's rebuke, looked as il he ha
sore head that needed to go into tn
hands of the doctor They went inl
the fields sweet with the breath OF viii
flowers and with the fragrance blow
out of grove of pines beyond.
johnny, J know you will let me So
it to you
"Oh, yes"
1T is about biting want you
get into the habit of biting"
Johnny looked up in surprise and @
claimed, "Ohn' Then he remembers
her words in the barn and said nothing
This is the biting that doesn't
harm, word biting. 1t means not
say everything we feel like sayln
There is a good deal in habit, and II
accustom ourselves, when stirred up,
stop and think a moment, it will con
easier to throw away the hard word
: to bite them oil as l advised you in Il
barn. When we are vexed it is natur
: to saw things harsh and unkind and u
r lust, and afterwards we wish we hadr
t said them. Try to get into the habit
J putting your teeth INTO some words 81
e biting them of. Can your"
1 "fll try said Johnny, looking
v into the face of his pretty counselor.
, TRY hardp"
! "Yes'm. III try hare"
: The years went by, and at Ia
= Johnny was clerk in a 5ry-goo
store, that of P. Billings, who was 0
of the kind of men who seem to
. everywhere at the same time, up on
second floor watching the men in
!. cloak department, and down in
4 ribbon department on the first fio'
/, and in the elevator away at the top
. the building, and down in the eel
: looking after the furnace. Johnny "
;, about to leave one night when he s
= that the clerk who had assisted at
Il counter had failed to do his share
I the work and had left to Johnn
!. hands the rolling up and packing aw
Of the ribbons.
.sThere,' said Johnny, in no low
pacific tones, that fellow has go
He is the 1872
What made him think of an old ba
1t of a hay-mow? What made him hea
pleasant voice say: Bite it of, John
10 bite it off p
He laughed and said: "rll take
good bite into that sentence and cut
the restPo
'.Ow-w-w!" he exclaimed
"What say" asked voice.
The clerk looked up in surprise.
was the eyerywhere-man. his employ
ST Billings.
90 '..Oh nothing sir, nothing OF cor
auene.A. was onl, biting. and
mos' bit my tongue In Two. :