Little Falls transcript. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1876-1894, 1885-12-11
Stretching Things. !.

$@fs%$ q 0lIGtCAiASs LINK % i5
Christian Neighbor. III. 4. #
=}s:I' m most dead! It is as hot as fire,
and I've been more than adozell miles
after that colt" So s.
Andrew threw himself at full length
on the lounge, and wiped the perspira-
ton from his forehead. 4. tg. i
"Where did you go?' inquired the
father. Z. I. i. .@ (:
4 II went over to Briggs corner and
back by the bridge"
|That is little less than q mile and
a half. Is it SO very warm, Andy? It
seems quite cool here
"No, not so dreadful, I suppose, if
I'd take it moderate; but I ran like
lightning and got heated up" Il
:'You started about o'clock, my
son, and now it lacks a quarter OF 6"
said his father, consulting his watch.
Eyes, sir; just three-quarters of an
hour" answered Andrew, innocently.
'tDoes it take lightning As minutes
to 20 mile and a half?''
II didn't mean exactly that, father,
but Iran all the way because lexpect-
ed the whole town would be here to-
night to see my new velocipede," ex-
planned Andrew, reluctantly.
"WhOm do you expect, Andy? l
wasn't aware that such crowd was
to be here What will you do with
them ALP"
"Ji1n, Edddy and Tim told me they'd
be round after school; and | wouldn't
wonder if Ike came too, that's ALL
"The population of, the town is
5000, and you expect three persons.
Well, as you are very sick, | am glad
no more are coming. You couldn't
play with them at ALL
"Sic&z!" cried Andrew, springing to
his feet; '"who says Pm sick?"
'Why, Andrew, you said you were
almost dead. Doesn't that mean very
sick?'
"You are so particular, father,
about my talking. I don't mean ex-
actly what I say, of course. I wasn't
nearly dead, to besure, but I did some
tall running, you bet. There were more
than fifty dogs after ME, and | don tgo
much on dogs.'
"Quite band OF them Where did
they all come from?"
':There was Mr. Wheeler's sheep dog,
and Rush's store dog, and two or
three more; and they made for me,
and SO I ran as fast as could.'
Andrew"
"There looked to be fifty, anyway"
aswered Andrew, somewhat IMPATIENT
ly. "Carter's ten-acre lot was full OF
dogs just making for me; and I guess
you'd have thought there were fifty il
it had been you"
"Ten acres of dogs would be a great
many thousands. Haveyou any idea
how many?"
Andrew did not like to calculate, for
it occurred to him what q small space
ten or fifteen thousand sheep would
occupy while camping, and ten acres
OF dogs would be past calculation.
"But," his father continued, "Iknow
OF no better way to break you of the
foolish habit of exaggeration than to
tell the children of the trouble you had
in going after the colt. You ran like
lightning, encountered ten acres OF
dogs, which would be hundreds OF
thousands, travelled more than q doz.
EN- miles to get one and half miles in
q straight line, expected to find 5000
people hero to examine your new We,
locipede, and when you reached home
you we're nearly dead!'
"Please don't. father; the boys and
girls will alllaugh themselves to death;
and won't exaggerate again if I live
to be as old as Methuselah!'
Laugh themselves to death at a
simple story like this? I hope not, but
rather hope it will set them to watch
ing their own manner oftelling stories
so as to be sure they do not greatly
overstate things. Habit, my son
grows with years, and becomes in time
so deeply rooted that it will beimpos
sible for you when you become mar
to relate plain, nnvarnished facts un
less you check the foolish habit il
which you indulge every day, ofstretch
ing simple incidents into the most
marvellous, tales.