The Magnolia gazette. [volume] (Magnolia, Miss.) 1872-current, 1886-06-18
JOHNNY'S VICTORY.

He Remembered just in the Nick OF
Time, and stood Bravely at His Post
Johnny was all alone in the house,
rocking baby Lulu to sleep. and the
big tears were rolling, one by one,
over his red cheeks, and down his
straight little nose, with alarming per-
tinacity. He wasn't crying! no, not
| for the world would he acknowledge
that he was crying. But what was the
matterp
| Johnny was the .'best boy in the
world" so his mamma said, and I'm
sure she ought to know If anybody
should; and ever since God took his
papa home to Heaven, mamma would
leave little Lulu in Johnny's care while
she went out to fit the ladies' dresses
for them. And then, when she came
home, he always had such bright,
CHEEKY fire in the winter time; and in
! the summer would run and draw
clear, cold glass of water when she
came in tired and warm.
Mamma was gone now, and Johnny
had been rocking bapy long, long
time, it seemed to his tired little arms.
But that wasn't the cause of the
trouble-oh no! He didn't mind that
one bit. Let us follow Johnny's gaze.
: Away down at the end of the street,
right on the square, but almost hid by
the thick foliage of the NAPLES that
: line each side of the street, we see
! whatp A great awkward form, that
:. looks like-can it bep-an elephant!
= And then, we are sure--those are
= camels, we can see their humps. And
2 that group (the people crowd so we
), : can't half see)-that must be the dear
i little ponies! and oh, the monkeys!
= Johnny's mamma had said that he
g might go and see the procession that
= morning-for it was show that had
come to the village; but she thought
e she would have time to go and alter
= Miss Meriweather's basque for her be-
= fore the procession would start. So
=. here Johnny sat, rocking the baby, in
II stead of making one of that merry
!, = crowd of boys and girls watching the
:. procession down at the end Of the
- street.
e Now, don't give our little boy toe
!, much credit. His first impulse, when
y he heard the music, was to put baby in
+ her crib, and-fly! Really, he did gel
- her in the crib, when he remembered
= = Then he cried aloud: mamma, {
~ mammal" in real agony. But Miss
~ Meriweather's house was quite five
blocks away, and mamma couldn'
- have walked home fast enough for hin
~ still to go, even if she had heard tina
-, poor little cry. And, with that dis
=, tracted music sounding in his ears, ant
I. the dim shapes of those wondrou
~ creatures from another world just yisi
-. BILE, what wonder that the tears rofle'
~, down his fresh little face, wink bravel
o. -. as he might to keep them back.
o said that Johnny remembered; an
.a 90 just in the nick of time, too. Indeed
e. e. il it had not been for his remembering
~ / doubt if he would have stood s
or bravely at his post. But first I mus
~ tell you little secret; and, as all thi
t!e happened so long ago, I don't thin
johnny will care. The very top pir
~ nacle of Johnny's ambition and happ
.oy ness was to be soldier. His dear pap
~ knew about this desire of his hear
' oe' and not long before he died he talke
-; with Johnny about it, and said: t'Sol
~ remember, soldier must never fine
~ but stand like a rock at his post.
~ These words had taken deep hold {
wv, NJ Johnny's young mind, and so it was
NJ remembered; but oh, it was so har
, sn He was soldier, he was at his pos
nn no' and stand he must, like rock. Al
a. a. so he did, brave little hero!
S .nS The gay parade and the bewitchil
i9u music are gone now, and MANN
-, 20 comes in, all flushed with walking
us9 ase rapidly. She takes in all at glanc
Motu M the brave little face that would n
'ses cry, the sleeping baby. She quiet
- takes baby and puts her in the cr
ouy then (yUice nnothnr1 she lifts her sold