The Springdale news., 1889-09-06
JOHNNlE'S LETT ER.
He Communicates some Very Startling in-
 formation to His Absent Brother.

lie (O1nmunltttes Nuuit WI ' A''t'i'A''a
 formation to His Absent Brother.
 Johnnie was sick one day-not very sick. but so that he had to stay Tn the house. After awhile he grew tired of all his books and playthings, and didn't know what to do. His mother suggested that be might write a letter to his brother Harry, who was away at college. So he did, and this is what he wrote:
 DEAR HARRY: have got sore throat, and don't know what else to do, so am going to write to you and tell you all the news. Our house has been raZed. Papa got some men to do it and he says he is satlshed now. He IS thinking of ccding his land soon, and he has promised to let me have q few rocs to take care of
 Maria died this morning, and had som fun watching her, for my throat is so bad can go outdoors
 Aunt Kate was here last week. Just before she went away sEc gave mamma rar
 must stop now, for l smell the stake cook ing and l suppose dinner will soon be ready
 Your aNectionate brother,
 JOHNNIE CUFFS.
 He copied it neatly and felt quite proud of his letter as he gave 1t to hls father to mail. But he was surprised and puzzled when, two days later, he received this reply to it:
 MY DEAR JoHNNIE: am greatly shocked by the contents of your letter. Wh oh have just received. It is so strange that mother dId not say any thing in her last letter about thls trouble having come upon father suppose She thought it would worry me, and indeed II does, for insanity IS a terrible thing. Poor fathers mind must be considerably affected Il he has had the house torn down, and wants to glve up the land he worked so hard to get. Tell mother that l know about 1t, and. if she should need me at any me, to send tele- gram, and I will hold myself in readiness 10 start immediately l think shall come. any way before long, for want to see how you are situated.
 always thought Aunt Kate perfect lady, and I can not imagine how she could so far Tor get herself as to strike her sister.
 Now Johnnie you must be good, and not give mother the least trouble, for she has enough Of that now. If l were in your place l wouldn't say a word about those animals father promised to give you and perhaps he will forget about them. It would be much better if he would, for ] am sure he can not afford to gct them If he has ceded his land away.
 So Maria is dead Well, am sorry; she was ycry faithful servant And you ought 10 be ashamed of yourself, Johnn c, for thinking it fun 10 sec her dle 1 wouldn't have believed my lLl--c ILol L1S cFl1rH 6c sA- sA---.Ss.a--..sss.
 i don't understand the last sentence oI letter. | never heard before of cooking stake and | do not see how any thing digesti- ble could De prepared from one.
 hope your throat is well by this time.
 Your loving brother, HARRY.
 Well what does Harry have to sayo" asked Mr Curtis, after Johnnie had read the letter through.
 Why, l don't know. l can't see what he means at all," said Johnnie, with bewildered look, giving the let ter to his father.
 Mir. Curtis read it, then looked up with a frown and asked:
 What nonsense have been writing to your brothor?"
 Johnnie disclaimed having written any nonsense and brought his slate with the first draft of his letter still upon it for proof.
 After a comparison of the two letters Mr. Curtis began to laugh, and John nie. somewhat nettled said he wouldn't write any more letters if every body was going to make fun of them. Then his father showed him that he had written rdzed instead of raiSed, and they looked for both words in the die tionary.
 So Johnnie learned that raze means to destroy, and raise to lift up. He found, too, with his fathers help, that he had used ceding for Seedin9, roes for roirS, died for dyed, rap for acrap, and stake for sted&, and so had really writ ten something very different from what he had intended.
 He sent Harry another letter before long to explain things, and he was careful to look in the dictionary for every word he was not sure he could spell right
 After that he was vory attentive to his spelling lessons, for he saw that mistakes in spelling might sometimes make great deal of trouble IN. Y. Advocate.