The Iowa plain dealer. [volume] (New Oregon, Howard County, Iowa) 1867-1895, 1889-08-15
JOHNNiE'S LETTER.


formation to His Absent Brother
Johnnie was sick one day-not very
| sick. but SO that he had to stay in
the house. After awhile he grew tired
Of all his books and playthings. and
didn't know what to do. His mother
suggested that he might write letter
| to his brother Harry. who was away
at college. So he did, and this is what
he wrote:
| DEAR HAIRY: 1 have got a sore throat, and
don't know what else to do. SO am going to
write to you md tell you all the news. Our
house has been RACED. Papa got some men to
do IL, and he says he is satisfied now. He Is
thinking of cedng his land soon, and he has
promised to let me have q few roes to take care
Of
Maria died this morning. and l had some fun
watching her, for my throat Is SO bad can't 60
outdoors.
Aunt Kate was here last week. Just before
she went away she gave mamma a rap.
must stop now, for smell the stake cook
ing, and suppose dinner will soon be ready.
Your afYectionate brother.
JOHNNIE CURTIS.
He copied it neatly and felt quite
proud of his letter as he gave 1t to his
father to mail. But he was surprised
and puzzled when, two days later. he
received this reply to it:
MY DEAR JOHNNIE: 1 am greatly shocked by
the contents Of your letter, which have Just
received. II is SO strange that mother did not
say any thing in her last letter about this
trouble having come upon father. suppose
she thought it would worry me. and indeed It
does for insanity is q terrible thing. Poor
fathers mind must be considerably affected. il
he has had the house torn down, and Wa0ts To
give up the land he worked hard to get.
Tell mother thnt know about il, and. II she
should need me 1T any time. 10 send telc-
gram, and will hold myself In readiness 10
start Immediately. think shall come. ;Aly
way, before long, for want to see how you are
situated.
always though. Aunt Kate perfect lady,
and can not imagine how she could so far for
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. II I were IN your place
wouldn't say a word about those animals
father promised to give you and perhaps he
will forget about them. II would be much
better X he would. for l ON sure h. can not
afford to get them IL he has ccdea his land
away.
So Maria is dead Well. am sorry: she was
very faithful servant. And YOU ought 10 be
ashamed OF yourself, Johnnie. for thinking il
fun TO see her die. 1 wouldn't have believed
my little brother could he 50 heartless.
don't understand the last sentence OF your
letter. never heard before OF cooking a
stake. and do not see how any thing dgesti
BILE could be prepared from one.
hope your throat Is well by this time.
Your loving brother. Harry.
well, what does Harry have to
sayy' asked Mr.. Curtis, after Johnnie
had read the letter through.
why, l don't know. / can't see
what he means ut all" said Johnnie,
with bewildered look, giving the let
ter to his father.
Mr.. Curtis read it, then looked up
with frown and asked:
What nonsense have been writing
to your brother?'
Johnnie disclaimed having written
any nonsense. and brought his slate
with the first draft of his letter still
upon it for proof.
After comparison Of the two letters
Mr.. Curtis began to laugh, and John
ME, somewha nettled, said he wouldn't
write any more letters ii every body
was going to make fun Of them. Then
his father showed him that he had
written raxed instead of rdisoa, and
thcy looked for both words in the die
tionary.s
So johnnie learned that ydze means
to destroy. and raise to lift up. He
found, too. with his fathers help, that
he had used ceding for seeding, roes for
rons, died for dyed, rap for Urap, and
stake for steak, 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 very attentive TO
his spelling lessons, for he saw that
mistakes in spelling might sometimes
make a great deal Of trouble.-N. Y.
Advocate.