Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1889-12-05
BOSTON MOTHER LOVE.
1t Induces an Unsparing Use Of the Sli
per, But All In Vain.

1t Induces an Unsparing Use Of the Slip
per, But All In Vain.
What is holier than a mothers love?
Who can compare with a mother in
tenderness, thoughtfulness, care, pa
thence? Her love is utterly unselfsh,
her devotion is boundless, her self-for-
getfulness past all praise. Her watch
fulness-
But thereby hangs tale.
1t was of a SATURDAY. evening. and
Johnny was undergoing his weekly
wash. Cleanliness, by the way, is next
to godliness, and as godliness is gen.
orally assigned for Sunday, it will be
seen that it was peculiarly appropriate
that Johnny should receive his cleaning
on Saturday. But to resume: Johnny
was having the accumulations of the
week scrubbed from his cuticle.
''What's that?" exclaimed Johnny's
mother, as her eye suddenly fell upon
certain blue hieroglyphics which ap-
peared upon the arm of her offspring.
Now be it known that these hero
glyphics were in India-ink, which John
ny had day or two before pricked into
his skin, and of which up to this mo-
ment he had been excessively proud.
He had, however, looked forward to his
hebdomadal ablution with fear and
trembling, and now that the hour of
trial had come he would have given
something if those blue marks could be-
come temporarily invisible.
whats that?" cried Johnny's mother
But Johnny said never word. He mere
ly breathed hard and awaited develop
ments. The developments came only
too rapidly.
Johnny's mother laid on the soap with
lavish hand; she applied sand, too,
without stint, and she scrubbed with all
her strength. But the harder she
scrubbed the more plainly did the'marks
stand out upon the now whitened sur
roundings.
The truth dawns upon Johnny's moth
er at last. ''It's India-ink!'' Then
came pointed questions, trembling
confession and chidings earnest and
somewhat heated.
What is more holy than mothers
love?
Johnny wishes that he and India-ink
had never been brought into acquaint-
anceship.
Presently the hand of Johnny's mother
is laid upon Johnny's shoulder, firmly,
very firmly, and in another moment
Johnny's body was describing parabo-
la over his mothers knee and Johnny
was being industriously famed with the
maternal slipper.
There was something actually pa
thetic in the industry which Johnny's
mother lavisheds on her erring child.
There was nothing grudging in her ap-
plication. Regardless of personal
WEAKNESS, she laid on the blows with
tireless rapidity and force.
There is no limit to mothers love.
But all things must have an end.
Johnny's mother was finally compelled
to give over from sheer exhaustion, but
not until Johnny was more than con-
vinced of his mothers interest in his
welfare.
Then followed more chfdings, which,
by comparison with the slipper expert
ence. were not hard to bear.
The remainder Of the day Johnny was
in disgrace. He had hurt his dear
mother, and his dear mother had hurt
him. He recognized, of course, that his
mothers attentions were all for his good,
or so intended, and felt thankful that it
was over.
When Johnny retired that night he
looked at his arm, which had been the
cause of all his woe, and he smiled
self-satisfied smile when he saw that
the hieroglyphics remained intact, not a
line erased, not spot obliterated.
And as Johnny crawled into bed he
hugged his tattoed arm affectionately,
and as he thought that he now had
something which chidings could not
efface nor slippers destroy, he. breathed
prayer of thankfulness, and murmured
to himself: cit is worth a good licking
any time to have such an arm as that"
And Johnny sank to rest while reflect
ing that with that India-ink in his arm
nobody could henceforth doubt that he
was one of the boys.-Boston Tran
script.