New-York tribune., 1890-08-29
THE Wrong WAY TO TEST 4 BOY.

i
TIE lesson taught by Jonathan II. Groves. Of
Ilsboro. H.. comes in good time. 1t is the
leight of the watermelon season, and the country
was never perhaps. more generally infested by
small BOYS thln IL is now. All kinds Of plans
will bc rcsutird TO protect the watermelon
patches ranging from bear traps 10 moral Slason,
and from dccoy melon loaded with dynamite
10 "A vain attempt 10 sat'atc the enemy by giving
him free melons during the day But there IS
danger in some methods carried ont in certain
wavs Jonathan H. Groves tried one Of the
dangerous plans We should scarcely need 10
r,citr the story Of Mr.. Groycs's unfortunate eY-
pcricncc were it not for the fact that a grossly
careless, local correspondent omitted some Of the
important details IN the mcagrc account sent out.
Mr.. Groyes's watermelon patch has long been
his pride II is situated behind The horse barn
by the side of the hvc-acrc field and just up from
the back wood lot The soil is sandy and warm
and no melons grown in Illinois surpass Mr.
Groves in point of either size or flavor.
After Mr. Groves has had four tumbers of
cider and smol.cd two pipes he is wont 10 wink
al the company and explain how the watermelon
vines in that patch grow 50 fast some years that
they wear The melons all ont dragging them across
the ground: hut as the effect of the cider and
tobacco gradually wear of he never fails 10 cX
plain that this is Joke. Last season the boys
got mos, of the melons from this patch. bat this
scas0n Mr. Groves determined 10 defend it at
any cost. Monday evening after supper, and
after the cows had been milkcd. and the water
pumped In the upper pasture, and the horses fcd
aud bcddcd, and the hcn-houSc shut, and the pigs
and calves looked after. and the wood-boX filed.
and the front bars put up, and the ratt7ap set
in tie cellar and various other little matters ar
ranged, Mr. Groves called his boy Ike. twelve
oh nd IN Leon liS
honored father Then he took down the old
doubc-barmled shotgun and loaded it never
gun was loaded before. First he put two table
spoonfulS of powder in each barrel and then half
Of a lilsboro Mirror and Banner" Then he
poured in a few handiuls of bucksh0t, muSkct-
balls and irrrcuar chunks of lead, and finished
with few shinglc nails for good measure,
curing all in place with the rest Of the Mirror
and Banner Then he adjusted waterproof caps
and hapdcd the gun 10 Ike and told him TO get
behind the big burdock in the corner Of the
melon patch and shoot anybody he saw trying 70
steal melons. Ike said that lie would and took
the gun and started for the melon patch whistling
81 Want to he an Angel Mr.. Groves went to
bed.
But the owner of the best melon patch in
Illinois could not sleep. lie doubted il Ike was
game " He's blame heavy on the whistle, but
he can't shoot lie remarked TO Mrs. Groves
few minutes after he got up and said that he was
going to test Ike. Don't make IA tarnal fool of
YOURSELF remarked Mrs. Groves with pleasing
wifcly candor. You shut up" returned Mr.
Groves gently. That n;r boy takes after you,
aud he's a coward Mrs Groves said no more
She recognized that it was one of those rare
occasions when she could gracefully keep still
Mr.. Groves went out into the darkness. Five
minutes later he was in tie middle of his water
melon patch. lie took ont his jackknifc and
stopped over the largest melon I'm the patch
There was an explosion which ratified the barbed-
shcep-housc. Ike had given his able father
both barrels In the legs. Mrs. Groves rushed out
and dragged ler intelligent husband TO the house
by the collar. Ike loaded MP again. little
heavier than before because he saw that there
was going TO he good shooting before morning
In ten minutes his mother came out and i'm
plored him to come into the house lie threw
his gun over his left arm, drew bead" on the
old lady and replied "You can't come that
game on me-you amt my mother. Skip or I'll
give you the right Mrs Groves returned to
the house Sunrise found the doctor picking
shot out of the clever Mr.. Groves's legs. while
Ike still stood behind his burdock, softly whstling
the doXology and peering around for game.
Mr.. Groves made a mistake and he sees il
himself now. As he lies in bed waiting for his
legs to get well he remarks a dozen times n
day to his wife that what he should have done
10 send the hired man ont To fest tho bov