The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1890-09-09


even small boys were obliged to work hard.
| There were no bicycles, no base ball clubs,
nor even Fourth Of July, for America was
still under the thumb of old King George of
England So a muster was a great event
TO the young people, and by attending these
mussers and taking part in them, they were
| nttlng themselves for soldiers.
| Johnnle's mother was a poor widow, who
spun and wove for her richer neighbors,
thus supporting her three little children.
She bad been unusually busy that fall, and
| could not finish the homespun breeches
which Johnnie was to wear TO muster.
80 this morning she had told Johnnie
that he would have to stay at home, for his
| old breeches were past mending, even by
her skillful needle.
Its of no use, Johnnie" said Mrs. HILL
| sadly, Il cannot make them decent for you
to wear, so you will have to stay at home.
| Try TO be man, dear Everybody meets
with disappointments in this world, and l
| hope my little son will learn to bear them
patiently"
Poor Johnnie's heart had been too full for
utterance, so he had rushed out of doors
and into the woods to battle with and to
conquer himself. He was not given to de-
spondency. nor would he give up thing on
which his heart was set without severe
struggle 70 gain 1t; so ere long his sobs
ceased and he rose to his feet.
Il won't stay at home if l can help it." he
determined; 'there must be a way, for l
certainly have will Then he began to
lay all sorts of unfeasIble plans. but to no
| purpose well, crying won't mend the
matter" thought the young philosopher,
$50 might as well go back to my work"
de was soon hard at work, chopping fire.
wood at the door and whistling so merrily
that his mother heaved sigh of relief at
| the sound
Presently Mrs. Hill came, to the door and
called, Johnnie, get me pail of water for
| dinner"
Johnnie took the pail and started for the
| spring. Halfway there he paused abruptly
and stood for a moment in deep thought.
then cried aloud: Il can, | know can,
and l will" With these words, and
whoop worthy wild Indian. he bounded
| on his errand.
You would never have dreamed when
Johnnie sat down to dinner that he was the
| boy who mad wept so bitterly in the morn
| ing, for all traces of his sorrow were gone
and he ate his cornmeal hammock and roasted
potatoes with relish.
| At dinner he asked suddenly: Mother,
could go to muster if | had some
| breeches."
why Of course" replied Mrs. Hill
Your hat and jacket are well enough, but
| you wouldn't go in those breeches, would
your
Johnnie shook his head mo, mother"
he responded. 81 should be ashamed to go
ragged Fee -. 49, ...., ...,,,. ,...n
mother with loving look.
In the afternoon Johnnie went into the
west" room, took something smelling of
| roses and sweet clover from the high chest
| of drawers, and concealing it under his
| jacket, stole out Of doors He ran down the
patch into the woods, and taking the bundle
| from under his jacket, sat down and began
1 fT Sou oh FNY1Ia nf tcndf <f b,h t4gi
ness, and the needle pricked his fingers,
but on this piece of work depended his
trip the next day. He was determined to
succeed, so he kept on steadily for long
time.
When he had flushed, he viewed his work
with no small satisfaction before again
| placing it under his jacket. johnnie now
re-entered the house and ran up the ladder
to the loft, where he slept. His little SIS
| ters, Patty and Kitty, we're playing behind
the house,and his mother was spinning with
her back to him, SO Johnnie and his bundle
were unobserved
Presently he came down. and, going up
to his mothers wheel, asked eagerly:
Mother. can't l have a whole day to-
morrow to go somewherel Do say yes,
| motherl"
Mrs. Hill looked down into the boys earn
est face, so like that of his dead father, and.
remembering his disappointment. said,
| YES Johnnie.n
| Aud may take something to eat and
stay till darkw
Mrs. Hill hesitated. but johnnie was a
| trustworthy child, and there seemed little
danger ia letting him have his way Prob
ably he merely wanted to fish in the brook
| near by and surprise her with his fish, as
he often did, or he wished to work on the
toy fort he was building, unmolested by
| Kitty and Patty, so she gave her consent
"Et me do, too, Donny," cried little Kitty
| from the back door, where she had been
| listening.
mot this time" replied her brother.
| Bring me some gum, won't youY" asked
Patty But Johnny only laughed and shook
| his head
Mrs. Hill was very glad that Johnnie had
| got over his disappointment SO easily. Early
IN the morning she put him up q generous
lunch of rye pancakes and homemade
cheeee and kissing him good-by, bade him
| be home at dark
Johnnie ran swiftly into the woods, and
when out of sight of the two pairs of in
| quisiuive eyes which he knew were watching
him from the window, he knelt and drew
from beneath juniper bush the precious
bundle he had hidden there before the others
| woke that morning
Opening it, he took out his Sunday Jacket
and hat, also the breeches he had fashioned
the day before, aud hastily put. them on,
| conceaIinS DIS everyday clothes IN their
place This done, he set out through tie
woods, in the direction of the village
Johnnies brisk walk soon brought him to
his destination. and his heart beat rapidly
as he heard the roll of the big drum and
the shrill scream of the fife. Trembling
with excitement, he took his place among
the crowd of spectators, and gazed in
speeches. admiration at the long line of
men with their shining bayonets.
1t would take many pages to tell the
wonders of that eventful day. Johnnie
gazed with delight on the gay troops aud
their proud horses, and his little heart
swelled as he watched the different COM
panies march and charge in the mi tic com,
bat, and as he listened to the stirring music
he longed to be a real soldier and carry a
shining musket
But the browning event OF the day was
when the great general whom Johnnie had
watched with awe all day actually patted
cur little hero on the head and asked kindly,
yet with queer twinkle in his eye, "Who
made your ureeches my little mana"
job ME doffed his hat and replied proudly,
II made them myself, sir, all alone, cause
hadn't any to wear to muster"
THAT is a brave lad said the general,
laughing.