The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1891-08-16

NY Tough the boys at the mine called him,
He hain't got quite the same size but he
favors him about hair and eyes and / dom,
guess there's much difference in their age
If anything Johnny'sA leetle the youngest
an he's the smartest boy of his ago l ever
see, nm everybody else who's seen him says
the same thing"
"Tell me about him." ! said, for l was
already interested.
%Johnny'a father needed no encourage
ment. He smiled, took a fresh chew Of to-
baoco and settled back in his seat.
"Well, he's our only boy. though We have
three girls, the Oldest Of 'em now comm on
thirteen years. But when the boy come it
seemed like my wife Thought more OF him
than all the rest of 'em. and we did every
thing to raise him in the right way. While
l amt the man l might ha' been. I am
a good deal better han l was before the boy
was born. for l kind O. thought like l ought
to set an example for the boy. But it's
mighty hard sometimes for n man to change
his habits. ! sometimes feared we might
spoil the boy, for he was a great pet. The
boys round the mine and some o. the
ranchers near by used to come to our house,
some on 'em every day. an bring little toys
and give 'em to him and play with him. 1
never see a child learn to talk like Johnny.
Seems like it wasn't no time after he begun
to creep before he talked mighty near
as plain, pardner, as you and me can
talk now. Well, thas ade his mother
mighty proud. only the fit st talk he made
was to swear,an' We couldn't account for it,
an we couldn't stop it neither. Inever knew
where he learned it, for l asked the boys.
tkreatenin' to make trouble for 'em if I
found that they wus learnin' it to him, but
they lowed, every one on 'em, that they
wus alwus particlar not to swear when
Johnny was round. An I guess they wus
right, for they're a good squar' lot of fell
lers, though Ellen never would believe
that them boys didn't put him on to the
swearin' racket. But as Pm sayin' we
couldn't stop him. Seems like he used to
lie awake nights fixin' up new swear words.
We tried everything, IN once his mother
washed out his mouth with soap
and water, but he wouldn't stop
it. ] tried to whip him once, but I didn't
have the heart, for you onderstan' in every
other way there wasn't no nicer
boy ever was born, an his
mother, she talked to him. I recollec', one
time she threw her voice down in her shoes
an says to him: John. amt you afeard
the Lord will come down and tear out yer
tongue right by the roots?' Well, l had to
turn my head to keep from laughln' when
that boy picked up a rock an says to her:
NC. ma, I amt. an if he knows what's
good for him he won't GOMEZ You
see he did'n know nc better. Well. we
pretty nigh give him up, an I said to Ellen
that I reckon it wasn't much use talkin'
any more till he got older, an she 'peared
to think about the same. Along about this
time, which was in the fall of the year,
our little school house had just
it come our turn to board the new
school teacher. She was a young girl, not
IS. or such a matter. but smart an
pretty rs q picture. The whole outfit liked
her, an she an little Johnny fell in love
with each right from the turn loose. The
first day she heard Johnny swear an she
says to my wife, Ill cure him o. that I
for l thought if Ellen an l
couldn't stop him nobody could. Well,
l never knew yet how that reform
sook place. I us't to hear her talkin' to
Johnny kind O quiet like, tellin' him the
story about the little boy in the manger,
80 on, an then the tears would come to
MS eyes. | noticed that he begun to stop
and when he did swear he would
ook down on the ground and say I forgot
m walk away. One night as I was comm
from the shift l see a row between
Boys at Hosner's house near our place.
I come up l see Johnny on top of
Willie Hosner who was nigh twice as
zig. There he was 'poundin' his face with
both hands an his eyes shootin' fire, while
he other boys were standin' round lookin'
IN. I snatched him up an he so mad he
see straight. why, what's the
natter, John?' I said.
II caught this boy swearin' an I licked
for it, says Johnny, an by the George
Henry l couldn't say a word.' concluded
NY friend as the dinner station came in