Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1891-07-17
HOW JoHNNYwAs CURED.
Falling Out With HIS own Voice He Gets
a Severe but Wholesome Lesson.
pv n1ix.a

By Cousin Olive.
One bright morning in June. Johnny
Styles was driving the cows down to pas
ture, mounted on the old gray mare, Dolly.
The sun was Just peeping over the hill,
scattering the dewdrops and making the
green hedges sparkle as if loaded with
! diamonds. The birds were singing in
chorus, the air was full of such sweet
sights and sounds that Johnny ill-humor
at having to get up SO early began to melt
away. He cracked his whip at the cows
and yelled loudly at them:
Get up, there; go long," ETC., when
suddenly lie was attracted by the sound of
boys voice moeking him from the dis
lance.
AT first Johnny thought be must be mis-
taken, but when he called:
Dry up, you old hunks and when the
voice repeated his words his wrat. knew
no bounds
Now this little boy of ours was pos
sessed OF dreadful temper and his bel
| hgerent qualities were the source or much
trouble at school. He was good boy as
! long as his good humor lasted, but when
angry he would fight the largest boy in
school, even though he knew ne would get
the worst OF it. His mamma was in
despair over his besetting sin, and was
very anxious to have him cured.
But this morning the spirit of ill-nature
| possessed him, and, feeling himself in
Jured by some boy hooking him, probably
| that Ned Sanders who claimed Johnny's
slate yesterday, but failed to prove ais
! ownership, all things were favorble for
an exhibition of his fighting propensities.
Il dare You to show yourself" he
| shouted
81 dare you to show yourself, answer
ed the voice.
Just at that moment d good-looking
boy, some larger than Johnny, emerged
! from the woods and came forward, whistl-
ing merry tune. He seemed on the point
| OF saying Good morning" when Johnny
| Ieaped from the mares back and lit asst
ride on the strangers neck. Without
ceremony he began cutting his ears right
and left, saying wrathfully:
Il Il teach you to mock me-.
About the third round the other lad be-
| gan to recover his senses, and to take in
the situation. Instantly whirling himself
about with the agility of circus actor he
landed Johnny ON the ground, and jumped
on top of him.
Being the larger of the two, he saw that
he could easily conquer the little rebel, SO
he arose, turned him over on his face on
the grass, and while the defeated warrior
kicked vigorously, administered sound
spanking.
Are you ready to behave yourself?" he
| asked after few moments silence.
| Johnny was completely ashamed and
subdued. The spanking had done him
! good, but he was still smarting under the
| insult of the mockery.
What made you call nae old hunks ?''
| he blastered out
answer. Don't you know the echo of
| supposed you had sense enough to under
stand the meaning of an echo Where
| have you been raised that YOU don't know
bean s when the bags open?'
By this time our little boy was on his
feet, while old Dolly was indiffereptly
grazing near by, and the cows were slowly
filing into the pasture.
Say, bub," he asked, whats yom
name, anyhow"
Il shan't tell you until you ask my
pardon, and promise to act like gen
tleman in the future"
Johnny was considerably crestfallen
He had never thought of the matter in
that light before. But there certainly
was no reason why he should not be a
gentleman as well as any one else, and his
embarrassment grew as he remembered his
stupid conduct
ooh, hang it." he said, I'm sorry.
Can't Teller make a mistake once in a
while without getting into a fuss?"
cit seems that you can't laughed the
! other but he held out his hand and shook
! Johnnys heartily.
From the moment they were friends
and the intimacy so strangely begun
proved a source or much good to the
younger lad Stuart Guthrie was the
name Of the older boy, and he was visit
ing his relatives the Guthries in Johnny S
neighborhood. As he had only arrived the
| day before he had made no equaintances
as yet, and this was his first meeting with
any boy. As he had come to spend the
summer in the country he soon became
very popular among the young people,
and he soon convince Johnny Styles that
there was nothing noble about losing his
/ temper aud fighting over little things.
Mrs. Styles was greatly rejoiced over
the friendship between the two boys, and
when Stuart finally took his leave for his
own home in the West, it was with a
promise from her that Johnny should
make him visit in the future.
do not think there has been another
fight in the neighoorhood since the time
when this little boy fell out with his own
voice and received such an effective lesson
| III return.