Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1896-10-15
OLD GOODBYE

Benny had lived in the country long,
and everything he saw was new and in
tercsting to him.
He liked the old black crows in the
trees behind the house particularly. He
said he was just as sure they talked to
him as he could be, and that il he only
knew crow language he could talk to
them. His mother answered that that
was quite likely, for some very learned
people believed that every animal had a
language, and one gentleman had been
talking to monkeys.
Well, then Benny said he should 60 on
trying to talk to the crows; and one morn
ing he came down to breakfast, and told
the family that a crow had come out Of
the tree and perched on his window-sll
and said, "How are your" and that he
had said, Every well. thank you, Mr..
Crow" and the crow had laughed and
said, ''Good-by and flown away.
Benny's mother told him that she
thought he must have dreamed that but
Benny could not be convinced and few
weeks later, when Benny was quite i'll
with fever, and she was nursing him, she
was astonished by seeing one of the crows
ON the window-sill
There :" Benny said. There he is! "
Then the black bird came in and hoped
over the bureau to the head. board, and
said: "How are you:"
I'm veiy sick, Mr.. Crow" said Benny.
Then the bird cried out: ''Oh! Oh!
Goodbye
II never could have believed that il l
had not seen and heard it myself" said
Benny's mother.
And the little walters irl-who had
brought up bowl of Cruel for Benny
was so frightened that she spilled half OF
it on the table and ran out of the room,
crying that she was sure Master Benny
was going to die, for bird had come in
at his bedroom window and bid him
good-bye.j
course of the morning very nice old
lady called on Benny's mother, and told
her that she wanted to explain that the
bird who had come in ut her little boys
window was not u crow at all. 1t was
only as black as one; it was q raven.
She had had 1t u great many years, and
1t often went to visit the neighbors. 1t
always said: "How are you!" when it
walked in, and Goodbye" when it
went away, and often made other speeches.
His name was "Old Good bye" Then
she talked about Benny and gave his
mother some medicine that helped him
ut once, and after that they were all great
friends, and often called on each other.
"Old Good bye" dropped in very often,
and amused the children whenever he
came. lie was q great thief, and picked
sugar out of the bowl and raisins out of
the stone jar where the cook kept thsm,
and would have done considerable mis-
chief If he had not been watched. Some
times it is necessary TO watch children as
well as animals. A cat will steal milk
and fish, and there are little boys and
girls who will nip corners off of newly
baked cakes, and make the edges of pies
look as If mice had been at them, and
even meddle with preserves and pickles.
None of Benn,'s sisters would have done
these things, but am sorry to say that
Benny would. People do not like to say
that their own children will steal; but
Benny's mother admitted that her boy
would ''snoop." She tried to cure him
of it in vain. Benny was so fond of
sweet things that they were terrible
temptation to him.
On Saturday evening, when his father
came from the city, he always brought a
considerable amount Of candy, and on
Sunday afternoon he used to get it out OF
the drawer and hand 1t about
But one Sunday morning, as Benny
came downstairs, he saw his fathers
travelling bag standing on chair, and
peeping in, saw that for once the candies
had been left there. The top of one paper
was loose, and In went his fingers and
transferred a dozen chocolate drops to
his pocket. Then he ran on downstairs.
The family we're at breakfast, and Benny
ate his with guilty feeling. When he
had finished, he sat down very quietly on
. stool. and thought how wicked he was,
and made up HE mind to put the chocolate
back whore he found It, md get Il Of Of
his conscience In fact, be was about "a