The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1900-04-29
HAD BEEN THERE.
Johnnie's Father Thinks Deeply of
Childhood's Days.
washington Star.)

washington
The boy came in at about o'clock,
after playing on the vacant lot with the
other neighboring boys, and he didn't
waste much time in climbing up to his
room and turning into bed. His mother
was at his bedside ten minutes later.
to kiss him good night. The boy drew
an in-breath when she kissed him-for
boys, it is as well to confess, regard
their mothers as pretty easy marks IN
some respects. This boys mother,
wasn't exactly so easy as he thought.
She looked at him reprOachfully.
Johnnie" she said, you've been
smoking"
Johnnie didn't say anything. He ap
peared to be pretty sleepy. anyhow, and
he turned his face toward the wall, as
much as to say that he's be highly
pleased and gratified if his mother
would permit him 10 rest.
DO you hear me, Johnnie? You have
been smoking, you naughty boy.
! If Johnnie had any remarks to make
he didn't deliver himself of them He
| looked sleeper than ever, with his eyes
| tightly closed.
And cigarettes, too. Aren't you
ashamed of YOURSELF"
| If the boy was ashamed he had a
mighty strong method of holding down
any visible manifestation of penitence-
"Supposing tell your father?"
Johnnie tossed bit uneasily, but he
didn't open his eyes, nor did he make
any reply.
He'd punish. you severely if he knew
you'd been smoking, Johnnie"
Johnnie didn't deny it.
Don't you know that smoking will
stunt your growth, and make you a
| little. sshriveled-up old man, and drive
you TO the insane asylum"
Johnnie tossed some more. He look
ed as if he'd be powerful glad to be
left alone. -
Answer me this minute, Johnniel''
NAV, I'm sleepy replied Johnnie,
and he turned his head toward the wall
again, as if he considered it all off.
His mother went down stairs.
Richard" she said to the boys ia
Their, Il don't want you to punish john
ME, for / think it's the first time, but 1
want you to talk to him. Richard, john
MES been srnOkingi"
THAT SOP inquired the boys father,
dropping his paper, but not looking par
ticularly alarmed.
''You certainly take it coolly!" she
said. miffed. Aren't you shocked to
hear it? A young boy like johnnie
should think you'd see how horrible it
isl"
Johnnie's father rubbed his chin con-
templatively.
well, it won't do him any good, OF
course. he said, weakly.
do him any good" exclaimed his
wife. "Why, it will-Richard, why don't
you go up and talk to him? Don't
punish him, but just tell him what a
wicked thing it is for a boy TO smoke
and how it'll destroy him. l hate to
acknowledge it, but I really believe
Johnnie pays more attention to what
you say than to what say"
The boys father rose from his sitting
chair. stretched. and walked upstairs
to Johnnie's room. Johnnie looked tC
be pretty sound asleep-a picture OF the
innocence of childhood.
Son. said the father.
The boy opened his eyes.
Son" said his father, your mother
tells me you've been smoking. How
:: about it?'
Smoked a cigarette on the lot. sir,
!, said the boy, apparently perceiv1ng thai
l it was up to him to be ION the level.
Did, hey?" said his father, rubbing
, his chin again. "Was that the frs
: one?'
mo. SIR said the boy.
{ How long you been smoking EN-"
asked his father.
Bout a year SIR said the boy.
The dickens you haYei" said hi:
father Look here, son, don't yot
know it makes your mother feel bad Il
5 have you smoker
The boy didn't have any reply ready
! You don't want to do anything Il
> make your mother feel bad, Jack, ol
you'll feel sore about it some day." saiC
Johnnies father.
Then he fell into line of thought.
Il ought 10 tell this boy all about tht
evil of smoking. and stultify myself
and all that. but
> The picture came into his mind of tn
broad, yellow western river on tn
banks of which as a boy just about hi
sons age, he had picked up pieces o
porous dried driftwood and smoked
them with the other boys. After That
very soon after-the cigarettes mad
:; of corn silk. Drowned by the sun, am
with any Old kind of paper linen no
long after the Saturdays out IN tn
woods and the half dozen genuine Gig
S arettes smoked one after the otner, an.
his furtive lodging OF his mother unit
9 after he thought the aroma hao ufe'
: out of his breath. Then the day. annie
the murmuring reeds of the river, whel
: he had tackled his first cigar, ana ma,
been thrown thereby-theSe pictures a.
d came into the mans mind, and ne
Johnnie had apparently fallen aslee
e again.
o I'm not going to mix up in this a
all, said the boys father to himself
: as he went slowly down stairs
: not going TO make hypocrlte Oh Ely
self. "A bow that's begun TO smoke
;. going on smoking, anyhow. He can
I be stopped. If his mother can .Sto
: him. though, all right. But pass
We'll, did you warn him., asked IN
boys mother, wiio had been listening
e the bottom Of the stairs all the llnle.
"Oh, yes,'' said the boys Iather-
a guess you won't smell cigarettes Oh MI
II for some time TO come
mot If Jack gets real crafty Will sn
II smell them on him." said he to himself
! Sick Headaches,
the curse of overworked womankinc
e 80. ,,,,iclrlv a,d surely cured by Kari