The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1901-02-26
Children'S Column.
PAS LESSON IN GEOGRAPHY.

S ~ AOOs OO dlI6T
he got his sigar lit and we were all
Sittin' out on the portch and the
pupp had Captun Drinkers wife's
cat up a tree 1 says:
"Paw."
"'What?' he asst.
"Do you know what's the LARGEST
lake in the United States?" I told
him.
"'Of coarse he ansered. Lake
Soup peerioor.'
"That's WHARF you're rong, paw"
I says.
"Paw tookhis sigar out from be,
tween his teeth and made some rings
of smoke. Then he says:
"'GeOrge, I've been Twin in this
country Several years longer than
You, and 1 haven't been keepin' my
eyes shut nor my Fears plugged,
neither. Lake Soup peerioor is the
biggest lake in the United States,
and it makes me sad to see you sit
ting there Grinning like a poleasmun
that got cot asleep on His beat becoz
you think you no more Than your
fawther.'
We'll, Just the same I told him,
Lake Michigan's the biggest one in
the United States. I learned that
when the teacher gave US Our jog
gerry lessons today
""There's where I say Chicago
people make a mistake paw says.
It's all rite to Stick up for your
town when you can do it sensible,
But they amt emmy use tryin' not to
nOtus Facts when they don't make
you feel proud. You mite as we'll
try to keep a baby with a Pin jabbin'
it in the side from squallin' by tellin'
it some of it's ancestors were Offusers
in the ACCOMPLISHMENTS War as to think
you can aver twist a Fact so it won't
fly rite back in shape the minute you
let Go So I say it's rong for Chicago
people to try to make out that Lake
Michigan's the biggest just becoz
they can see it from the back end of
Their flats
"'Well,' 1 told him, it's so, emmy
way. They ain'tanuther lake in the
United States as big as Lake Michi
gan, COZ our teacher told us about it.
George paw says, looking like
if his hart was tutched, I've tried
all my life to Be a good, reasonable
pairunt to you, so when you Grew
up to be a man and come some time
to where the Grass was green and
the Leaves russeled softly abuv the
mound, and all was still and peace
full, you would look down with luv
in your brest and think of the Dear
old days when you could hear the
glad, Onnust ring Of my voice around
the House bless me if I'm a-gOin
to Be contradicted by my own chill
dren rite to my face when | no I'm
rite. Here / go working away and
saving my mummy TO give you Il
Home and send you to school, and
then you Come back at mite and Tell
me I don't no as mitch as some
teacher that hast to keep at it Hole
munth to ern what | make in Ii
Week. 1t would of have been II sad
dav for me if I would of Ever talked
to my fawther that Way, and l amt
going to put up with Emmy
of it
"'But, paw NAV says, don't be
too impaishunt with h Poor boy.
You wOuIdn t want him to think
sumthing rong was rite becOz yOn
happened to Get mistakened about
it, would you? MebbY he mite be
correct about it, after all
"'That's it! paw told her. Go
On incurridging him to Think his
Fawther duZZent no a map from IA
sheet of Sticky fly paper. OF cOrse,
[ couldn't hardly expect you TO
Think l mite no as mulch about
some things as Il Leven-Eear-Old boy,
but I'm N t Going to let emmy of the
rest of the Family tell me so rite
out in plain words. And how d
YOU sit There, NAV, and say the boy
mite be rite about this Thing? How
could he be rite? They are no
unite" about it
EEThen he had to lite his slgar
again, and I whispered in maw's ear
when he didn't see me, and she saws:
"'Well, 1 kind of think he is rite,
ennyway. l tell you what, if you re
rong Won don't get a new fall over
c te and I'll have my seAlskln made
over
"'Oh, shaw, paw ansered, whats
the use trying to Enliten people that
won't lissen to reason? That one
thing I like about me. Whenever
I'm not sure of ennything I'm will
ing to Lern insted of sticking to