The daily morning journal and courier., 1905-07-12
MIR. JOHNsoN's TURTLE.

MT. Johnson was much disconcerted at Clamport day or two ago. Return ing from foolish veranda-call, into
 into which he had been lured by Mrs. Johnson, he had gone over the cause way. Ascending the little knoll on which his cottage stood, he was startl- ed by a shriek from the victim of his mood and sorrows. Deep in sociological thought, he look wildly about. Was the cottage on fire? Had any one killed the six-toed eat? Had the neighbor pulled down the division fence? There on the pine-needle road was a large turtle. Was it turtle or a tortoise? What is the difference, or is there any difference? MT. Johnson regretted that he had paid so little attention to na- tual history. In this, as in other branches of science, he is pitiabiy de- ficient; for instance, he does not yet understand what makes a trolley car go; he knows that 1t goes, but he &C., cepts the motion is natural phenome- non, like heat, ice, 8 thunderstorm. He was concerned with the people if1 the car, not with the cat itself. This thing on the road was indeed foathsome object. It was in a rut and could make It's way only with the utmost difficulty. It's head was poking airnlessly about.
 MT. Johnson walked rapidly till to his near-sighted eyes the thing was only blur then he laughted sup erior laugh, and said in brave voice:
 Come along, Eustacia; it won't hurt
 you; it's good thing to have them on the place; they are scavengers." As soon as she joined him, she said: Don't you think you had better put lit In the creek?" "But 1t may be a land turtle,'' he answered: when I go to the city I'll find out where such
 turtles live"
 After supper Mfr. Johnson went to the post office, and as he left the house
 he hoped the thing was out of the road, among the beach plum bushes, or among the flags, or in the marsh
 grass, or cooling itself in the creek, wherever its home was. if such crea- lures have a home. Fortunately there
 was light enough to distinguish 1t, so that he would not step on 1t; he could hot bear the though of giving it pain and it might bite him. Was there any antiseptic in the house? There the
 thing was, but it was turned the other way. It had come to a ridge, and in its efforts to climb, it had paved out a hole in which 1t was apparently dHn 4a poking about, and MT. Johnson fanci- ed it wore look of distress. He sum- moned up his courage, took 8 stick and tried to help the beast by showing 1t.
 The turtle was not appreciative. It drew it's head back into the shell and made noises like an asthmatic. Mir. Johnson walked quickly away. As he neared his cottage after the usual dis appointment at the post office, the turtle filled his thoughts. There's the poor thing, far from home, trying to perform an almost impossible task. Perhaps I ought to take a. shovel and lift him into the grass, but I might cut off one of it's claws-are they claws or paws, or feet-and I don't know whether he ought to go into the grass or the water. If I put him into the creek, he may die. But if I leave him here, the carts will go over him. First, the milkman comes, his wheels might not crush him; then the ice cart-and that would surely finish him." Rather
 than see the sufferer Mir. Johnson made d masterly detour.
 The lamp was lighted and Mir. John- son took down book and was strange ly silent. What are you reading, Herkimer?" asked Mrs. Johnson. Phil Robinson's Some Country Sights and
 Sounds. "Is it entertaining ''M-m-
 m, yes." MT. Johnson went through the pages. MT. Robinson had written pleasantly about immoral scarecrows
 bears, ounces the rhinoceros, the great 1 auk's eggs, fare hens birds?" etc., but not q word about turtle, land or sea.
 Have we any other book on nature { Eustacia?" "No--Oh, yes, there's How
 to Know the Wild Flowers and you used to keep Phi1pots on Oysters in your study"
 Mir. Johnson had a restless nisht. Tossing about, he saw the turtle climb ing up half an inch and falling back two inches. He heard it's ghastly Ilwheeze. He arose before the arrival of the milkman, took a shovel, walked hrnva1y 1A1yt1 tha raad 1aranonaa ,x,sGt.