The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1906-12-18
A'''flhna'-

you ought to have got inside.
Johnny. n you wanted TO hide from
me-" he said. Whats the matter'
Did you think I wanted 10 borrow
from your"
mo. sir" replied the little boy,
hanging his head.
Did ever tell you long stories ex'
oept at your earnest and insistent so
lioitatlon7"
mo. sir"
"Then why avoid me-" asked the
old gentleman. reproaohfully, II
didn't think Il OF you. Johnny, never
thought you would run and hide from
your fond old grandfather unless you
had been doing something that you
ought not to do and were ashamed 90
look me In the face Il couldn't DO
! that. could ~"
NO. SIR answered the little boy,
You're too well behaved for that.
aren't you? n YOU ever feel tempted
10 do wrong YOU would say TO your.
self. oh. no. | mustn't do that. Ms |
shall be unable 20 look my kind
grandpapa In the face without the
blush Of shame mantling my cheek.
wouldn't you?"
Yes. sir"
u think I hear you saying a." said
tho nice old gentleman. whats all
this on your coatg'
Il got In the mud" stammered the
little boy
Il inferred as much. reasoned that
either you got In the mud or the mud
got on YOU. What did you get In the
mud for Been reading n health mag
azIne article? Well. well' A nice
pickle you're In. What made your lip
swell eh7 Mosquito bit Il? Mo-
Well. thought II was little late In
the season for mosquitoes Maybe II
was humble bee. know when !
was little boy and got stung by a
humble bee I'D put mud on the swell
ing expect that was what you were
doing and made a mistake and daubed
up the back Of your coat instead OF
your llp People make funny mis-.
takes somctlmos-cvcn grown people
Stlll / don't quite understand. John.
ny. why you tried 10 hide from me"
1T wasn't a humble bee" yolun.
tcored the little boy.
IT wa ut3 Bless mo- Well n n
wasn't humble bee and you weren't
chopping kndling and YOU didn't fall
down and stop on your lip or run into
q lamp post or the edge Of a door or
go 10 a baseball game and stop hot
ny. can't imagine how YOU did H.
IN? what's that you sa.d9'
"Nothin" replied the little boy
Perhaps that would be- your wisest
course under certain circumstances.
remarked the old gentleman. N YOU
were grown mp and had nice flowing
whlskers and a trunk railway hanging
out OF your vest pocket and a news
paper reporter asked you how YOU
got II wouldn't blame you for saying
nothing or course YOU might have
offended another little boy and he
might have hit YOU in the mouth and
rolled You IN the mud. You did fight
with another little boy once. II you'll
remember but then You promised
your mother that you wouldn't do IL
again OF course II YOU just let him
hit you and roll you in the mud 1t
wasn't. strictly speaking. fighting"
You bet didn't" said the little
boy. You ought 10 see him"
The nice old gentleman made a pc
cullar noise ending in a clearing OF
the throat. Then you broke your
promise" he said. That's very sad.
Johnny. supposed that you would
go through life meek and unresisting
after making that promise. Your dear
mother viii be grieved. / shouldn't
wonder II you got what"
Il couldn't help it." protested the
little boy. with just a suspicion of
whlmper He called me names and
pushed me n then just pushed him
a little an"
And you didn't think about your
promise, eh?"
Il thought about it at first"
I'm tell you one thing. Johnny,
said the nice old gentleman. Il never
break a promise, never You never
should, either You want to be care
full how you make EN-. ] always say,
IN do thus and so, If don't change
my mind. or ! won't DO this or that
unless / feel different about it later
on That's the best way to make
promises. You remember that the
next time your mother wants you to
promise her anything Now, | think
if we go into this barber shop can
get the kind colored gentleman to
take most of that mud off and we can
wash your face and perhaps mother
won't notice it,
Il guess I'll tell her" said the little
boy. bravely. "I'll tell her that |
broke my promise an I'm sorry but
| won't do it again unless | change
my mind
johnny" said the old gentleman,
you're all right
IF | don't, Georges mother will
tell her, so it's all the same, said the
little boy.-Chicago Daily News.