The Washington herald., 1911-06-11
1t Didn't Work
COPYRIGHT BY JAMES BLVgRsoE

on record, had it not been that my
- father believed in the proverb
A. which says Spare the rod and spoil
My father was a preacher and he indors-
ed that proverb as thoroughly as If il had
been in the New Testament. The result was
that 1 had to be good, in order to avoid a
close acquaintance with a cane which he kept
l remember that cane weH. 1t was of
bamboo, and had been given him by a man
who was a classmate of his in the theological
seminary at Princeton, and who had got 1t
IN India, where he was a missionary to the
heathens along the banks of the Ganges.
My father was a very sharp man. He was
up to all the tricks OF boys, having as he
told me when ! became older, a very clear
recollection of his own boyhood days; L re,
member one time when l tried to pull wool
l was fond of dancing. Ny father be-
ieved that it was wicked to dance, and so
didn't let me go to them. In defiance OF his
orders went one day, and, upon my return
he caught me and gave me dressing down
with that cane.
There was another dance the next week,
and | wanted to go very badly, but didn't
like to run the risk of getting another thrash
ing we'll
How to go to the dance and yet avoid the
cane, was a problem over which racked my
brain for some time. Finally I hit upon a
scheme. l had heard of the responsibility
Of sleeg-walkers, so ! determined to sneak
would pretend that ] was walking in my
sleep.
So, on the night of the dance, went to
bed very early, and lay awake without un-
dressing until heard my father snoring. l
then felt that the coast was clear, and crawl
cd out on the top of the porch.
] made little noise by stepping on one Of
the loose shingles. and stood still, with my
heart in my mouth. But, as I couldn't hear
anybody moving about, | went ahead and
slid down a post to the ground.
1t was rather late when ! got to the dance,
but I made up for it by dancing all the time,
and had a thoroughly good time As soon as
it was over, / hurried back home, chuckling
to myself over the way in which l had hood
winked my father.
Upon reaching our house, I began to shin
up the post to get back into my bedroom,
when heard my father call:
Come here, Thomas"
My heart began to beat rapidly, but kept
right ahead, as though l had not heard him.
Then he called me again, but as did not
answer, he grabbed me by the feet and pulled
me down to the ground. When / was on
were deaf Then, in accordance with my
scheme, pretended TO sldEly come to my
self, and asked, in welsimulated, mild sur
where am II Why. must have come
out here in my sleep"
MY father had that cane in his hand
''You think you were walking in your
sleep, do you?" he asked, as he grasped the
cane moro firmly
"Oh, yes, that must be It! Otherwise,
how could I have gotten here?"
''You weren't at the dance, suppose"
Dance! What dance? haven't been
TO any that know Of" replied, menda-
ciously, with pretended surprise.
This was too much for my father. He had
heard me leave my room and creep on
Che porch. He had followed me TO the
dance and had heard me enjoying myself
there. Worse than that, he had heard me,
on the way back. telling how ! had. pulled
wool over the old mans eyes,"
My father explained all this to me, as he
used that cane on lme. He gave me about
three times as much of whipping as usual,
because had told him lies
After that, I was cured of sleep walking.