Evening journal., 1912-02-23
The Wayward
Kid
By MARIAN L. GUERNSEY

''You can't most always tell about |
children, said Farmer Fowler to Dea-
con Smith. Some on em turns out |
well and some doesn't. 1t allus seemed |
to me that all my children had no use |
for me except what they could git out
Of me. There's my Oldest boy. John.
Seems to me that boy was born con-
trary.
Il tried all sorts o ways maxim him
obedient but they failed-that is, all
sorts O. ways except whippin him.
That don't believe in. / shut him up
by himself ] deprived him Of those
little things children most wish for.
Then / tried kindness. None o. them
ways worked with Johnnie"
How about your other children"
asked the deacon, when they were
little7r
They didn't any of 'em appear to
have much sense o responsibility. If
or their mother was sick and we ex-
pected 'em to give up anything they
thought O doin' to help us out they
didn't want TO do it. Nothing must in
terfere with any pleasure they laid
out for themselves. My youngest boy
and my second girl was the best o. the
lot. They're with us yet. Billy's a
fust rate farm hand. and his sister
Ruth is very useful. helpin' her mother
with the coozin'"
'What became Of Johnniel~
ooh, John as he grew older he got
a lot OF all fred ridiculous notions in
his head and was worse'n when he
was kid He got an idee that
he'd like to be a perfesser in col
lege. Did Y ever hear O. sich non
sense? He wanted me to spend all
the money l could make on the farm
to edicate him for some useless Job,
and when I wouldn't do II he got mad
and walked away. sayin' I wouldn't
hear anything from him ever agin
onless he'd done somepin wo'th doin'.
After all I'd done for him-keepin'
him in food and clothes-to treat me
that away I tell you, parents are to
be pitied"
"Theu you don't think children
payf7
NO. they don't in the long run.
When they're little tots they're kind
O. cunnin' and have spasms Of affec-
tion in 'em. But never could make
out whether the spasms OF badness. or
of affection was the principal part OF
'em. Anyway. after all the pains
you've had with EN- they're sure about
the time you get 'em to be OF some
use to you TO go or. the gals with
some feller and the boys with some
girl. and yon never get any return for
your trouble"
Didn't it pay your father to bring
you upf"
II dunno as it did. I've often
thought that mebbe IL didn't"
The gate ciicked, and well dressed
man about thirty came mp the walk.
The farmer put on his glasses.
"scmepin familiar about him." he re
marked Seems to me I've seen him
BEFORE"
Hello. dad. said the newcomer
You don't know me. do your
"By gum, You beent Johnny, be
your
"Certainly I'm Johnny"
"Well. want 10 knowl Come back
to see the old man, eh. my boy? I'm
powerful glad to see you" And he
folded his arms about his son.
"Yes. I've come back, dad. When
I went away think must have beer
a trife cantankerous. I was determin
\. ed to learn lot OF things that may
seem useless to you. But I've learned
them. I'm professor OF biology II
". university"
sDo tell What y learned, Johnny 2
"Why. I'VE learned that we are borr
to nature. and our parents job Is to ge
nature out OF us as fast as they can
We are all animals. only we humans
are capable Of higher development
than those below us. But in the begin
ming there's not much difference be
p tween US and them Look at a new
born kitten and you'll see it clawinl
the mir I've seen newborn baby do
ing the same thing. But the kitteI
grows into a cat, and the baby grow
into man or woman. While the civ
ilized child is developing it is simpl,
getting away from its ancestral inner
itance. It has little sense OF responsl
bility. just as the puppy will eat up al
the dinner provided for the family !
permitted to do so. dare say, father
YOU thought me brutal as a boy, and
was brutal. but I was simply obeyin
a natural not a refined, law. But III
doing pretty well now and have com
back to look after those I left benin
me-"
"By gum, Johnny. how You talk
Does biology pay7'
'Not in money, though my publishe
books, my salary and my lectures brin
me In a fair income. I've somethin
to spare for you. dad, and mum. and
there's anything can do for the boy
OF the girls I'd be glad to know Il"
"well. Johnny boy, I'm powerful gla
to see you back. OF all my childre
you was the most obstinate. but you'v
got there. John. and I'm glad OF
You've topped the hull lot Of US"
"And the reason he got there" r
marked the deacon. "was that very ol
stinacy If he'd been the obedient chill
you would have liked him to be he
been doin' work not much better tina
horse can do"
"But that time Is passing away" sal
the professor. Farming is now a sc
ence. I've come back to look into Il
matter Of taking it up on the ne
basis"
He did take IL mn scientifically ar