How John Became a Man | Page 3

Isabel C. Byrum
water was, and I guess he
would have got drowned if they hadn't been close to the shore. Now, I
am going to do like Jesus did. Want to see me?"
Naturally both the boys wanted to see him perform a feat like that, and
Will quickly scampered into the water. Now, the wallow was very
shallow all the way across, and Will was soon on the opposite side. The
smaller boys, not knowing the depth of the water, supposed that it was
deep and that Will had actually done some marvelous thing. Will did
not know that he was doing wrong by speaking lightly of one of the
Savior's miracles; for he had never been in Sunday-school, and his
parents had not taught him the sacredness of the words and acts of the
Savior. He simply wanted to play a joke on his companions.
The smaller boys talked the matter over when they were alone, and
John said:
"Say, Charley, what do you suppose held Will up the other day on that
water? That wallow must have been deep out in the middle. Let's try it
some time for ourselves when Will isn't around. I believe we could do
it as well as he did."

Charley was agreed, and the two smaller lads watched their chance.
One day when Will was not with them, they chose a wallow that they
thought would answer their purpose. "I'll go first," Charley said, and he
hurried forward as rapidly as his little crippled limb could carry him, to
the water's edge and out into the pond.
Suddenly poor little Charley disappeared. John saw his cousin as he
went down into the deep water, and realized his danger. He knew that
something must be done and done at once, and with a bound he sprang
in after his companion. He did not, however, go beyond the shallow
water, and when his cousin came to the surface, he reached out his hand
and caught him by the hair; and as Charley had not lost the power to
help himself, he was soon able, by John's assistance, to scramble to a
place of safety.
The boys decided that they would say nothing about the accident; and
as they remained away from the house long enough for Charley's
clothing to dry, no questions were asked. But was the scene unnoticed?
No. He who notes the sparrow's fall was watching over these little boys;
He had not forgotten John's little prayer that had been taught him by his
father. God was caring for these little untaught children in that vast
prairie pasture.
CHAPTER II
In the Sod Cellar
Almost without exception the homes on the prairies were provided with
sod cellars. Even the few modern dwellings in the community in which
John's uncle lived were not without these old-fashioned cellars, which
served as a protection in times of storms and tornadoes. The cellars
served also as places in which to store the fruits and vegetables for
winter use. And very often, too, a large quantity of tobacco leaves that
had been dried and kept back when the summer's crop was sold could
be discovered in one of these places.
The home of John's uncle was provided with just such a cellar--a deep
hole dug in the ground and covered over with a dense roofing of brush,

mud, and sod. Within this cellar a large supply of tobacco leaves had
been stored. John had been in the cellar many times. He knew the
tobacco was there, and he knew to what use his uncle put the tobacco.
He knew also that his cousin Will both chewed and smoked the leaves,
but it had not occurred to him that he himself could do so.
The reason why he had not thought of using it was perhaps that his
father had once told him that the using of tobacco was a bad habit and
urged him to let it alone. But the fact that he had not been tempted did
not guarantee that he would not be; the fact that he had no appetite for
tobacco did not conclusively prove that he would never acquire one;
nor did the fact that he had been told to let tobacco alone warrant that
he would need no further watching--for an unforeseen temptation was
lurking near.
One day when John went into the cellar with his cousin Will, his cousin
filled a pipe with the leaves and offered it to him, bidding him smoke.
John shook his head, and said that he did not want to smoke, for his
father had said that using tobacco was a bad habit and that it would ruin
his health.
"Then, why does he use it himself?" Will reasoned. "Do you suppose
that he would use it if he
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