Daily Davenport gazette. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1854-1855, 1855-01-20
Cbe 1ailp 6a3ette.
D,ycnport, January 90, 1893.
Willie Wstscn.
M GRACE GREENWOOD.

i, O,,,s,nt village in England, a nice KIND tenn
Ca p".ad elderly woman, whom the neighbors
AI ps,,ed adear old Dame Watson She was
cav 20, ricb this worthy dame. but she would
-. NV allow hersefto be called poor, for as
III, 'sa had comfortable home, aud was in
'as S"strous and healthy, she never lett want,
~ che wasa very neat scainstress, and 50 dbl
;~,nt and obliging thai she never lacked
: ..& employment. Dame W atsoh was WIDOW
dr. and chldIess, but she had living with her,
w. wv ornban children, of her youngest son.
,W WI Watson was long the comfort Of
,ss w, !" wdowhood, but when he grew to be a
d ".n he chose the hard and dangerous life
en "@a sailor. After while there came a
lana war. time, and there was fighting on the
~ =, 81 well as on the land, and at last poor
'at ,v;lI,m was killed in battle between two
"'s ,reat ships. Then he was let down into
teen sea. TO where the water is always still
saa md cear-where the drifting silver sand
sSN eUered him like grave mound-ahere the
wy ,nr sea weed waved over him like grass,
.,i brirht MOSES and beautiful shells shone
N, ,,und HIM like flowers. When the news
~, i tho brave sailors death reached his home
NJ liz mother, who had seen great deal OF
Iuuble and learned to submit to Gods will,
.h, WED her head and prayed. and soon the
v,r ord gave her strength, so that she wiped
tway her tears. aud went about her daily
du,ies: bot Williams young wife was i'll
ls,. md could no, bear her grcf but pined away
'a' last and died, leaving little daughter and
baby son to the care ottheir grandmother.
1be children were a great charge to the
se nod woman, you may depend--but still
~, ~, hey eomforted her, and made the cottage
rherr(nI, 50 she never fretted about the
uubls Kitty Watson was a bright, in
t,irl
ROSY. fat and funny. that nobody could
co, ook d, her without Smiling, Kitty was
Fe andy and indusriou and for all her
rs, perry .rolicsome ways, was great help
her grandmother, in the cottsge and gar
-, en.
.s Willie grew To be a ] an1some, hearty
. ia hild, nl of play and laughter and chatter,
fsi md was the pet and darling of the whole
le, eghborhood.
The cottane garden was very small, but
ih care ani industry Dame Watson was
~ bic to raise in il not only vegetables enough
r her own use, but few choice salads,
cas- and flowers, which she disp sed OF to
n. he Rector o fthe parish whose learned old
's ksrJener could not gov anything fine, !
~, IN houch he boasted that he had gardened for
ta real lord.
A, first, Dame Watson used To carry these
!. the rector, in hani-basket, but at last
10. he hit upon plan for saving herself time
trouble She had house-dog that was
he petted playfellow Of little Willie, and
,., Fhch she treated kindly for the ehild's
-, IKE though She had no love for dogs in
enera and Brans laziness ana voracious
w ppete tried her very much. Now, she re-
pyed TO make useful, so she had little
I'd at and harness made, aud taught him to
Raw the basket OF vegetables from the cot
are to the rectory, with Kitty for driver |
leader Bran was strong, though he was
ut very arre-he was good aud intelligent
y nd always did the best he knew how
The widow said that though the dog grew |
Min and had pretty much given up frolicing
bhe knew he must be happier in his cos- |
ecnce for earning his living; but perhaps |
Iran had his own private opinion on this
batter.
One morning little Master Will, irs sted |
IN riding over to the rectory on top OF the |
1 bad Of vegetables. There he sat grand as
~ lord, hourshiug his whip over poor Bran,
ms no pulled and painted along and though hi
Utwas very hard one indeed, almost too
luch for patient do. nature to bear. And
:, j, was for the baskets were uncommon
heavy--Willie was fat and Kitty too full
~ ffroio to think Of helping, even by push
n F'g Wheh tbey were Soihg up mn. p"'
low Willie enjoyed his ride, selfish, |
hOughtess little fellow. lie laughed and
houtcd and flung his arms about, and boun-
!, Ped up and dow n, and kicked with delight
\, The next morning, when they were get !
ng ready to send the baskets over to the
ectory, Bran's harness was found to be so
= enawed and torn that it could not be used.
The widow said the rats had been at it-hut
g :, b'an, naughty dog, knew better. The
81 good dame had new one made, but when
y the went to put il on Bran he gave dread
ul howl and ran away, fast as he could.
: Alter day or two, he came back, bringing
huge mastitf, which he introdue ed TO his
!, new mistress us a better cart-horse than
y himself. The widow was so mach amused
y a, this cunning trick that she made Us" OF
lac stray mastiif and let Bran go back into
ms old lazy ways.
& ! cannot tell you any more about Willie
y 'hldhood. He was always good boy at
nome and diligent scholar at school; So
everybody liked and respected him. When
ne grew to be young man the good Fec
TOT got him situation in London coun-
u,hs-house. There he always remembered
,'s grandmamma's teaching, and was pru-
!, ueni and honest; so he rose and rose, till he
became a great rich merchant, and was
hnlghted BY the king. He married a beau
UNI lady and they had childrcn-some half
aozen believe, andI have heard that they
were all handsome and clever. and
e'od. Kitty Watson never married, but
she always had n plen sa Mt home with sher