The Council Bluffs nonpareil. [volume] (Council Bluffs [Iowa]) 1857-1867, 1858-11-20


couldn't stand it. sir, at all,
But up and kissed her on the spot
kuow-boo heo-I ought 10 not.
But somehow, from her loOks-boo moo
thought she kind o wished me TOO =!
BUBS NEW PANTS.
90, it SHOWS, it snows-how glad l am!'
shouted little Harry Lee, in a sleesome tone,
rs emerging from the warm blankets, be-
meath which. for twelve hours he had been
enjoying that calm, sweet sleep, which the
frame knoweth only in its springtime; he be-
held the pure white drift lodged on the win
dow-sil Very heetly did his little bare
feet carry him across the room and mount
him into Il chair, and sweeter grew the smile
that dimped his cherry red lips, and bright
er tho light that cleaned in his clear blue
eve, as he marked the snow-iakes still fall
ing thick and fast, and saw bow they lay
piled against the fences, and how lovingly
they had encircled each twig and bough
with wreath of beauty.
sect up, quick, Nelly and Sallie, quick, ,
au ok. Winters come back! o, am glad,
am glad and hurricdly dressing himself.
he ran down stairs, and bounded into the
kitchen with the same gleesome shout with
which he had greeted the storm, 'lt SHOWS,
it snows!'
'Ain't YOU glad, mothcr:' asked he, seiz-
ing her dress rs she was about entering the
buttcry. .ain't you glad, father will take his
dinner, you know, and then'-but here his
little throat was so full of fun and JOY that
there was not q bit of room for another
word to pass, and laughing all over his face,
and away down to the ends of his toes, he
ran out to measure the drifts, and lay out a
railroad with the points of his little boots.
When breakfast was over, and father had
taken his dinner as he always did when the
day WIS stormy, nicely packed up in bas-
krt. and covered by one of the whltest of
napkins, and gone to his days work, and
mother had washed the dishes and swept,
and made the beds, and done the hundred
and one little things that crowd into Il house
Keepers morning duties, and finally sat
down IN her low rocker to rest 4 few min
utrs. little Harry stole softly to her side,
and pressing Il very sweet kiss upon her
check, whispered: 81 am so glad it SHOWS,
COS, YOU know, mother. what you promised,
don't von:' and he bent his eyes eagerly
upon her.
'ldon't remember Harry; what did prom
lsr?'
The cxutant smile half faded away from
thu beautiful fuce, but then beamed again.
aS he said earnestly, swhy, don't you remcm-
Der mother, YOU said the very next time it
snowrh Won would make me them new pair
of pants Uncle Charley gave me. You know
YOU sad SO once before, and then You dIdn I
eos You wanted new cap, and took that
ulav to make it; but you said then, the rerL
nert time it showed, you would make my
pants: and do want them SO bad, mother,
COS. don't you see, these are all so patched
up, YOU can't hardly tell what they ever
was made of: and to morrow, when all the
bows are coasting, | want to 90 too, with
my new sled; and don't want to, either
with these Old pants, COS, you see, they'll
call me 'Patch upon patch patch patch,
and that always makes mo feel like doub.
ling up my fists. and when feel so, don't
feel bit good. You will make them to-
day, say yes, that's a good mother, won't
youE
IF promised you Harry, 'certain sure,
rs YOU say. why. III. do them, though was
going to DO something else tot day. | need
a new dress about as badly as you need new
pants, and was glad when saw the snow,
because thought | should have a good
time to finish that one Aunt Lizzie sent me,
and which has lain now cut and basted,
these three weeks
The little son did not answer right off,
and the mother felt a gush Of great warm
tears drop on her face, she was about to
speak and say, if he felt so very bad, she
would Weld her case to him; for nothing
would touch truc-hearted mother quicker
than the wet eyes and suppressed sobs of
her chiIdrcn; when mastering his emotion
which was to him mighty effort, Harry
said, half sadly, half cheerily, 'well, mother
won't be stingv; III give up again, but
YOU did promisc;' and he walked off quick
". lest she should see the great food of
tears that rolled down his checks.
Left alone, the mother sat for some time
irresolute. The case stood thus. She was
the wife of a worthy man, but of one whose
peeuniary means did not allow her to en-
ploy much help, and having four children,
all too young to be of much assistance, she
found it pretty difficult to perform all her
duties as housckceper and seamstross to n
family of six. Stormy days were a blessing
to her, because then, her husband, being OF
rather delicate constitution, ALWAYS carri-
eu HIS uiIutEs uuu u COIu lu1lCL IOT
herself and children, she had double the
usual time to devote to sewing. She re-
membcred now perfectly we'll that she had
promised Harry she would make his new
pants the next snowy day, and she certainly
meant at the time, to fulfil her promise,
both because Of the joy it would give the
boy, and because he really stood in need
of them. But last evening, Squire Mason's
wife had called and invited her to party,
which was to come off the following Thurs
day, and the very little bit of pride she had
left, made her desire to appear at that time
in her new dress. 1t was not all pride cith-
er, she argued to herself, as she sat there
alone in tie kitchen, her checks vet damp
with the tears Of her disappointed bov, for
it was almost spring, and her merino, after
two winters wear, did look rather shah
by; in fact, the velvet trimming was quite
threadbare in several places; it was not fit
to wear to Mrs. Ma>on's, no indeed; and
then her new dclainc. sent from Boston,
was 'such love of 4 patern,' and Of such
a becoming color. she must make it up, and
wear it then! Hadn't she sat up till mid
night. the evening before, after Mrs. Mason
left the invitation, to make the skirt? And
"'"'tiI IL pc ho". Juob uCCluSt SuC
had promised Harry his pants, to stop and
make them, and 90 to the party in her old
mer'uo, all the rest of the guests would be
clad most likely in silks? Yes, it would do
so, and she resolved to make the dress that
day, and on Friday after the party was over,
to make Harry his pants, storm or no storm.
Forthwith the sewing basket came into
requiSition, and the bundle with the waists
and sleeves was unrolled, and presently, her
fingers were diligently plying her needle and
thread. But somehow she did not feel
as happy as she expected. Do what she
could to fix her thoughts upon the party,
they would not stay there. but wander of
after the little sorrowful face that had
looked into kers and said, q won't be stin-
gy.' And musing on that little face, some-
how, she could not tell how if she had tried,
but somehow, an old, long slumbering mem
DRY was awakened, and she saw little girl
mat her long curls over her wet eyes, and