The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1868-04-30
CHORUS
MY Lottery Tickets.

1t was Saturday night, and the little
WON an who bears my name and mends my
stockings was sitting in her low chair by
the fire zealously putting patch on the
knees of little Toms trousers, tnruiug the
| place of cloth this way aud that, and hold
ing her bead on Que side to watch the effect
| But the stripes would all run tue wrong
way while the colors vera provokingly
bright, compared with the faded garment
| ''Never mind that, Mary" said |, 'here's
a chance to throw away your patches
| Hurrah for a lovely country seat, on the
| Hudson, City shares of bank stock a house
in town, or anything you wish, aud all for
| dollar ~
Nov, Thomas said she-when she
wishes to be particularly severe, she always
calls me Thomas what are you thinking
about?"
"A gift enterprise, Mollie tickets only
| a dolah and sure to draw "a prize2 |
read the heading aud displayed the long
list of prizes ''What do you think of that?'
shouted | triumphantly
! Il think, " said she langhingIy, shat if
| you make so much noiss you will wake up
the baby" Theu seeing that | looked au-
noyed But DO not think that lotteries
are just right, especially for church mem
bers Do you?''
20, nonsense never saw church fair
i'll my life that did not have grab boxes and
lotteries shouldn't dare to say how
many dollars bave spent oil them, and new
or drew anything either
She looked roguishiy at me, aud said
! 'fllen't you think you are most to old to
| oegin
sit may as well be me as any one aud
it is no great matter-only a dollar
Il know, Tom," and the wise little wo
man looked grave, 'but we haven't many
dollars to throw away" aud she held up the
socks with large sized hole in each heel.
''And little TOMS school bill comes in
next week.
laid down my paper and tried to speak
very copviucingly. Now, Molie it is all
very well to jog along day after day, earn
ing and spending just so much, but one
likes to venture once in while Just for
the excitement of the thing, if nothing
more"
Eyes, Tom, don't you remember the
share in the oil wel?'
''Y-e S, - said l. slowly for it WAS rather
an unpleasant topic of conversation to me.
| bad Invested the little sum left HE by a
maiden aunt in an oil company, against
Mary's good Judgment Capital, million
of dollars more or less oil wells flowing
night and day On the lands Of the next
company. just over the fence was very
much eiated, aud promised Mary, among
other things a new black silk dress we bad
Seen displayed in some SHOW window
Well. they bored aud bored and bored,
throwing up great deal Of dirt and great
deal OF water but not drop of oil; aud
just as they were about to begin in new
spot, the Treasurer, or some oae else, ran
away with lie fonds, and that ended the
whole affair. Mary, ike 8 good little wo
man never reproached me, but when | came
home one day and found her turning her
old merino inside opt and upside down, |
felt-well, can't tell just how but |
thought of that black silk dress that she
was TO have.
"And Oh :" she continued. ''dont yon
remember tue patent -four sitter p and she
laughhed outright 50 did /. when !
thought OF the spectacle presented when I
Glanced to turn the crank the wrong way, |
and the flour flew in every direction.
But had made up my mind to buy Que
of these tickets so, though Mary sighed,
she said no more. | invested on my way
down town thought might just as
well buy one for little Tom too, showed
them to her when | went home to dinner
''Not three o, Tom, how could your
aud sue looked really grieved, while |,
thinking it pity if | must account for
every penny | spent, assumed the dignified
air which she seemed to demand, and the
meal passed in sieuce. | went home at
night TO find her sewing as usual Ny
conscience gave an uncomfortable twinge
as she looked uD pleasantly and then
turned TO her great basket of work. If she
only had sewing inachiue. Perhaps I
should draw one, ard grew happy over
the thought imagining her surprise when
sent it bone unexpectedly She would
not think me unwiae then in having bought
the tickets q
Little Tom Interrupted my reverie with
%, tather old Susan who used to work
for US has burned her hand so she can't
work. Mrs Briggs gave her dollar.
Mother said she couldn't give her any
money, but she put some salve on her
hand, and gave her something to eat = 1
did not look at Mary but contrived to turn
Toms thoughts into another channel
Nor was | any more comfortable the
next day to overhear, when passing through
the hall, in conversation with friend.
mo" she was saying No shall not
subscribe to the reading club this winter
can; very well spare the two dollars
Well, the days went by without our say
ing word more about it. I grew little
nervous as the time fog drawing the prizes
dre@ near, and opened my morning paper
with some trepidation. At length my eyes
we're greeted with long list of the fortu
nate members which had drawn the larger
prizes | read them ali over carefully from
first 10 last But 10 vain my numbers we're
not there.
In day or two another list appeared,
which | read with tie slime result At
last among those which drew prize worth
less than one dollar found my own.
Tom, said my friead, whose Office was
next to mine. s'dout you think Jones was
fool enough to buy ticket in that enter