The Newberry herald. [volume] (Newberry, S.C.) 1865-1884, 1870-05-04
sToIMMY's WISH.
my =: MRS. CLARA ". n. FRY;

! ;. o.. .
Tommy, had played all through
tho beautiful summer, and cover
cd his 5choeks With roses and dim
pies, md his,lips with smiles, and
filled his eyes with sparlsles, and
,shis bfoItR with sweetness, and his
whole little heart and lifo with
happiness, and sunshine, 81. ~ u
Whom it was carly.fall, Tommy
begun to go to school. Ono
bright, warm afternoon, Tommy
had learned and$recitcd his lesson,
and began to bo protty tired stay
ing in school. By.and.by. " his
:teacher told him he might 60
homo, and SO ho won't, by the
meadow path and the littlo, low
bridge over tho brook. Hc stop
pod thcro: and sat down on tho
bank and watched tho bright, gol-
den water, bubbling and ripping
along&with such a soft, cool, quiet
sound. ,s.l s.'& H.. @.;ES',,.4.
He could SEQ the fishes darting
by.so$fast, and tho round, wct
stones booking SO smooth and
bright under tho water, and tho
shadows of:tho bushes bosido him,
waving, waving, SO slowly on tho
top Of it,. ~, ~. ..<<
Poor Tommy was very warm
and very tired ho had boon tired
sitting down, and now he was
tired walking; /; his lesson had boen
pretty. hard for his little mind to
mastcr; he even began to think
he had a headache; and altogcth.
cr,tTommy wasn't nearly as hap
py rs usual. lie took off bis shoes
and stockings, and put his plump,
little feet in the brook, and laugh
cd to soc tho trout como swim.
ming along close by thom, rs if
they thought them little, white
tishcs. -. a."
The, cool, bright water went
slipping ovcr his tirod little foet,
md felt so comfortable and good
to him that Tommy wished he
was in it nll over, and 80 lie said :
80, [ do wish I was q trout"
Pretty soon ho took out his
fcct, and lay down on tho grass,
with his head closo beside tho
beautiful brook; and watched tho
little fishes, and the samo cool,
wot, round stones under tho wa
tor, and tho samo little shadows,
waving 80 slowly on the top of it,
and somehow ho kept remember
ing what ho had said, 80, I do
wish Twas q trout" C.. .....
lie looked into tho blue sky,
and some little, whito clouds came
sailing along, and it seemed to
Tommy rs if thoy made cloudy
letters. . II. >1s
's.E o, IDo WISH! .. >'.-
80 dcar!" said Tommy - poor
Tommy and he looked down in
to tho brook again. Ire bcgan to
fccl worry queer; began to feel rs
if ho was growing smaller. He
was sure ho had ncvor felt so bo-
foro. '.,.z...
d. First, thorc was q little singing
in his ears; and then ho couldn' t
hoar the brook ripping any Ion
gor, for his cars were gone. Then
his arms grew shorter and shorter,
and finally they changed into lit
tlc, reddish brown fins, with black
and white edges. Thon he could
not toll where his clothes were
gono; and his beautiful white skin
began to turn yellow and brown,
with littlo black marks and rod
spots ovor it. His logs grow
short, just as his arms had, and
somo moro fms and n tail came,
md another long fin on his back.
Ho couldn't sit in his littlo chair
in tho sch oolroom now.
Tommy was so astonished he
snapped his eyes, or rather he
tried to, and then ho found his
oyclids woro gone. Ho know all
his curly hair must bo gono, too
but, he couldn'tput his fins up to
fcel his smooth hoad. %' + ~.
Tho noxt thing he knew, he
was in tho wator and Mrs. Trout
oamo swimming along, and said,
in tho fish language, -
"Why, whore have you boon,
my dcar, little boy? Two missed
you q lone, time. and dhuntef:oyerv.