Middletown transcript., 1870-07-30
gclett gtorp.
How I Learned to Sew Buttons On.

Any one looking into my chamber at
about half past ten o'clock on the morning
after Mrs. Granger's great party, would
have seen me, Frederick Elliot, in my
shrt-sleeves, and with my hair disheveli-
ed, pulling viciously at my boot-straps,
and, acknowledge with sorrow, swear
ing fearfully.
The truth was, I had oversight myself,
and was, accordingly, in very bad hu-
NOR; besides this, I had promised faith
fully to be at jacks Office at eleven, and
as a matter of course, everything conspir-
ed to hinder me.
In the first place, I had lost the key of
my wardrobe, and, therefore, was obliged
to put on an old shirt which had been left
out by accident; in the next place, had,
in my hurry, spilled glass of cold water
over the only pair of socks outside of the
wardrobe, and consequently, when I at
tempted to pull on my boots they strenu-
ously resisted.
All this was bad enough; but to cap
the climax of my troubles, as l gave an
unusually savage jerk to the straps, which
forced my wet foot solidly into my boot,
the impish little button on my left wrist
band gave and exultant leap, and disap-
peared under the wash-stand.
Here's pretty CO." calculated, as
| dropped down on my knees and CROPPED
vainly around after the truant. "A very
pretty 60 indeed I can 90 downtown
without my breakfast, but | can't 90 with
my sleeve flying in this style; and as for
pinniug it, I could pin board sooner"
and rising from my suppliant position, |
looked obviously out of the window.
"Confound it all !" 1 said at last, eff
it hadn't been for that party, should not
have lost that miserable little key, and
and"-but talking did no good, and sat
down on the side of the bed to cogitate.
Suddenly bright thought flashed
through my brain. Why conldn't I sew
a button on myself? I mentally congrat-
ulated myself on the brillancy of my in
tellect, and began to consider the best
way of accomplishing the feat.
l knew that Mollie kept her work-bas-
ket on the little table near the Fireplace,
in the sitting-room; there I was sure to
find thread and needles, thimble, too"
as the children say; and trusting to the
fatigue of the girls to keep them in retire
ment for some time to come, softly OPEN
ed my chamber door, and casting no
thought on my somewhat startling ap-
pearance, stole down the stairs, and en-
tered the sitting-room.
Once there, l felt safe, and drawing
piano-stool up to the glowing fire, 1 sat
comfortably down, and began to investi-
gate the contents of the dainty basket with
its bows of blue ribbon, which held my
Sister Mollie's sewing implements.
With all my comfortable appearance,
however, had an uneasy and singing
conscience. knew in my heart of hearts
that Mollie would not have allowed me to
touch her pretty basket for anything in
the world and my fingers, always awk-
ward and clumsy, seemed ten times more
so when turning over the bright silks and
many-colored worsteds
| tried my very best not to tangle the
things, for intended, if possible, to con-
ceal my raid from Mollie but they, like
everything else on that particularly i'll
fated morning, seemed imbued with the
every spirit of mischief, and I looked
with horror, while my ears tingled pro-
phetically, at the complicated, and, as it
seemed to me, inextricable snarl Of silk,
worsted, and thread of every description,
which my prying fingers left behind.
At last | succeeded in drawing out
from the confusion which I had created
small needle-book. adorned, like the bas.
ket, with inanitesimal bows Of blue rib
bon, from which / extricated large-sized
needle, and very small-sized gold-thim-
ble, then, with last, frantic dive at a