The Tiffin tribune. (Tiffin, Ohio) 1868-1887, 1870-01-28
POLLY SYLVESTER'S
DREAM.
BY ROSE TERRY.

Little Polly Sylvester lay fast asleep
on her cOt-bed in Mrs TarbOX's garret.
1t was a cold, dreary place, where the
rats scampered about, and the mice
scufiied and squeaked in every corn
er; there were broken panes in The
window, that let in the litter NOvem-
ber wind, and all about hung steam
ing cobwebs, bundles of dry herbs,
hanks of yarn, and wisps of fax, till
you could hardly see that there was a
window; but through its dingy glass
what light there was on that gray
morning, fell across the bed and rest
ed on Polly. She lay very still: the
tangled mass of deep chestnut curls
was brushed away from her pale, deli
cate face, the great eyes were shut
tight, and their heavy fringe of dark
lashes never quivered but there was
"A smile ON her parted lips sweet as
summers own sunshine, and so wist-
full il would have made anybOdy's
heart ache to see it.
But Mrs. Tarb0X hadn't any heart,
or if she had, and ever felt It throb in
her breast, il had its ears boxed long
ago, and was now hard and silent.
She came numbering up the stairs
this morning with Fish i'm her arms,
in great passion.
''Get up you little carrot-head! get
up, say! You're lazier than snail.
Eff git at ye ] guess you'll move
pretty consider bic spry!'
"Dit up, tallOt-head; else I'll ban
90 p' echoed Fish, who was almost
three years old, but baby still, and a
hOrrid one,
The smile on Sally's tender little
mouth changed to a piteous CULVER as
she flung aside the bedclothes, and
with a shiver jumped out of bed. az
was dreamin'," she said i'm such sad
voice.
nDreamin'! I'll be bound YOU'RE
allus dreamin' day in and day out !!
but you've got to dream out % bed
earlier'n this, mornin's, now / tell We.
Hurry up md come dOwni There.
he's most ready for his breakfast, md
Pve had to lug this great felIer all
round, and, and Vi-0h-ly she wants
her shoes tied md her things hooked
up"
''Tum along tick, fore me kick oor'
shouted Fish; and Polly having hud-
died on her thin and ragged clothes,
slipped into her shoes,-an old pair of
Mrs. Tarbox's,-and scuttled down
stairs as fast as she could. She didn't
stop to comb her hair or wash her
face, but took Fish in her arms and
went into the bedroom to dress ViOhly,
Whose name was Viola . a scrawny
girl some eight years old, with thin
light hair, weak blue eyes, and sal
low complexion; fretful and sickly,
but, after all, kinder to Polly than
anybody else in the house, and loved
accordingly. Master Fish was set
down on the floor while his sisters
boots were laced, her hair brushed.
her clothes fastened, and the rent in
her pink calico frOck basted up and he
amused himself by overturning his
mothers mending basket, which Polly
must set to rights; then she spread un
the bed, and shOuldering Fish, went
into the kitchen. There at the break
fast-table sat the rest of the family
Jehiel TarbOx, the father, a rough,
stingy, coarse farmer, whose loose
lips, red eyes and stupid expression
tod the road he had taken at once
NiOhly, her mother, and two big bows.
Jackson and Everett, the terror and
torment of Polly's life,-twO young
brutes who thought a poor trembling
child fair game, and took pleasure i'm
her shrieks and supplications. Now
Mrs. TarboX took Fish on her laD and
fed him with fried pork, cold cabbage
and hot biscuit, yellow with soda.
while Polly fried cakes over the his,
sing stove, not fast enough bv any
means to suit the boys or their father. 4
hurry up your cakes, Silly Poll - 4
one, "or Tll let the old bull
out into the barn-yard md set YOU To
chickens there
Come on, Polly Slyr' chined the
other fetch along your slapjacks. or
IN come nd stir We up," process
Polly had experienced before. and
stood iP mortal fear of.
But when breakfast WAS scrambled
through, and Polly allowed to ear her
scraps OF food standing at one end Of
the table, and, because she had sIant
too late, denied the one thing tbat
could have made her scantv meal toIe
erable TO her,-a cup of hot drink they
called coffee,-Mrs Tarbox began 10
map out her days work.
'tComel don't be standin' there
all day; swaller your vittles quick md
ny round. There's heaps md heaps TO
do. After you've fed the chickens.
nd emptied the swill-pail, md drove
the cows, and got Fish tessieen. md
righted things gineral1y, there's two
barrels o. red apples that's got to he
fixed for dryin'; ViohIy she can string
em guess"
''9Say, Mar can't I go down to the
oastur' lot, long of Polly" whined /
Viohly.
''Yes, ifyou'rea mind ter, only don't
hang round there all day; get home
quick"
So when Polly had done her first
chores" and established Fish safely
% dry-goOds box with heap of
sanc, an ear of corn, and string of
lnread-spools to play with, i'm which
primitive nursery he was used to con-
tent himself, an hour at time. per-
maps, the Two girls put oT their hoods
Ana snaMls, such as they were. and set
on. Polly opened the eow-shed door
ana let the mild-eyed, friendly erea-
Tires out into the lane, SAVING a ,rord
Or Two 10 each of the three as thaJ,
passed, quite as if they had been
friends.
IL Is time now to introduce our lit
tie girl. Her father had been a flour
lshing young carpenter in a Vermont
village, that hid itself among vast and |
VeFuant hills like nest in the crotch
IS OF a nrtree. Sam Sylvester loved