Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1871-01-26
From Children's Honey
THE LITTLE PUSH.
BY FRANCIS LEE.

pantalets, and John was still less, in
well, in gowns, dare say.
Mary was Just four weeks younger
than /, and that made her great deal
older, was so very small of my age
To be sure, she was below me in the
spelling class, and she hadn't got so far
along in Peter Farley. But then she
wore her hair cut square in the neck,
with scarlOt chenille tied around her
head, and bel;ere, though 1 won't be
sure, she had one short pink calico
apron fastened behind with strings of
the same. Tute had, / know, but then
Tute was pretty nearly one of the great
girls, and Tute could paint violets
beautifully, only she would call them
"voilets." .
Now, though / admired Tute with all
my heart aud loved little John clear
away through, yet I thought there had
never been anybody born into this
world-leastways, not into the town of
Dot-so very charming as Mary. And
/ think now that she must have been,
sometimes. At other times, nv. ]
couldn't get nearer her than a snow
berry can to a snowdropl
Mary" L would say, twill you
come over to my house tonight and
play in the arbor Our cat has got q
kitten, and I'll let you name her, and
give you some gooseberries. It is my
birthday, too, and / don't known what
Aunt Fanny has got for me. She al
ways gives me something because 1 am
named for her."
And Mary would turn up the snub5y
end of her nose, and say:
"Do let me be- No! Who cares
for a kitten Z Our cats got five And
you'll keep showing me your aunt Fan
ny's present as soon as you get it till
shall be tired to death of the sight.
I'm going home with Lizzie Chamber
lain"
Oh yes, that was it She was going
to dress up and go down to the COM
mon visiting. Lizzie Chamberlain was
one of the new girls that lived in the
old Headley house behind the maple
trees. She wore French calico to
school every day and never took off her
shoes and stockings. Oh when she
went to bed-of course she did then
So that was it Certainly she would
rather go to see Lizzie Chamberlain
than me. Anybody would.
But by tomorrow, when Lizzie
hadn't invited her, she came to me.
"What color is your kitten 2" she
began.
"Yellow and white" I replied, as
delighted as could be. 81 am going
to name her Lilly Straw Maltese Her
mother is Maltese color, and she ought
to be named for her mother, you know.
Kate says it is the prettiest kitten she
ever saw, and knows the most for one
so young. She is only day old"
"Uml" returned Mary, turning and
walking toward the gooseberry bushes
And l was such little fool / turned
and walked with her. L am vexed with
myself now when / think of it, but she
threw some kind of spell over me,
and L could not help following her
when she shone any more than the sun
flower can help following tie sun. Be-
sides, 1 was always SO meek that won
der haven't inherited the earth long
ago.
But John, with his sunburnt hair and
dimpled chin, dear little John, was al
ways ready, whether the world went up
or the world went down, to smile on
me with his loving blue eyes and patter
after on his two bare feet wherever ]
vent.
This time it was up in the new wood
house chamber-so new that it wasn't
yet done. Mary had gone off with
Tute and Augusta Ingraham to Pat
nuns wood after sassafras root. NV
even if 1 had been invited, so had to
do the best l could with John; for in
those days you couldn't have hired me
to stay alone ten minutes-not with a
bright silver dime fresh from Philadel-
phia. Dear me I've got over that
long ago. And I've noticed that we
have to get over almost everything we
are particularly set against
So it was John and the wood-house
chamber that day, with shavings hang
ing on our ears for curls, and the every
day dolls that were made of cobs and
had such everyday names as Hannah
and Dorothy. We had blocks the car
penters had left for chairs, blocks for
tables, blocks for houses and blocks for
barns Indeed, 1 don't know what
more two reasonable children could ask
for, unless it was Mary. Probably it
was, for remember 1 began to get I'M
easy and lonesome after a while, even
with good-natured little John. So we
left our blocks and our dolls, and went
and looked dismally down the stairs
that were not boarded yet at the back
and sides. And then 1 put my two
hands against Johns back and pushed
him off; away down, stair after stair,
he fell, t. the very bottom He was
picked up with nose-bleed and some
bumps and purple spots, but after a
few tears he was happy as ever and
never seemed to think OF blaming me'
/ had no idea then whyI pushed him,
and haven't now 1 would not have
hurt him for the world, and I was ter
rified when / saw him go. It was Just
a quick feeling without any thought.
John went away TO the far West when
he was about seven years old, and
have never seen hum since. Butt often
think of this push, when / hear ofs.a
sudden murder, and wonder if the muir
derer knew he was going to do it, or il
he did not act outside himself, as ]
seemed to 10 then So I have some
pity as well as blame for him.
| think of something else whenever
Johns little gentle face comes back to
me. L think how wish the dear chill
dren would be careful not to do in q
quick moment what they win perhaps
newer forrok INIT what will aIHavu 6o
like q chestnut burr in the finger to re.
member.
The Russian Princess.
Many years ann there lived in a