Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1871-09-27

with them, and sat down at the table |
without saying q word. Mary, the |
nurse maid, thought, as she expressed
it, John looked Ffpeaked - and when |
she told him to go to bed, she was sur
prlsed to have him obey without given
her syllable of "imperdence - for
Marys views, and the little boys, Il
am fam to confess, did not always
agree.
That evening there was company
down stairs, and John lay wide awake
in his bed listening to the laughter and
confusion. Somebody went to the
piano, and sang Scotch ballad in a
very sweet voice; but he only wished
the people would all go home, and
leave him IN peace. He tossed and
tumbled about, until his head grew
very hot, and his tongue felt parehed,
and all the time his heart was like a
lump Of lead in his BOSOM Still. do
what he would, sleep refused to come
| and bless him.
At last, near midnight, John heard
the front door slam, and afterward
| somebody closing the parlor windows,
and presently his mamma came in yawn-
ing a bit, and pushing the heavy hair
away from her temples. She went and
turned on the gas jet, which had been
lowered to tiny spark
60, mamma, | could not go to sleep
| until I had told you something"
Little Johns lips began to CULVER Us
he sat up in bee, his eyes looked really
piteous and distressed, and his hair
| twisted into all sorts of funny little
tails.
The lads mamma got over her sleep
mess instantly, and, in surprise, went
and sat down on his bedside. He crept
right into her arms, and sobbed out
the story of the kite line and the unfor-
tunate green silk dress, in such way
that she managed to get a pretty clear
idea of what had happened
OF course she was shocked to discover
that her little boy had been guilty
of such malicious piece Of mischief
but she could hardly regret, in spite of
1t, that at last something had happened
to put him clearly in the wrong, and
reduce him to the state of humility and
penitence. He had suffered o good
deal already, so she refrained from all
harshness, but, nevertheless, held q
plain, serious talk with her little boy.
and at last it was settled that III the
the morning they should go together to
the lady's house and make a full and
free confession, leaving It to her to say
what penalty John must pay for his
offense.
The lad was very much relieved by
all this, and soon fell asleep, with wet
lashes resting against his cheeks, which
looked far paler than usual. When
morning stole III at the window, and he
woke up to a realizing sense of the
coming interview, he began to dread It
like the toothache He knew that his
mamma always did what she promised
to do, SO he was prepared, when, soon
after breakfast, she told him to put on
his coat and cap, and come with her.
They walked together silently down
the street, stopped at the lady's house,
(Mrs. Bristol was her name mounted
the broad steps, and rang the door
bell. The lads heart knocked hard
against his breast. 1t was some min
utes before the maid servant came to
open the door, and when she did APP
pear, her eyes locked red and swollen
''Can we sec your mistress min
ute ~ Mrs. Hope, Johns mother,
asked, quietly.
"Indade, mum, I much misdoubt if
the m1ssus can see yees this mornin'.
She's bein' sore put about with the i'll
ness of her little girl, and one whiles
we thought as how the darlint would't
worry through the night"
Johns heart gave a great thud
against his jacket.
Indeed said Mrs. Hope, very
sympathetically; 81 hope the little
girl is better this morning.
"Im afther thinkin' she is" and
the soft-hearted creature gave couple
OF dabs at her eyes with the corner of
her apron, at seems like the Lord
meant to spare her to us, for when she's
herself, mum, she's for all the world
just like a sunbeam, danoin' from one
room to t'other"
Eff your mistress hasn't lain down
yet, )" said Mrs. Hope, after a moments
pause, "perhaps she would see us here
little boy here who cannot be happy
until he has made confession to her "
The girl shut the door she had held
all this time in her hands, and went up
stairs, wondering what queer "a1rant 7"
had brought the lady and little boy
g that early" to the house. Before
long Mrs. Bristol came down, in
wrapper, looking pale, her anxious eyes
heavy with watching and want Of sleep.
You will excuse us" began Johns
mamma, ''for intrading upon you Just
at this time, when tell you that my
little son here wanted, above all things,
to come and beg your forgiveness.
90, yes sobbed John, in answer to
her quick glance, hiding his face in the
folds of his mothers dress, q did a
very mean act yesterday. You broke
my kite string in the street, and then [
got mad, and I ran and cut slit in
your green silk dress, and I-I-won't
uever do SO no more. [ ask your par
don"
You poor dear child,' exclaimed
the lady, going impulsively and kneel-
ing down beside him, and putting her
arm round his shoulder. old ! break
your kite string? Then I must beg
your forgiveness. | would not know
ingly hurt a little child's feelings for
the world. [ think we are pretty nearly
even and you need not fret any more
about the dress, for [ dare say it can
easily be mended."
'No, it can't" sobbed John. cts
a great, long, ugly, skewy slit"
"Well, we'll say no more about it.
You must have been sadly vexed to
have your kite string broken; but I
was thinking SO much about my sick
baby [ scarcely needed what happened
on the street. I had been to the doc
tors, and was hurrying home as fast as
my feet could carry me, for [ cannot
begin to tell you how sad and anxious
my heart was then. Thank God. it is
lighter now. We know she will live. -
John and his mamma stayed consid-
erablY longer than they exnected TO