Whig and tribune. [volume] (Jackson, Tenn.) 1870-1877, 1872-08-17
KATHIE's NEW SHOES.

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it does not look funny at all. am
very sorry you were so careless of
these, for you know papa has to
work hard to give Us enough to eat,
and think you will have to go
barefOoted for awhile
The childs lip quiVered, but she
said nothing; only ran outdoors a.
gain to her mud-pies by the old
~ d-shed, thinking to herself: 81
know nay papa has to work hard
and Pm sorry; but a great big stone
cutted my shoe, and l didn't do it a
bitl" And tear rolled down the
fat, rosy cheek. "Oh, dearl l wish
was a great big man like papa,
and I'd have a gold house, and a sill
yer chair, and lots of things. An
mamma should come and live with
me, and-and-Oh, myi Where is
my Seraphina Amanda Jane?" And
off ran Kathie after the doll.
Ii was a very strange dolly, aud l
doubt If ever little girl who lives
in the Eastern States has seen one
like it. Its body was a clothes-pin,
with two hair pins for arms, and a
walnut headl The face was linked
on, and one corner of the mouth
twisted up and met one corner of
the eye in a very strange mannerl-
Poor Dolly had no joints, and al
ways had to sleep with her eyes
open.
But its little mistress dressed it
in scraps of silk and muslin that
mamma had hid away, and altogeth-
er, Seraphina Amanda Jane was
quTe a stylish young lady; at least
so thought Kathie.
That night at the tea-table Mrs.
Harris said: "John, Kathie has
worn out her shoes. Can we afford
her any new ones?"
"Shoe the horse, and shoe the mare,
But let the little colt go BARE"
said papa, laughing. Then he ad-
ded; "Kathie might pick berries
and earn some shoesl'
So all the evening Kathie sat on
the doorstep repeating to herself
"Earn some shoesl What did papa
mean? / amt anything but a little
girl yet. When Pm big man like
papa, then I'll earn shoes"
And the last thing she said before
she went to sleep was-"Oh-how !
-vish-I-couldp' And she dream
ed that little IAN came and threw
some bright, red shoes with blue
ties and silver toes, right on the
foot of her bed and then ran away.
The next day, after Kathie had
wiped the spoons and forks, she
said:
@Now, mamma, may 1 go out and
plsy?"
'EYes," said mamma. And off ran
the little girl; the pink sun bonnet
falling back and showing the soft
brown curls, the little shoe gaping
like a hungry robin, the pretty
dress blowing behind her in the
wind, and Seraphina tucked under
her arm with legs sticking out very
straight behind, and arms very
straight in front, and 8 kind of be-
seeching look on her blacked face.
The meadow was full of tall, wa
wing grass, but away at the further
end grew some bushes. Kathie ran
to them and eagerly commenced her
search. Alasl no berries. Almost
ready to cry with disappointment,
she thought: "I1l just go over this
old stump fence, then L guess there
will be a lot there. May be .fUe
bushels!" So she ran on, speaking
occasionally to Seraphina: "Well,
'Manda Jane, when 1 get home with
all the berries you mustn't tell,
cause I want to s'prise 'em ALL
Now, you won't, will your"
Isuppose Amanda must have said
sCNo, % for Kathie continued: "That
is a good child. An Pm gOin' to
buy q pair of shoes for my own self.
Won't that be nice? And perhaps
I'n buy you some, too" ns aa4
The next field proved barren, as
did the next also. Still the child
ran on, until at last, she came upon
a bush quite full of berries-great,
sweet, blackberries.
"Oh, Seraphina, see herel See
what Tve foundl'' And she fell ca
gerly to picking, but suddenly
stopped.
'FWhy, Seraphina 'Manda Jane
Harris, Pve been an gone an come
'thout any pail! oh, l can take my
apron" And she lifted it and pick.
| ed into il until the bush was empty
"Come, dollie, let's go and find
some more; cause / don't believe
rye got as much as two hundred
Quarts. and papa. said man way
/ of. wanted teCO hundred qUdrtS!-
Just think how rich I'll bel''
She walked on silently for q few
| moments; but she must have seen {
weary expression on dohie's face
/ for she remarked: "Poor 'Manda
you is hungry, an so am /. But
want to save all the berries, and
| haven't eaten one. And, 'Manda,
don't b'Iieve God pounded in {
great many berry-bushes. But yol
must be a good girl an not fwet a
bout it."
'Manda only smiled, calmly.
The next field had several ioade'
| bushes, but so far off And tn
poor little feet were very tired
| Never mind, she was earning shoe.
So on trOtted the little girl, maxim:
a pretty picture. The grass was S
long that nothing could be seen bu
a pink sun-bonnet above ii. sud
denly Kathie cried out: "Why, Sc
raphina Amanda Janel l16ere's ou
house? l don't see it at all. View
gone an got lost, and We'll die AM
be all eated up, an nobody won
never find US, an"
Here the little maiden seated her
self on a stone, and cried, despair
ingly. But, looking up at length
she said: ''I guess may be papa
find US. Let's say our prayers, the
60 to sleep. Il pray the Lord-pra
the Lord-to find my house-againp
And the little head sank down
the grass, asleep.
The sun had disappeared benin
I the western hills when Mrs. Harri
finished ironing a little dress, am
bethought herself that she had no
seen the owner of the article 70
some time.
Tea was ready, and she went {
the door and called. No answer
Then she looked up the road, an
down the road, and through tn
house and barn, and even into tn
old corn-crib, where Kathie some
times made mud-pies, but no littl
girl. She rushed to the wide, bacl
piazza, and said
John, Kdthie is lost"
Nonsense" But he took his ha
from the peg behind the door am
went out.
Nearly two hours of fruitles
searching, and Mr.. Harris began (
despair. He knew that "EOst'' o.
the great Western prairies meant
very different thing from "lOst' j
the Eastern cities.
] But at length, weary and heart
sick, he stumbled on a very strang
thing to find on the open prairie.-
A child. with long, curling haiI
damp with dew; flushed check:
damp with something else; and on
corner of little check apron, near
| ly full of berries, held fast in he
hand, while dollie lay cuddIed u
under the arm. There were II
stains about the mouth, shown
that the child had been faithful
her errand.