Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1872-09-14
A PRETTY STORY.

Aunt Sue sat writing. AS she olo So
a very small rosebud of a mouth made
itself apparent above the line OF the
desk at auntie's right, and a piping
little voice proceeding from it deman-
ded, Vat you doin auntie =?
Writing letters responded auntle,
who, with bunch of envelopes and
a ouire of paper before her, was very
deep in the business indeed. Then a
fat, dimpled finger stole cautiously up
and touched a finished pile.
One, two, three, four, amen! coun-
ted Tiny, who always cherished the
belief that amen stood for full stop,
and made use Of it accordingly.
Vat for YOU write letters, auntle
%, to send to my friends replied
auntie, bending over her work and
speaking in voice that seemed to Is
sue from her eyebrows. :,
We're is your friends?' persevered
the child.
"Everywhere," said auntie, who
happened to be writing that word at
the moment.
Does letters go ev'ywhere p
Eyes" said auntie again, who was
by this time in the very heart of a
brilliant description, and did not know
in the least what she was talking
about. :,
"How does letters go?' pursued
Tiny. But auntie did not hear
How does letters go?" urged she
again, this time touching auntie's ell
bow by way of experiment. The ex-
pertinent, SO far as auntie was con-
cerned, resulted in a bold, upward
stroke at an acute angle with the last
chair line and she looked up really
out of patience at last.
90, Tiny" said she, what a little
mis-" but she stopped suddenly
There was such look Of appeal in the
soft, blue eyes fixed anxiously upon
her that she could not find it in her
heart to visit any Indignation on that
small golden head, so she only kissed
the ROSY mouth and said, "Auntie is
very busy just now, darling and you
must not disturb her. Another day
she will talk to you just as much as
ever you wish. Here" added she,
seeing the look Of disappointment that
stole over the sunny face, "See :! will
make letter Of you and send you to
mamma.
So she took a postage stamp out of
her little drawer, and parting the t1os-
sy curls, pasted it right in the centre
Of Tiny's smooth white forehead.
"I don't know how letters goes,
said the baby girl, chuckling delight
edly. docs they fy?'
Letters don't goes said auntie
laughing; ''they go through the post
office. Now run along and put your
self in a post-ofice somewhere, and
mamma will be sure to find you.
90 yes! | know | saw'd 1.-THE
pos-offis-me and mamma-one day.
Its down the corner and yound the
abnue.'
So she trotted off across the broad
library floor, out into the hall; and
Aunt Sue, having heard the door
closs behind her, returned to her
writing.
Out in the hall Tiny stood still
A great thought came to her, 81 will
90 to papa,' She said to herself. Papa
was gone away. He had been gone.
O, such long, long time! She could
only Just remember family like a
dream, some soft, loving brown eyes,
and a gentle voice that called her
"little daughter Then the rooms
were very dark one time; a strange,
black box, covered with flowers, was
carried out at the door, and papa had
never come back any more. Never
once, though she had run all through
tie house and garden crying out, II
want papa! want papa many a
day. But now she could go to him
They told her he was gone to God but
was she not letter now, and had not
auntie said that letters could 60 every
where? And if she could only get
into the "posofis, papa would be
sure to find her. Yes, she would 60
to papa! There stood the hat-rack,
with her own small jockey hanging
upon it; so with all her strength she
pushed forward one of the great hall
chairs, climbed up, and secured her
hat, put it on hindside foremost-poor
little Tiny-and, opening the door,
went out into the busy street.
Twenty minutes afterward Aunt
Sue having finished her letters, cross
ed the hall and noticed the displaced
chair and missing jockey and wonder
ed where the child could be. At the
very moment the clerk at the post
office heard a little piping voice, and,
looking down, saw slght-a tiny
creature,no more than three years old,
it seemed, with Jockey hat awry, its
sweeping plume tangled with golden
curls, a postage stamp shining conspl-
cu,uslv in the centre of a polished
forehead and wistful blue eyes turn
ed np to him, glistening with great
hole.