The Fremont weekly journal. [volume] (Fremont, Sandusky County, Ohio) 1867-1877, 1872-02-23
WHAT CAME OF THE MUcIIAoH

L
never would have happened; but, be-
fore Tommy had half finished his
breakfast Uncle jim got up and
walked to the front window and re-
marked that it was training cats and
dogs"
Tommy looked up, with his mouth
full of bread and butter, to see if
Uncle jim was really in earnest; but
as he looked perfectly sober he i'm
mediately scramblce down from his
chair and rushed to the window, ez-
pecting to see a shower of black and
white kittens, with smart sprink-
ling of curly dogs. What he really
saw, was a muddy river, rushing
along through the gutter; two men,
with tin pals and short pipes, tramp
ling down the street, and a miser-
able looking dog, with bone in his
mouth, picking his way through the
crowd. He looked as if he might
have rained down; but Tommy
knew he didn't, because he knew
where he lived up the alley, and he
had often seen him sneaking around
the back door after the bits which
Tommy threw away when he took
his lunch outdoors. just at that in
stant Uncle Jim came in from the
back hall, and said, in a very dread
full voice:
'Now, then, Tommy Trotter,
where are my Tubbers?"
When anything was lost at that
house, they always asked Tommy
about it. 1t was a habit they had,
suppOsing that Tommy had had it,
especially if it was something he
never ought to touch.
Tommy forgot all about the cats
and dogs, and looked at Uncle Jim,
and said quickly, 81 d'n know"
That was a habit Tommy had,
and he always said, 81 d'n know"
before he stopped to think. But he
did know very well, and so he said:
"Oh, yes, Uncle Jim. They're
over to Bills house, in the big
troft where the horse drinks. Me
and Billy sailed 'en for boa s, all
full wild oats, and they sinked down
to the floor of the water"
"Why, Tommy Bancroft" said
his mama, looking greatly troubled,
"what shall I do with you?"
Uncle Jim looked at him very So
berly, and said:
"Well, young man, here am, two
miles from my office, and no rub
bers. 1 should like to know what
you mean to do about it2 You
oughtto buy me some more. Ishall
catch my death of cold, and then
how'll you feel, sir?"
Tommy's face frightened in 8
minute.
"Oh, I'll buy you some more" "
said he; and he trotted away to get
his bank, which had a loose floor, so
that whatever you put in at the top
you could take out at the bottom,
an arrangement Tommy found very
satisfactory. The first thing that
came out was a quarter, very new
and crisp, but Tommy's heart never
faltered.
"There," said he, ''you can buy
some more-rubbers, and won new
er sail 'em again in the troft."
every we'll" said Uncle Jim, put
ting the money in his pocket, and
going into the hall.
"Uncle JIM" called Tommy, eff
there's any change left, you buy me
some peanuts, will youY'
Uncle Jim nodded aud said, "I
shouldn't WONDER" as he strobe out
into the rain.
Tommy's mamma gave the baby
her breakfast, talked a while with
Bridget about his supper, busted
the parlor, watered the ivy in the
bay window, then she put baby on the
floor n the dinning room, and gave
her some clothes pins and tin pan
to play with. Tommy had his
Noah's ark, but lie had to keep it
on the table because the baby put
the camels and elephants in her
mouth whenever she got a chance
and once she sucked all the paint
of from Shem, Ham and Japhet,
and made herself quite sick. Ellen
was ironing in the kitchen, and Mrs.
said:
''Now, Ellen, it is such a rainy
day, nobody will be in, and an
going up to look over the clothing
and put it away. The children will
do very well in here, but you must
keep your door open, and look in
once in a while"
0Yes'm," said Ellen; Tommy,
getting right handy to mind the ba-
by when he tries"
20, I'll tend to her." said Tommy,
who was trying to stand Mrs. Noah
on the ridge pole of the arg. "El
len needn't mind about US at all.
So Tommy's mamma went away
up stairs, and Ellen hurried on with
her ironing, looking out once in &
while through the rain to see if the
grocer's young man was not coming
for his orders. When he did come
she shut the dinning room door be.
cause the baby was always frighten-
ed at the grocer's young man
though Ellen herself did not seem
at all afraid of him.
1t was just at this moment that
Tommy spied a bottle of mucilage
on the clock shelf over the table, and
it struck him instantly what a fine
thing it would be to fasten on the
elephants trunk and Noah's head
again. 1t was quite easy to reach
it and pull out the cork, out there
did not happen to be any brush, so
Tommy was forced to use one of his
fingers, which answered very vel
only he had to wipe it frequently
upon his apron. Noah's head re
fused to stick and so did the ele
plants trunk, though he tried it OF
most all the animnls.
Then he concluded he would past'
up handbills, as he had seen men dc
on the street. So he got the baby:
little soft, white hair-brush, and
poured out some Of the mucilage in.
/ to the seat of Uncle Jim's table
chair. Then he dipped the brush
and stuck pieces of the morning