Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1872-08-28
Che family Circle.
A Pretty, Sad Story.
now ALETrER WENT TO PAPA.

was writing. As she did so, a very small
rosebud of a mouth made its appearance
above the line of the desk at auntie's
right, and piping little voice, proceeding
from it, demanded, " Vat you doin', aun-
tie "
" Writing letters" responded auntie,
who with bunch Of envelopes and a quire
of paper before her, was very deep in the
business indeed. Then a fat, dimpled
finger stole cautiously up and touched a
finished pie.
One, two free, four amen " counted
Tiny, who always cherished the belief that
=. amen stood for full stop, and made
use of it accordingly.
Vat for you write letters, auntie =
oh. to send to my friends, responded
auntie. bending over her work and speaking
in voice that seemed to issue from her
eyebrows.
/" Where is your friends perseveIed
the child.
Everywhere" said auntie, who hap
pened to be writing that word at that mo-
ment
Does letters 90 everywhere
Would letter 20 to papa
" Yes, said auntie, again, who by this
time was in the heart Of very brilliant
description and did not hear.
4" How does this letter 20? urged She
again this time touching auutie'> elbow by
way of experiment, which so far as auntie
was concerned, resulted in a bold upward
stroke. as an acute angle with the last
&. hair line, and she looked up, really out
of patience al last.
90. Tiny she said, 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 1t in her heart 70 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 d much as
ever YOU wish Here - added She, OBJ
serving the look of disappointment that
stole over the sunny face see ! will
make letter of you and send you to
MANN a.
So She took postage stamp cut of the
little drawer, and parting the fossy curls,
pasted it right in the center Of Tiny
smooth white forhead.
&c l don't know where letters goes, said
the baby girl chucklinc deIightedly
'' Does they fly ?
Z" Letters don't goes, said auntie,
laughing, they 20 through the post-ofice.
Now run along and put yourself in a post
Office somewhere, and mamma viii be sure
to find you
O yes know, / saw'd 1.-THE
post ofhce-me and mamma-one day.
It's down the corner and round the alb.
nue..
So she trotted of across the broad IL
brary floor, out into the hall. and Aunt
Sue, having heard the door close behind
her. returned to her writing
Out in the hall, Tiny stood still. \
great thought came to her will 20
to papa" said she to herself Papa was
gone away. He had gone, O, such a long
time! She could only just family remem-
Der, like a dream, some soft, loving brown
eyes, and gentle voice that called her
d" 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 the house and garden cry
ing out, d" | want papa want papa =
many a day. But now she could 20 to
him. They told her he was gone to God,
but was she not letter now, and had not
auntie said that letters 90 everywhere? And
if she could only get into the pos office,
papa would be sure to find her. Yes, she
would 20 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 street.
Twenty minutes afterward Aunt Sue,
having finished her letters. crossed the
hall and noticed the displaced chair and
missing jockey, and wondered where the
child could be. At that very moment the
clerk at the post-office heard a piping
voice, and looking down, saw strange
sight-a tiny creature, no more than three
years old, it seemed, with jockey hat awry,
its sweeping plume tangled with golden
curls, postage stamp shining conspicuous
ly in the center of polished forhead, and
wistful eyes turned up at him, glistening
with a great hope,
| want to 60 to pada,' said the
voice.
The clerk smiled. " Where is your
papa asked he.
. Gone TO God" said Tiny, solemnlv.
The smile died out They had sent
many odd parcels to strange directions
through that office. but never one to that
address, thought he.
&" l am letter, and | want TO 90 to
papa" pleaded the child, her yearning
eyes still fastened on his face.
." What is your name? " asked the
clerk
But at that moment clustering busi-
ness man, bound on the redress Of some
grievance, pushed forward and brushed her
aside she was drawn into the current of
people passing in at one door and out at
another, and before she could say another
word, found herself in the street again.
There she stood irresolute. Her heart
ached with disappointment, the passers by
jostled and bewildered her she began to
be afraid, and her eyes filled with. tears.
Suddenly there was great cutlery. The
frightened crowd fed into door ways. A
pair of runaway horses came dashing down
the street. The people on the CROSSINGS