The Hickman courier., 1872-09-21

from Europe"
after doing full Justice to dan
delions, | took the bouquet, and put
it into tumbler on my desk.
"You pay my dandelions a great
deal of attention" said Patty, in q
certain quaint way, peculiar to her
self; and, of course, | assured her
and most truthfully, too-that
both she and the dandelons deserv-
ed all possible honor. Then, for
getting that | was tired school
master, | offered her chair, with
all the gallantry of gallant young
gentleman; begged her to be seated,
that we might have a pleasant chat
before the school-bell sounded. She
sat down timidiy, and a certain fear
of me held her in restraint at first; but,
in answer to many friendly inquiries,
4 she told nae more about herself than-i
/ had ever known.
eve are very poor" she said,
and it isn't likely we shall ever be
any other way. 1 have to work pIet-
ty hard"
"After a minute, during which
she seemed to be thinking, she add
ed, with that same quaintness of
tone and manner peculiar to her
when she was speaking seriously
q" But l don't know as I ought to
speak so. 1t don't sound very wo-
manly"
Womanlyl' I exclaimed. Bless
your heart, little Miss Patty, how old
are you p
"Almost twelve. It's time I was
womanly."
Good heavens - 1 exclaimel to
myself. Womanly at twelve; and
not manly at thirty r
81 looked admirinSly at Patty, for
I always admired virtues, woefully
deficient as was in the practice Of
them.
Patty 1 said, new idea sud
denly seizing me, wouldn't you like
I it if some rich man would adopt
you? I don't mean man who was
rich, and nothing more; but kind,
/ afectionate man, who would make
daughter, a pet of you.
'' Patty's brown eyes-as brown as
/ her face ana hands-were in u mo-
meut fixed on me. and | felt as if l |
were being looked out OF counte- |
nance.
ooh do you think. sir, that I /
would go away from home and leave /
them all to get along as well as they /
could? Why, 1 couldu't do such a I
thing They couldn't keep house |
without me !"
"Not keep house without you |
How can that be, Patty, when you
are not quite twelve years old p
4" don't like to talk so much
about myself replied Patty, mod
estly twisting the corner of her pock
et-bandkerchief, to relieve her mod
est timidiiy. But, OH you have no
idea how it is with US. [ have lit
tie baby brother, and hes only inst
begun to creep. Then there's my
little sister, only three years old, and
another brother seven. There are
/ two more of rs children, Tommy
and I. Tommy is two years older
1 than ] am, and the SIN artest boy / /
ever saw, and. just as willing as hes
can be to do everything, SO that he !
could amuse the little ones; but you |
see he hasn't the time. Father, you /
know, tries to support us by keeping |
garden, and Tommy has to help him
to raise the vegetables. So n great |
deal comes upon me
"And sometimes" added Patty, /
with q puzzled look, " don't know
what to DO. George is only sixteen
months old, and l must hold him
when he wants me to. But Katy
thinks she's a baby, too; and don't
wonder, for she's only three years
old. Sometimes L try to hold them
beth, when Katy cries, and begs me
to take her; but my lap is hardly big
enough f9r them both. "
Patty paused a minute, and
seemed to be thinking. Then she
asked me, in all confidence, as if she
supposed was qualified to answer
her: What would you do ii you
had baby brother and a little Sis
ter only three years old, and they
both cried to be taken up into your
lap? Now, what would you do As
schoolmaster, / had solved n great
many problems but l stood almost
aghast at this question. At last, with
much working of the brain, [ an
sWered:
"Run away, I'm afIa1d, Patty."
"The little face, sober and old
with care, was suddenly covered with
a laugh, and Patty replied "Ohi
no, sir; you wouldn't. You only
think so. You'd just say to yourself
that it was your work to hold two
babies, and you'd try to do it; and, if
You were tired at night, when they
were fast asleep, you'd say to your
self :: OTIS a good kiud Of tired,
and Pve been doing the very best /
could.
"Anxious to divert attention from
myself, for [ was pretty sure that 1
didn't appear 10 very good advan-
tage, said to Patty Il don't un-
derstand how it is you haveso much
to do" Is your mother sick ?"
No, sir; but I'm thinking every
day that she'll break down, for she
sews sometimes hours at a time.
Father don't always have good luck
with his vegetables; and some years,
when he has splendid lack, they
don't seem to go off In the market.
Tor you bS0 du SdrUuerS nave SDleu-
did luck, too; and then father says
the market is over-stocked.' But
mother says we mustn't be selfish,
and try to live on other peoples
failures. One year Mr. Shole, the
gardner, wasn't very well, and didn't
raise half as many vegetables as
nsual and that made a great deal
better market for father's.'
Just then l was looking steadily
at Patty, when she colored deeply.
81 know what you are thinking
about" she said. ''You are thinking
that 1 was glad that Mr.. Shole was
| sick p
"No, Patty; I hadn't the thought
replied.
Well, now, I was almost glad" 1
said, " It's an i'll wind that blows no.
body any good;" and am sure that
is almost the same as being glad
But l thought it was just as mean
in me as it could be, for MIR. Shole