Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1872-09-28

- " '''' ~ / I '"N'i'1 - N'i' l'lN"0N
mo"
al took them from her hand, and
at once pronounced Il eulogy on
dandelions, assuring my blushing,
modest little friend, Patty, that if
dandclion seed had only come over
to US from England or France, or
any other part of Europe, dandeI-
ions would bo all the rage, aud
would have a choice place among
the choicest flowers Of the garden.
"Patty told me she thought so
too, "ior Mrs. Archibald Archer,
who lived in the great splendid
house near them, had some little
homcly, dull-bIue flowers in her gar
den; but she thought everything Of
them because the seed was imported
from Europe"
CATER doing full justice to dan
ieIions, took the bouquet, and put
it into Il tumbler on my desk.
"You pay my dandelions a great
deal of attention" said Patty, in u
certain quaint way, peculiar to her
self; and, of course, | assured her
and most truthfulIy, too-that
both she and the dandeIions desorv-
ed all possible honor, Then, for
getting that was a tired school
master, | offered her a chair, with
all the gaIIantry of Il gallant young
gentleman; begged her to be seated,
that we might have pleasant chat
before the school.bell sounded. She
sat down timidIy, and a certain fear
of meheld her nrostraiDtat first; but,
in answer tomany friendly inquiries,
she told me more about herself than
| had ever known
owe are very poor" she said,
" and it isn't likely we shall ever be
any other way. have to work pet
ty hard"
"After minute, during which
she seemed to he thinking, she add
cd, with that same quaintness Of
tone and manner peculiar to her
when she was speaking seriously :
But | don't know as l ought to
speak So 1t don't sound very wO-
manlv,'
"Womanly!" l exclaimed. Bless
your heart, little Miss Patty, how old
are YOU"
"Almost twelve. It's time | was
womanly."
"Good heavens!" I exclaimed to
myself. Womanly at twelve; and
| not manly at thirty !"
81 looked admiringly at Patty, for
| always admired virtues, woefally
deficient as / was in tho practice Of
them.
patty" l said, a new idea sud-
denly seizing me, wouldn't you like
lit il some rich man would adopt
YOU? | don't mean n man who was
rich, and nothing more; but kind,
aiIectionato man, who would make n
daughter, q Pet OF you.
"Patty's brown eyos-as brown as
her face ana hands-were in n mo-
mont fixed on me. and | felt as if |
we're being looked out of counte-
nance.
"Ohl do you think, sir, that |
would go away from home and leave
them all to get olorg as well as they
could? Why, | couldn't do such a
thing They couldn't keep house
without met
"Not keep house without you
How can that be, Patty, when you
are not quite twelve years old p
"I don't like to talk SO much
about myself replied Patty, mod
estly twisting the corner of her pock-
et-handkerchief, to relieve her mod
est timidity. But, oh! you have nc
idea how it is with us. have lit
tie baby brother, and he's only just
begun to creep. Then there's my
little sister, only three years old, anc
another brother seven. There are
two more of us children, Tomm.
and |. Tomny is two years oldel
than am, and the smartest boy
ever saw, and just rs willing as HI
can be to do everything, 80 that HI
could amuse the little ones; but yol
see he hasn't the time. Father, 70,
know, tries to support us by keeping
garden, and Tommy has to help hin
to raise tho vegetables. So a grea
deal comes upon me.
"And sometimes added Patty
with q puzzled look, {" / don't know
what to do. George is on y 9lzteel
months old, and l must hold hin
when he wants me to, But Kat
thinks she's baby, too; and / don
wonder, for she's only three year
old. Sometimes l try to hold ther
both, when Katy cries, ond begs m
to take her; but my lap is hardly bi
enough for them both.
"Patty paused a minute, an
seemed to be thinking. Then sh
: asked me, in all confidence, as II sh
supposed I was qualified to answe
her: "What would you do ii yoc
, had a baby brother and " little sl
., ter only three years old, and the
, both cried to be taken up into yoI
lap? Now, what would you do ? A
: schoolmaster, l had solved a gre'
I many problems but l stood almo
= aghast at this question. At last, wit
? much working of the brain, l al
: swered:
d "Run away, I'm afla'd, Fatty
= "The little lnce, sober and o
Q with caro-, was suddenly covered W.T. VI,
$ a laugh, and Patty replied; VI
no, sir; you wouldn't. You on