American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1872-08-31
SOME OF TOMMY'S MISCHIEF.

| BY PRUDY.
The day began beautifully. When
mamma and Aunt Mary peeped in at the
aitting-room door they saw Tommy and
hia cousin Grace, just as sweet and clean
as two pinks, with their heads close to-
gether over the elephant book, while
Robert was telling them the stories. Pm
| afraid Robert was not quite particular to
tell them according to the book, but at
any rate they were very funny, and NAM
ma said,
That's right, Robert you look after
the children little, and tell Ellen to see
that they keep their clothes clean. We
shall be back again by lunch time"
1t seems very strange, but it is perfectly
true, that the moment Robert was set to
amusing the children he began to find it
hard work, and remembered at least six
different things which he was anxious to
finish. So first he went to the window
and whistled, and then he took the things
out of his pocket and looked them over,
and finally he went out doors, telling the
children to stay there till he came back,
and that was the last he remembered
well at first. Oracle told the stories.
This is the way she told them:
"That's corkadiul; he's swimmin'
in de mud. Corkadiuls is awful; they
they eat up little heevun babies, at won't
say dey prayers, an de chillun to my
Sunday school, we buy some Missionaries,
wild our pennies, to shoot 'em wild"
LES punch that old corkudiul," said
Tommy, and so they punched him, until
they made hole through his head. Then
they turned over the leaf
That's ELEPHANTS nest, l b'lieve so,
and that's n0rstrige;: he's gOin' to eat
up de eggs, an de men is chasin' him, to
fly him away from EN-. Dose kind of
horses is to catch lierns wild; dere backs
hump up SOS peoples can hold on better"
LES punch the old norstrige," said
Tommy, and SO they punched him, until
there was nothing left but the tail and
one foot. After that they concluded to
put the book away, and play hunt lions.
Oracle was the lion; she carried off Cap
tain Jinks in her teeth, and shook him
until his head rolled off, growing fear
fully all the time. And Tommy rode
after her on the poker with long pea
cocks feather for sword, and rescued
Captain Jinks, and screwed his head on
again.
Les 90 up to my Uncle Jim's room,"
said Tommy, ''he's got a real truly sword,
and knappersack, and he don't care if
l take 'em, | may be.
''Well," said Oracle, and up they went.
They couldn't reach the sword, which
was fortunate, but the ''knappcrsack,
which happened to be haversack, was
put on, and the canteen filled with bay
rum and hair oil.
Heres sword" said Oracle, pounc-
ing upon Uncle Jim's precious racer
strop, IF you only had belt"
Here's Uncle Jim's bellit," said Tom
my, dragging an elegant sash from the
drawer
81 want that" said Oracle, cts most
like mammals; play was lady, going
to aN RaFa'y said Tommy, 81 want it; it's my
bellit"
Oracle gave it up, for just then she
spied box full of neckties, and sat down
to try them on her doll. The long ones
made lovely sashes, and Oracle tied and
united them with a great deal of satisfac-
ton, while Tommy paraded up and down,
with the ends of the long crimson sash
dragging behind him. Presently the
razor strop suggested a new idea.
Coin to shave" said Tommy, push
ing a chair to the bureau.
Oracle was at the wash-stand by that
time, turning on the hot water to give her
cup of creamy soap, and the soft little
brush with its ivory handle.
''Uncle Jim lets me take EN-" he said,
complacently, and Uncle Jim really did,
sometimes; and then with a little tremor
of his hand he took the keen razor from
its box and laid it down on the bureau.
''Goin' to shave me some whiskers, like
Uncle Jim," he said, rubbing the soap
into white froth, and climbing with
dripping hands upon the bureau, to bring
his face close to the chubby face in the
glass. Then he brushed the lather over
his cheeks and chin; how funny he lock-
ed Across his nose and his upper lip;
Tommy had to stop and laugh; then
little more on his cheeks, and some on
his forehead. He nearly forgot the razor;
but, by and by he remembered it, and
picked it up very cautiously, grasped his
slippery nose between his slippery thumb
and finger, and looked quizzically into
the glass.
1t was just about this time that it Oc-
CURED to Ellen that the children were
unusually quiet.
"They're dead sure to be in mischief"
she said, putting down the baby, and hur-
rying to the sitting room. No one there,
but up stairs she could hear Oracle singing
her last Sunday school song,
..Ob, I'll be a good child $ ever l can be,
I'll mind what my teacher says TO me-
And following the voice she came in just
AS Oracle had shampooed the last hair
from dolly's head with Uncle Jim's tooth
brush, and Tommy was preparing for the
first sweep of his razor. His back was
towards the door, but he saw Ellen's hor-
rified face in the glass, and the razor drop
ped from his hand. 1t might have shaved
his poor little nose off, but it only grazed
his fat cheek, so that the white lather was
stained with blood Tommy and Ellen
howled together, and Oracle added her
voice to the chorus. But when Ellen
found there was no serious hurt done, her
fright gave way to anger, and she shut
the two children in the closet, while she
proceeded to tidy up the room, and did
her best to repair the mischief by putting
the wet razor into a glove-box, and rims
ing off the illigant sash" in the wash-bowl
When mamma came home she was
dreadfully distressed about it all.
ooh, dear, Tommy" she said, what
does make you SO naughty ?"
God do" said Tommy, gravely;
''makes everything"
NO" said mamma, cts naughty little
Tommy himself. and he makes his mani
mas heart acher
Tommy looked very sad, and promised
heartily to do better.
When papa came home, he took him on
his lap, and asked, just rs he always did
Has my little boy been good to-day p
And Tommy said, very honestly
"No, papa, | was alcfta much naughty,
and made my mammals stomach ache. y
Little Corporal.