The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1872-07-19
Young Folks.
How A Letter Went TO Papa.

IlBnt, anu piping llttle voice, proceed |
ing rom 1t, demanded, "Vat you doin,
auntIe?'
"Writing letters" responded auntle,
who with bunch Of envelopes and q |
quire Of paper before her, was very deep
In the business indeed. Than a fat dim.
pied fingerstole cautiously up and touch-
cd finished pile.
zone, two, free, four, amen ~ count.
ed Tiny, who always cherished tho be.
lief that "amen" stood for full stop,
and made use Of 1t accordingly.
"Tat for you write letters, auntie ?"
70, to send to my friends" replied
auntie, bending over her work, and
speaking in a voice that seemed to issue
from her eyebrows.
"Vere is you fends?" persevered the
child.
"Everywhere," said auntie, who hap
pened to be writing that word at the
moment.
"Does letters 60 ev'ywhere?"
"Yes," responded auntie, absently.
"Would a letter go to papa?"
"Yes," said auntie again, who by this
time was n the very heart ofa brilliant
description, and didn'tin the least know
what she was talking about.
"How does sletters go ?" pursued Tiny
But auntie did not hear. "How does let
ters go?" urged she again, this time
touching auntie's elbow by way of ex-
pertinent, which so far as auntie was con-
cerned, resulted in bold, upward stroke,
at an acute angle with the last "hair
line," and she looked up really out of
patience at list.
so Tiny" said she, "what a little
mis-" but she stopped suddenly. There
was such look Of appeal in the soft,
| blue eyes fixed anxlously upon her, that
she could not find it in her heart to 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
as much as ever you wish. Here !" add
ed she, seeing the look of disappoint-
ment that stole over the sunny face
"see! I will make letter of you and
send you to mamma"
So she took postage stamp out other
little drawer, and, parting the flossy
curls, pasted it right in the centre of
Tiny's smooth white forehead.
81 don't know how letters goes" said
the baby girl, chuckling delightedly.
"Does they fly?"
"Letters don't goes" said auntie,
laughing, "they go, through the post.
office. Now run along and put yourself
in post. office somewhere and mamma
will be sure to find you.
80 yes! I know, saw'd 1.-THE po.
sof1iis-me and mamma-one day. It's
down the corner and yound the ab'nue!"
So she trotted off across the broad
library 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. A
great thought came to her. "I.will 60 to
papa" said she to herself. Papa was
gone away. He had been gone, o, such
q long, long time! She could only just
remember family, like dream, some
soft, loving, brown eyes, and gentle
voice that called her "little daughter"
Then the rooms were very dark one
time, strange, black box, covered with
flowers, was carried out at the door, and
papa had never come back any more.
Never once, though che had run all
through the house and garden crying
out, 81 want papa! want papa!" manya
day. But nowshe would 60 to him. They
told her he was gone to God, but was
she not letter now, and had not auntie
said that letters could 60 ev'ywhere !?
And if she could only get into the "po.
soffis," papa would be sure to find her.
Yes, she would 60 to papa! There stood
the hat.rack, with her own small jock
ey hanging upon it; SO with all her
strength she pushed forward one of the
great hall chairs, climbed up, and secur-
ed her hat, put it on hindside foremost
poor little Tiny opening the
door went out into the busy street.
| Twenty minutes afterward Aunt Sue,
having finished her letters, crossed the
hall and noticed the displaced chair
land missing jockey, and wondered
where the child could be. At that very
moment the clerk at the post. ce
heard little piping voice, and, look
ing 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, a postage-stamp shining conspicu
Gus in the centre of polished forehead
and wistful blue eyes turned up to him
glistening with great hope.
~ want to 60 to papa" said the
voice.
The clerk smiled. "Where is your
papa|' asked he.
"Gone to God," said Tiny, solemnly
The smile died out. They had sem
many odd parcels to strange directions
through that Office, but never one t
, that address, thought he:
81 am letter, and 1 want to 60 t.
, papa" pleaded the child, her yearnine
eyes still fastened on his face.
"What is your name ?" said thu
, clerk.
I'll But at that moment clustering bust
, ness man, bound on the redress of som,
grievance, pressed forward and brushed
her side; she was drawn into the cur
; rent of people, passing in at one dool
3 and out at another, and before she coult
say another word found herself in the
street again.
There she stood irresolute. Her hear
} ached with disappointment, the passers
, by jostled and bewildered her, she be
gan to be afraid, and her eyes filled
with tears. Suddenly there was gres
outcry. The frightened crowd fled int
, doorways. A pair Of runaway horse
, came dashing down the street! TIL,
, people on the crossings rushed to the
sidewalk. No one noticed an unpro
. tected little one standing there witt
D blanched face and eyes wild with terror
, no one heard q fpahIa yyoiIipo nrv