American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1873-04-12

| Somehow, this was not just the sort of
| welcome that Mamie had expected. She
| said, with quivering lips, "Tm Mamie
Mason. You asked me to be your little
girl"
g Mamie Mason, Lands sake alive
| declare, | did not know you," said Mrs.
West, now adjusting her specs SO that she
| could look straight through them. "Did
your ma say you might come and zee me
this afternoon p
Papa said l might come and be your
little girl" said Mamie. 81 have got
nay old dress and ankle-ties in my bag,
and mamma said you eould send for some
of my old clothes if you wanted them"
Well, declare " said Mrs. West, Il
never heard of such thing in my life"
Just then somebody raped at the front
door, and Mrs. West, laying aside her
work and bidding Mamie to sit down,
went to answer the summons. 1t was one
of MIR. Mason's clerks, who held short
conference with Mrs. West.
She presently came back to the kitchen,
smiling. $50 you have come to live with
me, Nannie," she said Z" I am very glad,
| am sure. 1t will seem nice to have
little girl about the house. Take off your
hat, dear, anu let me wash your face, for
it has got very dusty with your walk, and
if anybody should come in, should not
~
dirty face, you know"
Mamie did not like very we'll to have
her face washed at any time. Sometimes,
am sorry to say, she would cry when
ahen her mother washed her. She found
Mrs. Vests scrubbing and wiping with
the roush crash towelvery different from
ner mammals gentle touch. But Mamie
d1d not dare TO say ANYTHING.
After Mamie had rested a little while
she ran out to see the chickens But, to
her great disappointment, ahe found that
the cunning little puffballs, thu. flew over
the grass SO. comicallY whom she saw
them last, were now half-grown, scraggy,
long legged hens, that were not in the
least pretty. She did not like them any
more. Then she went through a gate to
pick some blackberries growing by the
wall, and she got q berry-stain on her
dress and long scratch across one of
her new boots. Besides, there was no
fun in picking berries when she could
not give any to Willie. And Mamie
could not help thinking of Willie, and
wishing she had kissed her mamma. Then
she wondered where she would sleep, and
ran into the house to ask Mrs. West.
Mrs West went upstairs with he-, and
showed her a little chamber. 1t was a
paper on the walls, and it seemed very :
strsinge to, Mamie. She did not like the
qtfeer, cross-legged little bedstead, with
the patchwork quilt. 1t was not half Sc 2
nice as the white -draped bed Mamie had
slept in the night before; and she felt
afraid the sloping wall would fall down
on her while she slept. She looked very
sober as,she followed Mrs. West down
stairs. .
Dear me. 1t was such long afternoon;
and Mamie could not help thinking of her
mother, and how she had said she did not
love her one bit, and had run away with
out kissing her; and the tears would Keep
coming in her eyes And when it grow
dusk and supper WAS ready, Mamie
could not eat anything. She could not
even drink the cupof nice milk Mrs. West
gave her. 1900. ....s-
80 DEAR" she sobbed, leaning her arms
on the table and her head her arms,
81 don't want to be yeur little girl. and
live here! want to he my mammals little
girl. and sleep in my own bed"
"Biess her hearth She should not stay
if she did not want to-" said Mrs. West,
lifting her into her lap and cuddling her
in her arms. Don't cry any more, dear,
you shall go home and see your mother
his very night"
But Mamie only cried and -sobbed the
harder. IT'S da- ark and I'm afra-aid TO
20. A big black do og barked at me when
ca-s,ne out here"
There, there, dear, don't cry, and
Joshua shall tackle up and carry you
lone in the wagon after supper. And
;lst think what q nice ride you will have.
70 cheer up and cat some supper"
But Mamie could not eat any supper;
i'd not enjoy the ride very much, for she
cit very miserable and homesick. When
he reached home, am afraid she forgot
0 thank Mr.. West for her ride, so eager
vas she to run into the house and find
er mamma.
60 mammal she cried, with the tears
unning down her face, 'twon't you let
ne come back to live and be your little
irl? III be your good little girl forever
or ever" And when she was safely
heltered in her mammals arms, and con-
essing all her grief and remorse, she be-
an to feel a little better.
Pretty soon Nanrie's father came home.
Bless my soul!' said he, lis Mr.. Vests
title girl over here to night?"
Mamie lifted her curly head from her
lother's breast, and laughed through her
he said; 81 am my own precious man.
las and yours, and, 1 am going to live
ere and play with my darling Win.e."
go, l thought you were tired OF
Villie!", 49,
Mamie in answer slipped down from
er mammals lap and Rugged and kissed
Willie till he pushed her away. Willie
as only two years old, and though he
wed Nanny dearly, he did not like to be
ugged and kissed very long at time.
l wish / could say that always sitter
lat Mamie Mason was such good little
irl that she did without complaint what
CT mother thought best, f-e
1t must be con fessed that sometimes her
wn way did seem to her great deal
icer than her mothers. But of ono
hing you may be sure, she never again
I'D her mother that she would go away
I'D leave her. She had learned that her
lother could do without her better than
ne could do without her mother.-Our
Dung Folks.
Dinner EYcuSp.