The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1873-08-30

BY ELLIS GRAY.

y
. We re coming right along, little
mother Come, Hetty Ellie has all
other cat scrape for us, | guessl"
Z" You ought to be ashamed of your
self, Richard Adams. You are Just
hateful | won't tell you anything
about it, there now You know [ did
not mean TO hurt the cat papa said
You should not tease me about it
Uncle VIII told me cats had nine lives.
and | didn't think one would make any
difference. Besides, she did come
down on her feet. / knew she would"
: But you didn't know that, rather
than come down again three stories at
once, she would half scratch Hetty's
eyes out, and almost get me Gaming
for aiding and abetting,' as papa
called it Come, kiss and make up,
Ellie, and let's have the new expert
ment -
Yes, Ellie you know [ didn't mind
bali SO much rs you did about the
scratch; it wasn't SO bad as it looked,
after the blood was washed away.
Please tell us. Wen help; won't we,
Dick ~
"Of course we will, Hetty. Oh both
Grafton why can't you make up, little
mother?"
It was a funny fashion with these
three little folks-mercy knows how it
originated-to call Ellie, who was
Hetty's twin sister, aud really the
younger OF the two, little mother, -
perhaps from certain patronizing way
she always assumed towards them,
especially to Dick who at this time
was at the advanced age of twelve,
while the girls were only ten. Almost
the first word Ellie ever spoke In her
babyhood, after the conventional
papa" and ''mamma, was "chilluns,"
Il form of address she invariably used,
rs she grew older, whenever she wished
80 speak to Hetty and Dick collectively.
Latterly, by n great effort, she had
given the word the correct pronuncia-
ton. but would have felt shorn of half
her dignity had they resented the title
or ceased calling her little mother. ]"
Leader as we'll as originator in all
their scrapeS, with genius for expert
ments, never in the least daunted by
their apparent hopelessness or the per-
sonal risk incurred, it was an increas-
ing wonder to the whole household.
and mamma IN particular, how the
child had thus far escaped broken
bones.
Within three months she had become
interested in experimental philosophy
many a lesson had she failed to commit
III school hours, because she could not
shut her ears to the fascinating recita-
ton In Olmstead." There was no
separate class room, aud the child de-
voured with delight and avidity every
word she could catch when the senior
class went up to Mr. Parker's desk to
recite. A strange medley her busy little
brain sometimes made Of 1t.
She had swung pendulumS and
rugged pulIeys down the well staircase,
hitting poor Dinah, the cook, ire
mendous blow on the head with the
dumbbell she had suspended by the
clothes line TO count the vibrations,
and nearly killed the dear old tortoise
shell cat, pet of the household, hoist
ing her up and down in her "fall and
tackle the old thing broke, poor
Tabby jumpedifor her life; landed on her
Get, as Ellie said, it is true, waged
fearful war with Hettv, who caught her
ana tried TO carry nef nacK again, aud
escaped for that time, ouly to be more
severely tried in her feelings and her
FUR the next night, beng ribbed back
wards for electric sparks.
Only the week before. Ellie had
broken the best mirror by putting a
lamp too close to it, In order ''to get
focus" An injunction had been laid
on indoor experiments what could be
accomplished outside was permissible,
but lingering regard for what yet re
manned whole IN the house made such
n restriction needful.
Ii Ellie was excitablo and quick
tempered, she was also good natured
to fault ana Dicks hearty promise
OF help, and Hetty's cooperation also,
soon restored things to happy eqm
hbrium.
"Well, children, ii you won't tease,
and will mimi every word / say, | IL tel
YOU. Wouldn't you like to go up i'll ;
balloon, and sail softly through the
air like an argonaut ~
80 Ellie, YOU Will kill me laughing
1t is not an argonaut; you mean al
aeronaut.
Well, what difference does it make
Dick Adams, I'd like to know, as lOng
as you sail III the air Z"
. But where's your balloon, Ellie
How are we going up
did | say go up2 | didn't meaI
lust that, we shall climb up, and thel
sail off with pair of shoots; and whel
we want to come down, We shall com,
down like feathers.
what do YOU mean, Ellie Adams
What is a pair of shoots 2-are the.
guns %
g No, indeed, Hetty; you are as ba(
as Dicl. Didn't you hear the class thu
mornings | saw the picture afterwards
on the board, and it is just like al
umbrella, but Mr.. Parker said the.
were pair Of shoots: any way, /
sounded like that and when peopl
are up in balloons and want to sen,
anything down"
''Cats and the like, {" broke IN Dick
ssWeu they do send cats down tina
way, and it dosen't hurt bit. and
saw a picture of man comming down
and it's ever so much more sensibl
than your Mr.. Ignorance you were tell
ing about, with his wings fastened oil
with wax As if man could be
bird -
His name was Icarus," shneke'
Dick: "and the wings were all right J
the foolish fellow hadn't flown up t
the sun and melted the waxi'
''Come, Dick, don't quarrel again,
said Hetty. q want to hear about tn
pair of shoots, and how Elliels goln
to make us fly"
Il said they were just like umbre
las and we must get the largest one
we can find, and climb up over the pis