American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1873-05-17
Robbie "WasIles Muslins."
BY OLIVE THORNE.

| BY OLIVE THORNE.
| One warm morning Robbie heard
mamma say, IL must wash muslins to-
| day" He remembered it, because when
| she did that, he always stayed in the
| kitchen and helped her, and he liked the
kitchen because there were so many nice
| things to play with.
| After breakfast, mamma put on her hat,
and told him he might play in the yard
So he took his little cart and the kitchen
| shovel, and hauled dirt and played he was
| a rag-man, for a long time.
All this time mamma was working in
| the kitchen, washing great pile of en-
| broidered muslin, and lace collars, and IN
| dersleeves. 1t was long ago, before ladies
wore linen cuffs and collars that can go
| into the wash like the other things.
Well, after washing, and starching, and
"clapping," and drying in towels, mamma
stood over the ironing table, and ironed,
and crimped, and frizzed, and did up"
| the whole lot. 1t took all the morning,
and after lunch she went to her room, tired
and warm, and lay down on the bed to rest
Pretty soon Robbie came in, and went
straight up to mammals room. Mamma
heard him, but she was almost asleep, and
didn't want to open her eyes. Robbie
played around quietly for some time.
First he harnessed his horse. His "Kitty
horse"-as he called her-was gray
rocking horse, with the rockers broken
off She had seen great deal of service,
and there she stood-all ready harnessed
under the table in the corner. Robbie
dragged her out, put her in the middle of
the floor, and went on to fix his wagon.
He put two chairs face to face-a little
apart, with mammals cutting board be-
tween-resting on the rounds of each.
II dess I'll have some boxes to my
'spress wagon" he said to himself So he
To tho Of the whore ha
kept his treasures, and got half a dozen
strawberry boxes, which he had saved
from the kitchen fire. These he piled up
in his wagon, and started off as peddler,
crying:
"Stra-a-a-w-breez! Sra-aa-w breez! only
two cents box!''
After while he happened to think it
was muddy in the Streets SO he went to
the closet, brought out his little rubbers and
put them on to Kitty's fore feet But that
didn't look quite right, for Kitty had two
more feet. Back he went to the closet,
and after hunting awhile found his winter
oversnoes, which he brought and put on
Kitty's hind feet, and droll enough she
looked, can tell you.
When he got tired of this, he looked
around for something to do next. His eyes
fell on the pile of muslins that mamma
had laid on the table whca she came up
from the kitchen, and unfortunately K.
remembered what she had said in tho
Now, he had seen her wash
muslins, and as he looked at them, an idea
struck him.
"Poor mammals tired!" he said, softly,
glancing at her where she lay, half asleep.
Il dess I'll wash 'em all clean"
The slopjar stood by the wash-stand,
half full of water, all handy. The inno-
cent little mischief climbed on a chair,
grasped the whole lot in his two dirty lit
l., IL, md rre1 fl,av,,
into the slop-jar! Then taking the soap
from the wash-stand, he prepared to give
them good rubbing. But the splash Of
water aroused mamma.
Robbie, what are you doing?" she.
asked, sleepily.
"Noffin' much,' said Robbie, 'just wash
ing. Amt pretty good washers"
Il guess so, but don't get wet" said
lazily opening her eyes.
why, Robbiel'' she said hastily, "you
mustn't wash in the slopjar! What are
you washing?"
washing muslins, all nice; but they
won't come clean without wringer."
Mamma sprang up, glanced at the table,
and then at the dirty muss in the slopjar
"Why, Robbie Rievor!'' she exclaimed,
hastily, share you got my muslins in that
lirty water?"
course have" said Robbie, innocent
y drawing up handful of draggled lace
md muslin. I'm helping you cause
you're tired"
Well, what could she say, with the earn
st little face turned up SO innocently to
lers?
.'Oh, Robbiei Robbie! You don't know
low much trouble you've made mamma!'
he said, hastily fishing the things out Of
he jar, and dropping them into the bowl
# clean water Three more hours Of
work. in the hot kitchenn'
Robbie did not understand yet, but he
aw that mamma felt bad, and he was q
ender hearted little fellow. When she had
eft the unfortunate muslins in the bowl
o soak, and sank into her rocking chair,
discouraged, he came up to her with quiv-
ring lip:
Mamma, you said you was going to
wash EN-"
"Yes, dear" said mamma, putting her
I'm around him, and drawing him up to
Ter, ''but did wash them while you were
'laying in the yard, and ironed Them and
hey were all ready to put away, and now
IL have to do it all over again. Ar'n't
on sorry?"
Eyes, I'm sorry" said Robbie, penitent-
Y, adding, a moment after-as he remem-
cred what cured all his troubles-"mam-
Ia, I've got kiss for you. Don't you
-ant some sorry kisses?"
Mamma took the sorry kisses. and tho
ext time she did up muslins, she took
ore n mt them awav-(fhr1sff1rl Union