Ottumwa weekly courier. (Ottumwa, Wapello County, Iowa) 1872-1899, 1873-08-07
SIMS LITTLE ctRl.
BY MARY HARTwELL.

.,E.
"Come out here, George Burks. Put
that glass down-can't wait minute !;
business partictlar-concerns the COM
pany. i5fs mgvl9 H64 ffaa
"Now I've got You by the arm, boy,
| want 10 tell you something. Then if
you want to go back into that saloon,
you may. h''"2 -tt st.f'
III don't often meddle in other folks
busiRess, do f2 When q tough old fell
low like me sets out to warn a body,
you may know its because he sees sore
heed Of II. I've had an cye on yon
ever since the company promoted you
10 an engine. and want you to make
a fair trip of your life. You're 6ne,
bright youngster. / don't never say
things to compliment.
= "Just takin' drinks for good fellow
shipp Yes, know all bout that. Been
there myself. Sit down ON the edge
of the platform here.
"Of all men 10 tho world, Itake it,
engineers ought to be the last to touch
the bottle. We have life and property
trusted to our hands uncommon. Ours
is d grand business. Idont think folks
looks. at 1t as they ought to. Remem.
ber. when was a young fellow like
you, just set up with an engine, used
to feel like a strong angel or somethin,
rushin' over the country, maxim that
iron beast do just as wanted him to.
The power sort of made me think fast,
square up, and feel much of . man.
~ was doin' well when married,
and did well long afterward. We
had nice home the little woman and
me ;.our hearts was set ON each other,
and she was little proud of her en-
gineer. Sheused to say SO, anyhow.
She was sort of mild and tender with
her. tongue. Not one. of your loud
ones. And pretty, too. But you know
what it is to love a woman, George
Burks. i saw YOU walkin' with blue
eyed little thing last Sunday. -
And after while we had the little
girl. How felt when I came home
and they put her into my arms the first
time L looked sort of silly and sort
Of glad My wife, she just laughed
out loud, to see me handle that little
thing 80 Orkardly. isGs' .as4a 20 VI
II never liked little children much,
but took to that un powerful.
Everybody loved to her. ~ 't
|aa"George, boy did you ever take time
| to 60 and peep at young ferns in the
spring? You see 'em all doubled mp
| together, like teeny fist. That's
what she was at first; all fist and
squirm; beauty curled up tight. Then
they unfold and spread out, and come
up bright and delicate, and fner'n you
can put into words. That's just the
way she did, Every night l came
home / found her growed and plum.
pened out more. Used to toss her up,
aud she'd sqneal like a squirrel, and
come down on my face in fits Of laugh
~ '.Oh,,I daresnt think about her cum
ingness! But the very first word she
to say was .PapaVp ~ siNa9 s
81 "We talked 4 good deal about what
we should call her. s,s 10 rs- aa}
We went clean through the Bible, and
set down all the fine story names we
heard Of. But nothing seemed to suit.
I used to puzzle tha- whole length of
my route to find outia name for that
little girl. My. wife wanted to call
her Eudora Isabel. But that sounded
Hike f6aderol. Then we had up Rebec-
ca and Maud and Amanda Ann and
what not, Finally, whenever looked
At her seemed to see katie. She
looked Katie, took TO calm her
Katie, and she ledrned 1t. So Katie
\ 9nd abe learned il. So Katie she was.
\ "I tell you, George, that was . child
to be noticed. She was rounder and
! prettier made n q wax figure; her
eyes was bigger and blackef n any
grown .womsn's you ever saw, set like
stars under the forehead and hcr hair
was that light kind, that runs to curls
and Hitter. 3sel sSsG4s sSss IL $ss7
l .Soon's she copld t0ddle, she used to
come. dancin' to meet me. I've s0iled
| amany OF her whitc pfnafores, buryin'
my face In them befDre I was washed,