American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1874-05-30
THE STORY OF A BOX OFMATCHES.

THE child was asleep. His rosy cheel
was pressed on the pillow; his lips were
parted and the little white teeth were
peeping out; his light curls were all
tossed about; and pretty smile was
playing all around his mouth. Onelittle
hand was outside the counterpart, the
other was close clasped under the pillow
clasped because it held what to Eddie
was a dear treasure, and under pillow !;
because that dear treasure was secret
one-a secret even from mamma. What
was it? What could it be?
In the afternoon of that day Eddie had
been playing in the garden. John came
by and called him: Master Eddie, l
have raked up a great heap of rubbish and
thorns, and 1 am going to burn them
bonfire?"
ooh, how famous"
Away went barrow and spade, and away
went Eddie Such a glorious heap of
dried weeds and couch grass and thorns
to be burned? How gladly Eddie, for
the first time, took the match-bo from
Johns hand, struck the match and lighted
the fire. 1t was a splendid bonfire; the
flames rose higher and higher, cracking
and splitting bright sparks about, ana
Eddie thought he had never seen any
thing so grand. What nice plaything
match box was, he Thought; better than
anything he had in the world-only just
open the lid, take match, give little
rub, and there was lovely little flame
ready to light a bonfire at any time. Oh,
if papa would only give him a whole hat
full of boxes of matches! But papa and
mamma too had always said he must not
touch the matches.
"Am a naughty boy to light the bon
fire?' he thought. again and again: aud
the little face looked grave and guilty.
master Eddie" said John, You had
better run off now, or the SIN Ike will
make you so dirty"
Eddie took one more look at the fire
and scampered off, forgetting that the
matchbox was still in his hand; only
when he wanted both hands for his bar
row he saw what one of them still held.
Then came the wish to keep that box
of matches for his very own. He was
sure he would not burn himself, and that
was all that mamma feared. Yes, he
must keep them; and soon they were
safely slowed in the very bottom of
Master Eddie's pocket.
Eddie did not feel quite happy now.
The barrow was too heavy and the spade
would not dig; so he walked along slowly
with one hand in his pocket, feeling the
box
Soon came teatime. Mamma wondered
that her little Eddie was SO silent.
Eddie had a darling little sister, only
two years old. Her name was Mary, but
they called her Dolly. Papa often called
her bundle of fun,'' for she was such a
sweet, merry little maid.
While mamma undressed Dolly Eddie
stood by, watching the sprinkIing and
laughing and tickling, till she took her
own doll and was carried Oft and laid in
her little crib, Miss Doll and all.
Now came Eddie's turn. Mamma un-
dressed him and fetched him biscuit for
supper. 1t only took Eddie minute to
lump up, take the match box from his
pocket and draw it up into the sleeve OF
his night dress; but his heart beat very
fast, and he coud hardly say "Thank
you" as he took the biscuit
Then he said his evening prayer. He
said the words but he did not feel joyful.
His mothers soft kisses seemed to trouble
him, AID when she smoothed his pillow
and said: "God bless my darling boy ~
he felt as if something hurt him in this
throat. He was very tired, however, and
soon slept; and when papa and mamma
came to look at their darlings the last
thing at night they only saw what |
wrote down at the beginn ing, only they
did not know, as you and do, what the
little hand was clasping under the pillow.
1t was all quiet and still, tor it was rest
time, and all were sleeping soundiy.
What woke Eddie? Perhaps he had
dreamed dream that frightened him:
perhaps the little hand under the pillow
was cramped; but there he was wide
awake, holding the match box still: He
turned his head from eide to side. 1t was
all dark; only a tiny glimmer came
from the nightlamp in mammals room,
and he heard the staircase clock strike
one.
Eddie had little picture of some white
kittens over his head he wondered how
it would look in the night. He would
just strike one match and peep. Flz!
went the match on the box, and the little
flames burst out brightly. Fiz! and liz
again, great many times, match after
match. AS they burned nearly down to
Eddie's fingers he tossed them from him
over Dolly's crib against the wall near
which the crib was placed.
Dollys doll had been brough: to bed
with her, all in her white muslin frock
and blue ribbons, and when the wee mann
ma had fallen asleep Dolly's doll had
dropped out OF bed on to the floor. Fred
dies matches had been tossed over his
sisters bed, and all had gone out except
the last one Eddie had got tired of them,
and frightened, and perhaps he did not
hold it quite so long in his hand rs the
rest; when he tossed it away it fell all
alight on the white muslin irock of dear
Dolly's doll.
Eddie's head was still under the clothes
Dolly was fast asleep; one little hand
dropped over the white counterpane, the
eounierpane dropped over the pretty WAX
doll, whose muslin frock was atiame from
the burning match. Frock, pcuicoat, kid
arms filled with saw dust, all are alight.
Higher and higher the flames leap. Now
il is catching the white counterpart; now
it is near the fair little dropping hand of
Dolly.
Eddie was nearly asleep. Surely that
was Il cry he heard-a sharp cry of pain.
Something must be the matter with dar-
ling Dolly!
Eddie dearly loved his sister, and he
was sitting up in a moment; but what
sight met his eyesI All! he had lighted
a bonfire indeed! The room was filled
with sitting smoke, and lighted up by a
bright flame and the little one, amid the
burning bed, was screaming with fright
and pain.
mamma! mamma! mammal" ran
through the still house and in less time
than | can take to write il the mother was
there, catching the little ones in her arms
and bearing them to place of safety,
while the flames leaped and ragged all the
more tiercely as more things caught fire.