River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1874-07-03

90 sick, and he actually put all the
rest, good sized handful-lnto his own
mouth. Well, it was not fair, but | re-
served my opinion of his conduct, and
asked him his name.
"Dotty, he said
" Where il your mother?"
Don't know.
Where is your father"
" Don't know
Where do yOu liye?n
-" Mes dom TO live with oo?"
With me )"
Es-my nanny told me 50.
Your nanny told you SO? Where
Is your mammy?"
Her dOn'd off.
" What is your manny's name ?"
He looked me over from head to foot
mentally gauging the extent of my
idiocy, and then answered sc0rnfully:
Nanny named n'aD1myj don't 90
know dat ?"
I" And she said you were to live with
me?"
"Es; she said if me would, 90 a div
me lots of pretty sings"
/ felt like the man who drew the ele-
phant by lottery. ITS most deuced
cool, l said
"Es, it awfuy tool, said the young
man, rising, let's do in the house.
In the house, and Invested of his
wraps, he was as much at home as if he
had always lived there. The first thing
he did was to harness a chair 10 the
head of the lounge with an old pair Of
uspenders, and then to get on himself
and commenced driving, talking horse
mo uproariously.
"Get ape now, won't 90 ?" Get ape.
Whoa, Danuary Do long deere, won't
500? Darn 90 fool
He was evidently all right but what
sort Of fix was | in? Well, to con
dense the matter, l gave him in charge
of the landlady, and went out to see if
| could find his mother. 1t was of no
use. | advertised him in every possible
way. Nobody claimed him, and con-
cluded that he had dropped ont of the
clouds for my especial benefit. Per-
haps the bread | had thrown upon the
waters had been metamorphosed into
meat, and in this shape had returned to
me sooner than | expected. | would be
careful how | made another compact
with my spirit friends But even yet
it seemed that they had not fully recon-
pensed me for my kindness to the chill
dren of the past Christmas.
| was sitting one evening with Deity
by the fire, some six weeks after his al
vent, when there was a shuflling in the
hall, and soon tiny rap at the door.
| opened it, and a little girl came in
tlmidly with her finger in her mouth.
At first the light dazZled her, but she
soon pecred round the table and espied
Dotty. He, too, had seen her, and
with a little scream he rushed towards
her, and then commenced the most ex-
travagant demonstrations of JOY | ever
witnessed in my life. OF course, | was
curious To know what it all meant, but
they did not answer my questions.
They did not seem to hear them. 1t
was oh, Dotty, and ooh, Lily, kiss
kiss kiss, and "Tum up to de fire,
Lilly, ct me shake de snow off DOR
cloak; and "Where did 90 dit dat
petty horsey, Dotty?' and then more
ordinations and more kissing. | was
utterly bewildered, aud after cudgeling
my brain To an extent undreamed of in
all my pr vious years, | gave il up as
hopeless for that night mt least, and
concluded To sleep on it as soon as they
got done kissing. In the succeeding
days found ont, partly 10y questioning
and partly by guessing, that these chill
dren were twins. Who they were, or
what the object in palming them OF
upon me, remained profound mystery
for years. will just say. in passing.
that though little rescntful at first
at what seemed an objectionable liberty
IA thus forcing - great responsibility
upon me, | soon became not only rec
onciled, but infinitely happier than /
ever expected to be. My darlings grew
in grace and beauty, and became the
very life Of my life. Bat from the mo
ment of their entering my house | was
haunted by woman, who IN spite of
all my Efforts bailicd every attempt to
see her plainly One summer eve, as |
sat in my little sitting groom with the
children at dinner, / became conscious
Of some strange influence near me, and
glancing around | saw her through the
open window, inst melting out of sight
in the dim darkness And many time
after | caught partial glimpses Of a
thin, wasted form, hut never once was
IN a position To catch on detain her.
At last, moved by compassion for whnt
| knew 10 bc IN that poor mothers
heart posted an advertisement ON all
conspicuous places near my dwelling,
which was something like this
eli the mother of Dotty and Lily
will come 20 me openly she shall see
her children without reserve. But in
ease she shall have reasons Of her own
for not coming, | wuuld like to let her
know that he To whom she gave them
thanks her with humble aud happy
heart for her precious gift, and will
pledge himself never Go prove recreant
10 so sacred trust
Now, So far from this producing the
effect | had desncd, il seemed 10 ban.
ish the mother entirely away, and il
was nearly twelve yeafs after the chill
dren came 90 me that the next event
happened.
There was an exhibition in Tily's
school. and she was to have the leading
character IN some theatrical perform
wnce. She was pleased and excited