Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1874-10-28

q
piece of bread and butter or sip of
milk and water. Nay, the maternal au-
thority itself had to be backed up by
the influence of the late Queen Cam
dace. On the third evening of Dots
possession of her treasure" Now, Dot,
it's time to go to bed that's good
gall" Mrs. Potten said.
"S'all we do to bed, dear B'ackie ?"
Dot asked; and then she cried exultant-
ly: "No, mother dear B'ackie says
we mustn't do to bed ct, but wait for
da."
q" You'd better ask dear Blackie
again. Mrs. Potten replied, for she
was kind, patient, and judicious but
| firm mother.
There was q short pause and then
Dot said, with knowing lau Oh: 'sDear
B'ackie says we'd better do to bed to-
night, and sit up for da some other
night" ;,
Mrs. Potten admitted, as she proceeded
to undress her obedient little Dot.
| And Dot, ere she closed her eyes in
sleep, kissed her black doll, and said
"Dood night, dear B'ackie. God bless
'ou."
That same evening, Mr.. Potten,
whose avocations nearly always took
him away from home all day, and who,
consequently, seldom had an opportu-
nifty of observing Dot and her ways,
was treated by her to little comedy,
which he, as father, found more laugh
ter-moving than anything ever per-
| fo,,,,, ~ ;c4o,, Nr,~rI,t ~. Tn,1o
Dot was restless, and woke up whilst
her father was taking his pipe and drop
of beer
And Dot insisted upon his sharing his
pipe and beer with "dear B'ackie, !"
who, she asserted, had always been &C
customed to tobacco in 'achie' s
land" and liked beer 'froffed up" Or,
as Mr.. Botten himself expressed it.,
"with head on" So "dear Blackie"
was placed in a sitting posture upon
the table, was propped up against cam
dlestick, and in a silent language, inter
preted by Dot, contributed greatly to
the hilarity Of the evening.
Lord love her little hearth" ex-
claimed Potten, as he wiped tears Of
amusement from his eyes when Dot had
as any play; that ere coils forum to
u.s."
But the next evening Potten was not
so we'll entertained. Dot, it appeared,
had been seized with a shivering fit,
and was now sleeping heavily, breath
ing stentorously, and tossing uneasily,
with skin as hot and dry as burning
coal. But poor people shrink from the
expense of doctor; and the Pottens re-
solved to see what a night would bring
forth. The night brought forth sore
throat, so sore that it seemed as if Dot
would be choked. There was no help
for it; doctor must be called, and Pot
ten, on his way to work, engaged one to
"look in. The doctor looked in, and
looked serious. He sent medicine, and
word that he would look in again in the
evening, In the evening he came, and
Potten was there.
Dot was one bright red flush to the
"What is it, sir, please?" asked Pot
ten, with trembling lips.
"Well," said the doctor, cit is best
to tell you, in order that you may take
precautions. 1t is a very bad case of
scarlet fever"
Potten groaned heavily, dropped down
by the bedside, and hid his face in the
clothes.
"Come, be man." said the doctor,
touching him on the shoulder; " don't
give way like that. I've known worse
cases recover.
Potten got up, and stared about like
one distraught.
The doctor gave his directions to Mrs.
Potten, and with kind ''good night, "
| departed.
The eighth day was approaching, and
Dot was in high state of delirlum.
| There were no sweet flowers, no violets,
no primroses, no dafodils for poor little
| Dot, to catch her eye and soothe her
senses; no grapes and no blood oranges
to moisten her poor parched lips. And
whenever her father drew near her pill
low, she, when the delirious fit was upon
her, would turn away her face, and NUT
ter:
"Do away, back man; do away, back
MANI
The eighth day came and passed, and
Dot passed away in the twilight.
Potten had scarcely spoken a word as
long as the fever lasted; but now, as he
stood looking with CHASTITY face and
dry, fierce eyes at the tiny corpse before
him, he said, in slow, distinct, deliberate
| tones:
"Susan, I've killed my child"
Mrs. Potten for "a moment hushed
her sobs, and stared at him in blank
amazement.
"Look here" continued Potten, in
low, husky tones: II knowed there'd
bin fever in the house where this come
from; the lady that gave it me begged
and prayed O. me to burn it, Or, least
ways, to burn the clo'es and the hair,
and bake and scour and regular disinfect
the rest on it; but I was afraid O. sp'ilin'
it, and-and-as they was always disin-
fectin' everything in that house, I never
gave it second thought, and and
give it her," and, with a sob that
shook his whole body, he threw down
upon the patchwork counterpane the
black doll.
Mrs. Potten listened to him with q
face that grew paler and gra yer and