American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1874-07-04
Om Bops and girls.
THE TWO CARRIAGES.
BY MRS. CHANTER.

H L w " Shn1kllVLSJs
BY MRS. CHANTER.
IT was on fine morning in June, in &
little town near the English coast, tha
John Hartop was sent by his father to en-
gage a carriage of some sort to convey
himself and his family to the seaside fol
a days pleasure. John started off, quite
proud at being intrusted with the com
mission to get a carriage; and he deter
mined to get the handsOmest one that he
could find. Accordingly, he was delighted
when he came to the door of an inn called
the Red Lion at seeing drawn up outside
one of the gayest carriages imaginable
1t seemed to be quite new, and certainly
was just painted, for it was gorgeous with
yellow and red and glittered in the sun
"This," he said to himself. ais the car
riage must have. How pleased papa
and mamma will be with it, and brother
Tom and sister Susan!"
Now. just at this moment a neighbor Of
his, school-fe!low, Robert Scraggins
came to the inn door.
al suppose" he said, John Hartop
you are going to the picnic to-day at Nor
ton Sands?"
ayes, am" said John Hartop.
81 have come here" observed Scrag
gins, "to get carriage for our family
That is a capital one by the door. Land
lord, 1 will have that one-that yellow
new"
avery well, SIR" answered the landlord
who stood at the entrance reckoning his
morning accounts.
81 say, Eartop," pursued Scraggins
sha'n't we look smart as we move along
in that carriage?"
Poor John Hartop! He was sadly dis.
appointed. He thought, however, he
would make an effort to secure the prize.
acknowledgements, 1 was going to
have that carriage myself"
Were you ?" said Scraggins, coolly.
Eyes; and was here before you. And
il you had not spoken should have had
"Well," said Scraggins, "but you
wOn'e have it now, so you had better
make up your mind to that, and look out
for another"
John Hartop knew Scraggins to be an
selfish boy, and so he said no
more, but went into the inn yard to look
for another carriage. There was nothing
very desirable to look at; indeed, in con-
sequence of the great demand for car
riages on that day, there was but one left,
and that was rather shabby. He was
whether his father would be
pleased with such vehicle or not, when
the landlord, who had heard what passed,
said to him:
"You had better take that, sir. You
will find it very strong and very servicea-
BILE, and l dare say that at the end of the
day you will be ri ht we'll pleased with
your bargain"
John went home crestfallen. He told
his father what had happened-of the
sort of carriage he intended to have, so
gay and shining, and the
sort OF carriage that was coming, so worn
and shabby.
"Ncver mind, my boy" said the father
u We shall do very well. We don't want
show and glitter; we want a carriage to
carry us to Morton Sands and bring us
back again.
rived. The children and, better still. the
provisions were packed; 1 mean those
nice things for which chiefly, 1 suspect,
people go to picnics-the veal-pies, the
nam sandwiches, the cold chickens, the
the fruittartlets, the
bread, the cheese, the cucumbers, the
oranges. All these things were deposited
n place of safety and the party logged
IN toward Morton Sands.
Not far had they gone when they heard
rafting noise behind them. All looked
DeuOlu! NudSlcT hODeTt OCTdE-
gins and his glittering conveyance!
Robert himself drove. He was perched
IN pile of cushions and held the reins
'etween pair of white gloves. Beside
him sat papa, a fat man, with a rosy neck |
lie; behind him sat mamma, fat likewise,
md blue all over; and small Scragginses
Without number.
Here we gOI" cried Robert Scraggins,
s his carriage rolled by with waddle
Here we go, old slow-coach, l wish
ou may catch usw And away they
vent, and soon were out of sight
John Ha-top's was heavy carriage,
nd so they went slowly up the hill. |
Don, however, they reached the top, and |
hen they bowled down the other side.
"What is that" said his father, "at the |
ottom of the hill2 1t looks like the |
craggins' carriage. Surely something |
as happened"
And sure enough, as they drew near, |
hey saw that the whole party had got |
ut and were busy about the left wheel.
"What has happened?" said Hartop's |
athcr.
"Oh," said Scraggins, "the horrid
'hcel came off and threw me over papa's
cad into the dirt, and nearly caused the
cath of mamma and three of the little
mes; but fortunately no bones are broken.
md now what can We do? We shall
ever get to Morton Sands"
Let us Sec" said Mr.. IIartop. "Oh,
he linch-pin that keeps the wheel on has
imblcd out; but we will put that to
ghts. John, go to that house and ask
" big nail"
81 am not SORRY" said John Hartop to
imsclf as he returned with the nail
that we are in the plain looking, strong
arriage."
Mr.. Hartop soon adjusted the wheel in
S proper place, saying: THAT will do
ntil you get home"
The Scragginses got into their carriage
gain and went on \ little more slowly;
ut the carriage was very feeble one
lat is the truth. 1t was shaky, old and
eak, and had just been painted and var
shed over, in hopes that it would do
lerable service for another summer; but
lie present party were too heavy for it.
n. Scraggins was like an elephant; Mrs.
was like il hogshead; and the
)ung Scragginses, to say the least, were
Try lumpy children. The Consequence
as that the newly painted carriage was
oliged to give in. He might have car
ed such burdens in his youth, when he
as first put together, but he could not
EAR them in his old age, when he had
any "eih IDllllS anu tcnueT PRICES, l..
though he had been freshly painted. .
obody but himself-not even the inn ,
how often he had been ,
,ctored, with piece here, and II nail I
ere, and an iron bandage there:
hen, for instance, just as he was
w and fresh from the builders i
md, Mrs. Tomkins' horse fell and :;
oke one of the shafts; when, on another I
.casion Master Tomkins drove so fast .