Knoxville journal. [volume] (Knoxville, Iowa) 1874-1986, 1874-10-15
TADDIE'S EXTRA.
BIZ KATE w. HAMILTON.

Kitty" said papa.
BE as good boy as youcan, Taddie, y
said mamma
And those were the very last words, as
the carriage drove away from the gate.
Taddie went back into the house, feel
I ing considerably older and several inches
4 taller than usual He had been allowed
to sit up an hour later than his accus-
toned bedtime to see his father and
mother start for the depot. And then
Grandma and Kitty had been left in his
charge Certainly they needed some
body to take care of them for Grandpa
had to be away nearly all day. Taddie
walked through the hall with long steps,
pushed his hands down into his pockets,
whistled, and thought what an important
thing it was to be large boy. AS for
being good, he would be that, of course.
He thought about it the first thing
next morning, and while he was waiting
for breakfast he drew from his pocket a
bit of pencil and little notebook. He
had paid Bill Jones two marbles and a
whp-lash for that book because he adj
! mired it's red morocco cover and nice
white leaves; but he had not known ex-
actly what to do with it after he got it,
and SO had only drawn few pictures OF
very wonderful Indians and some curious
horses in it. Now, however, he con-
cluded to keep a journal and, sharpen
ing his pencil, he wrote, with great deal
of care and effort:
I" RnrZolved--to lie Xtry good to Day."
His little sister Kitty, seeing him so
busy, came to his side.
"What you doing, Taddie? Let me
see?'
NO." said Taddie. "Pm busy with
my private counts. They amt for little
| girls to look at"
Kitty had caught sight of some of the
feathered Indians, and thought they
might be interesting; but she was so,
surprised at Taddie's grand manner that
she only opened her blue eyes very wide,
and did not say word when he slipped
the book into his pocket. She found
Taddie surprising good many times,
that day. When she and her whole
family of dolls gave concert in the
back parlor he was very obliging in the
way Of scattering handbills, introducing
the singers, and furnishing instrumental
music on his tin trumpet. But he kept
saying so. gravely and so often: kitty,
/ put your hair back, /" kitty, don't stand
the window" that at last Kitty folded
|
| at him.
aTaddie Nelson, what makes you keep
saving Don't, Kitty all the time, 'sif
you was my--my grandfather or some.
thing?"
"'Cause Pm the biggest, and papa told,
me to take care of you" said Teddie.
"Humph! You needn't do il any more,
then" said Kitty, shaking her tiaXen,
curls. I" | guess, if it had been mamma,
she'd have told me to take care of you"
Taddie frowned little. He was rest
less and dissatisfied, and began to- be
afraid he could not carry out the resolu-
ton he had printed so carefully; for
what he meant by being extra good was
TO be good in some uncommon and ex-
traordinary way, and he did not seem to
find any such way Kitty wanted him
for good many plays; but some be
would not try at all and the others he did
not take much interest in Any common
boy could play; there was nothing Won
derful about that, and it didn't look
much like taking care of anybody.
Kitty grew tired of such poor com
pany by and by, and wandered away by
herself, leaving Taddie to gaze out of
the window and be as dull as he
pleased His grandmother called to him
now and then, asking him to bring in an
armful of wood or a pail of water from
the we'll He went slowly and not very
willingly. He hated such littleboy
work If she should only ask him to do
some great thing he should like it better
he said to himself.
"'Dade it's dale of trouble to bring
all the wather from the outdoor cisthern
I'm sorry the kitchen pumps broke at
| al coi1 RrtAty at,s ypiNp
Taddie listened. He hadn't heard of
that before.
whats the matter with the pump,
Grandma9" he asked.
There is nothing wrong with the
pump. II is only hole in the pipe that
brings the water up from the cellar cisr
term answered Grandma. u meant to
have asked your Grandpa to mend it he
fore he went away this morning. He
could have soldered 1t nicely, know, SO
that it would have been all right. Bat l
forgot it,"
aSure it's KNOWN gintleman he is,
as can do so many things hisself widout
sendin' for man at all, said Bridget,
admiringly.
Il wonder if" began TadGie, and
then he stopped. He had almost said
that he wondered if he could not do it;
but he was sure Grandma would only
laugh and say no, so he did not finish
, the sentence. Bridget thought it won
derful thing for man to do What
would she think of a boy that could dc
: itg Taddie's eyes grew bright as he
!, studied the subject.
"Taddie," said Grandma, al wish YOU
would run over to Mrs. Wales and get
some milk for me. win put a pitcher
here on the table, and you can take il
. when you are ready. Only go pretty
! soon.n
! Y-e-s.'m," answered Taddie, very
slowly.
He did not want to do IL at all. WHY
!. couldn't he do some real useful thing
!. like mending the pipe, insteads He
was certain he could do that, for he hac