American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1874-10-10
VOL. NXIV.

| lRtle glrl mas just nau IA pain, 10 jung
from plain indications; and now she
night-dress, and gently laid in tn
most dainty little cot, with til
most dainty appliances. Otherwise tn
room, and indeed the whole house, pre-
sents an unfinished appearance
|. all the furniture seems to b
! huddled together in out-Of-the-wa
: places, and there is a notable absence O
carpets from the floors. Wherever yo'
. turn you see basins or other utensil
filled with a red liquid, as if there ha,
been general nose bleeding Throughout
the house. Moreover, there is pervad
ing smell as of SCOT, from which the eX
perienced would infer disinfectants. Ii
the little girls own room stands a table
on which are arranged, to please the ey,
and smell and taste, wall-tlowers, violets
primroses, daffodils, jonquils, grapes ant
blood-Oranges. Cheap photographs ant
cheap picture books, which may serve t.
amuse for the moment, and may be after
ward destroyed without compunctior
on the score of extravaganza, are scat
tered about in all directions. When the
little girl has been made quite cOmforta
Bile, the lady sits down by the side of the
cot and prepares to coax the invalid to
sleep.
Am well now, dear NUM-" asks the
invalid.
Nearly well, DEAR" replies mamma
ave are going to the seaside tomorrow
and then you will get quite strong and
| we'll again"
But if Pm not well, why can't l go
on having Candace to sleep with me,'
asks the invalid.
"Candace has gone away, darling"
| Where to, mum?"
81 don't know, darling. She was taken
|
things"
"What will he do to her, mum? Cure
herr"
Il hope so, dear"
"Then why can't have her back when
she's cured, dear mum?"
Because, though she might not do
| yOu any harm, dear, it's safer, on account
of other people, that we should get rid of
her altogether"
poor Candace! hope she'll soon get
WE'LL" murmured the invalid sleepily.
not make any other little girl as i'll as 1
have been"
81 sincerely hope not" said the lady
fervently, but in very low voice, so as
not to disturb the little invalid who was
DOING off.
Candace, queen of the Philippians, was
the name which the little invalid had
given to her favorite plaything, black
doll. 1t had been included amongst
number of articles which the man. had
carried off to be destroyed, or cured"
as the little invalid would have said
The lady knew nothing of 1.-The man"
but that he had been authoritatively rec
commended as a regular practitioner in
such matters. She had paid him well,
and had strongly advised him to destroy
everything, or, at any rate, to bake,
smoke, steam, boil, and disinfect every
thing thoroughly. Unless he faithfully
promised to do at least the latter she
would see if she could not find some
man had replied: '.All right, ma'am;
don't you go for to be afraid; 1 know all
about it." But somehow his manner was
a little contemptuous; his eye twinkled,
and his mouth staggered in a by no
means reassuring fashion. And SO he
had gone his way; and she did not know
even his name, which was Potter.
And so the lady and the little invalid
went to the seaside; and the latter grew
strong and plump and rosy again
And Candace and the man" were
Meanwhile, Dot had been getting on
famously With "dear Blackie." No
doubt Candace, queen of the Ethiopians,
had fallen considerably in the social
scale; but it is a question whether She
had ever before been treated with SO
much Difference. Dot never did anything
without consulting "dear Blackie." She
obtained that sable personage's permits |
sion before she even dared to put into
her mouth single piece of bread and
butter or a sip of milk and water. Nay, |
the maternal authority itself had to be |
backed up by the influence of the late |
Queen Candace. On the third evening
of Dots possession of her treasure
I" Now, Dot, it's time to go to bed that's |
a good gal" Mrs. Potten said.
Sail we do to bed, dear B'ackie?"
Dot asked; and then she cried exultant- |
ly: mo, mother; dear B'ackie says we |
do to bed ct but wait for da."
You'd better ask dear Blackie again" |
Mrs. Potten replied, for she was "a kind,
patient and judicious but firm mother.
There was a short pause; and then |
Dot said, with a knowing laugh: Dear
B'ackie says we'd better do to bed to-
night and sit up for da some other |
night"
Potter admitted as she proceeded to I'M
dress her Obedient little Dot.
And Dot, ere she closed her eyes in
sleep, kissed her black doll and said:
g Goodnight, dear B'ackie. bod hess
'ou''
That same evening Mr.. Potten, whose
avocations nearly always took him away
from home all day and who consequently
seldom had an opportunity of observing
Dot and her ways, was treated by her to
a little comedy, which he as a father
found more laughter-moving than any
thing ever performed by Liston, Wright
Or Toole. 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 Blackie," who,
she asserted, had always been accustomed
TO tobacco in Backies land" and liked
beer "froffed up" or, rs Mr.. Potten him
self expressed it, with head on" So
dear Blackie" was placed in sitting
posture upon the table, was propped up
against candlcstick, and in silent Ian
5uage, interpreted by Dot, contributed
greatly to the hilarity of the evening.
Lord love her little heart" exclaimed
Potten, rs he wiped tears of amusement
from his eyes when Dot had sunk ex-
lausted to sleep; ''she's as good as any
play; that ERE dolls forum to u.s."
But the next evening Potten was not
20 well entertained. Dot, it appeared,
mad been seized with "a shivering fit, and
was now sleeping heavily, breathing
and tossing uneasily, with
4 skin as hot and dry as n burning coal
But poor people shrink from the expense
Of doctor; and the Pottens resolved to
see what "a night would bring forth. The
night brought forth "A sore throat, so sore
That it seemed as if Dot would be choked
There was no help for it, doctor must
be called, and Potten, on his way to
work. ENGAGED one tn look in Tho